Justin Verlander broke down in tears before the final start of his glittering MLB career, with wife Kate Upton and their kids joining him on the field.
Verlander, a two-time World Series winner, 10-time MLB All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, announced earlier this year he would be retiring at the end of the season.
He is slated for his final start as the Detroit Tigers host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their last homestand of the regular season on Saturday.
But he was honored before Friday’s home game as he addressed the crowd at Comerica Park and saw his daughter, Genevieve, 7, throw out the first pitch.
Upton was watching along proudly with their second child, son Bellamy, 1, also there for the special occasion.
And Verlander struggled to contain his emotions as he wiped away tears as he addressed the fans with his family watching on.
Kate Upton and their two kids joined Justin Verlander as he was honored before retiring
Verlander wiped away tears as he addressed the Detroit Tigers fans at Comerica Park
Upton hugged Verlander in an emotional ceremony on the field before Friday night’s game
‘I am, and always will be, a Detroit Tiger,’ said Verlander, who started his career with the franchise in 2005 and played there until 2017 before returning for his final season.
Genevieve threw out a perfect first pitch then ran and jumped into her dad’s arms as he stood as catcher in an emotional moment.
Earlier in the day, Verlander gave a press conference discussing his decision to hang up the glove.
‘I feel like I ran my race. I gave it everything I had,’ he said.
‘I see my daughter, who’s seven now, and how fast that goes and how much of that time frame I’ve missed already.
‘I have a 1-year-old son now. I know that I’m going to be able to be there for him and experience more of that childhood that I missed, unfortunately, with my daughter. Also be there for her in some very formative years coming up.’
Verlander has 266 major league victories, and some felt he might become the next 300-game winner in the sport at one stage, something he admits he is disappointed he didn’t quite accomplish.
He reflected: ‘I think it’s all how you look at it, right? I could be sad for what maybe I didn’t do. I didn’t make 300 wins. That was a goal.
‘I’m not going to go home and lay my head on my pillow tomorrow night, no matter how the game goes, and be like, I left something out there. I think that gives me some ease.’
Verlander’s kids wore custom Tigers jackets featuring his name and No.35 as they watched on
Upton has been by Verlander’s side supporting him through the latter stages of his career
Upton and Verlander married in 2017 in Italy days after he won the World Series with the Astros
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Upton and Verlander first met on a commercial shoot in 2012, then started dating in 2014. Verlander proposed in 2016 then they married in 2017 in Italy, days after he won the World Series with the Houston Astros.
‘It was a very special moment,’ he later told PEOPLE. ‘It was pretty storybook. The moment the gates opened and I saw her walking down the aisle, I lost it. She looked so beautiful, and I had been looking forward to that day for a long time.
‘All the emotions came to me, and it was everything I had imagined it would be and more.
‘Being able to look out and see everyone that we love and her walking down the aisle was a very special moment that I’ll never forget. I’m truly blessed to be able to share these experiences with my best friend, and all our close friends and family were there.’
He opened up in 2018 about how his wife was vital in getting him through a tough stage in his career.
‘She was instrumental in me not … like, jumping off a bridge,’ Verlander said. ‘I was depressed and kind of just upset at the world and trying to hide my own s—.
‘I don’t like to talk to people about being hurt. As athletes, you’re not supposed to … But [Upton] was someone I could talk to. I mean, basically a therapist. Somebody I could trust with … worries about my career. Worries about, ‘Can I make it?’ Worries about what I’m going through to get back. Who knows, if I’m even here if it wasn’t for her?’
