Justin Verlander could have – should have? – was a little one. It was a giant miss for the northern tracks
In June 2006, the left -hander of Tigers Kenny Rogers beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field for his 200th victory.
After the match, the veteran lift Todd Jones asked Hotshot, 23, Justin Verlander, who won earlier in his beginnings in Wrigley and was on the way, he turned out, at a recruit price of the year and at a start to the match in the world series of this season.
“Do you want to take this now?” Jones wanted to know about the milestone of 200 victories.
“I said:” no question “,” recalls Verlander on Monday, one day before his fourth – and potentially last – the start of a career in Wrigley (6:40 p.m., Marquee Sports Network, 670 -A). “He essentially told me that I was an idiot, and, looking back, I agree. But this stubbornness in a way brought me where I am. ”
Where Verlander, 42, is at a rarefied territory of a certain temple of the fame of the first ballot. He has three Cy Young awards, three without strikes, nine heads of the stars, a MVP and – more than any other active launcher – 262 victories and 3,448 sticks to the stick. The K rank the 10th in the history of the league.
And he could have been a little. Maybe should have been a little. I really wanted to be a little.
“I wanted that,” he told Sun-Totes. “I tried to come here. I had always been a fan from afar, I loved the organization, I loved the stadium. It was something that I really tried to push in this direction. ”
It was in 2017, when the cubs had a World Series title to defend and sought to start pitch to put them above. But they fell on the Verlander’s contract, which had $ 28 million for each of 2018 and 2019 and an acquisition option of $ 22 million for 2020 if it had finished in the top five of Cy Young voting for 2019.
Instead, the Cubs exchanged their two best hopes – Eloy Jimenez and Dylan stop – to the White Sox to land Jose Quintana in July. The following month, the astros obtained Verlander in a total flight for their prospects n ° 3, 9 and 11. It was the Astros who continued to win all the balls.
Verlander won a total of 37 games, with 590 stick withdrawals and a combined MPM of 2.55, in 2018 and 2019, finishing second and first respectively, in Cy Young Voting. He won another CY and another world series with the Astros in 2022.
It is sure to say that the cubs – holding their close riches to the heart of a winning window – blew it.
“Oops,” said Verlander, who is largely smiling.
“I wanted to be with a competitor, and [the Cubs] were good. Look, going to Houston is one of the best things that have ever happened in my career. The analyzes they had at the time really helped me. I don’t regret it at all. But, at the time, you don’t know what you don’t know. I was looking at the teams on the market for a starting launcher, and the cubs were at the top of my list. »»
Fans of Cubs can correct the lost opportunity, but they should also appreciate the moment as an excellent big – with Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw as his only full peers – takes up the mound on the north side. Verlander could also be back; Although he has not yet scratched the column “W” this season, he does not consider this as his last round and would like nothing more than reaching the magic threshold of 300 victories.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I have always had the ambition to play as long as I can. I always felt as if I was naturally blessed to be able to launch 100 mph and it would probably wear me [through] A natural regression, which I would always be competitive in the forties because I can still throw away quite strong. And I have never lost passion.
In 2010, during training in the spring, I was in a previous job when I visited Verlander at his home in Lakeland, Florida, for an interview with magazine. He had black hair, for a long time by gray. He posed for photos with the dog, Riley, who had accompanied him by the baccalaureate. He had a new Porsche whom he liked to drive quickly and ideas on the game in the World Series of Poker after retirement, which left him during the intermediate years.
But he also declared two goals: having 135 victories before 30 years (he ended up with 137) and to make the temple of renown (it’s a lock).
“I was always well by saying that I wanted to be a temple of fame,” he said, “because, for me, if I get there, then I did everything I wanted to do along the way.”
After Verlander won his own n ° 200 in 2018, he told all astros this previous story involving Rogers and Jones.
“This kid was so naive to have the balls to say:” No, I’m going to be better than that “”, recalls Verlander.
But it was better than that. By many.
Verlander’s three favorite ball parks are the old Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Wrigley. It would have been something else to see it in this last place in blue stripes.
It is assumed that the cubs blew it.
“If only, right?” He said.
If only.
Imanaga said he would never have stretched a muscle in the lower body.
Notes: Jed Hoyer discussed what the cubs are looking for the best hope Matt Shaw.
An update on its recovery said Kavan Markwood has “a long way to go”.
