TORONTO – You are gonna get an overload of Justin Verlander over the next few weeks.
The Tigers will honor him with two days of celebrations at Comerica Park – richly deserved, I might add. And if everything aligns, if his body holds up, he will pitch in Comerica Park in the final series of the regular season. I mean, how freakin’ cool is that? It’s gonna be nostalgic and memorable – one final “Must See JV” in Detroit − the fitting end to a Hall of Fame career.
But allow me this moment to focus on something else.
Something I find even more important.
It’s Verlander’s impact off the field. The Tigers have nominated Verlander for the Roberto Clemente Award − baseball’s most prestigious individual honor − given annually to the player who best represents
the game of baseball through “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
“It means a lot, especially over my time, especially looking back, and the stuff we did for veterans and the city and a lot of different areas,” Verlander said Monday, Sept. 14, standing at his locker in the Tigers' clubhouse. “It's cool to recognize.”
His contributions on the field? Give me a break. That’s hard to argue. He’s headed to Cooperstown.
But his contributions off the field? I think it’s even more important.
And yes, I’m biased. Because it brings us to a topic I care about deeply.
Helping our veterans
Verlander has been nominated for this award because of how he has spent his career trying to help our veterans. And it all started when his cousin Chris served in the military in Afghanistan.
“I just had a great appreciation [for the military],” Verlander said. “The Tigers would always honor a vet − and still do − during the games, and I just was very inspired by that early on. I wanted to give back, and I would have conversations with my cousin about his time serving and the toll that that can take. I thought that there was a real void in good care for our veterans.”
So, Verlander tried to do something about it.
In 2011, Verlander partnered with the Detroit Tigers Foundation to launch Victory for Veterans. On days he pitched, veterans connected to VA Medical Centers in Michigan were invited to Comerica Park, many of them bringing their families, and they got to hang out in Verlander’s suite for the afternoon.
Certainly, it was a special day for them. But Verlander was never one to be satisfied – that’s what has made him so great on the field.
And he asked himself: What more could I do?
In 2013, he launched the Wins for Warriors Foundation with an initial $1 million donation. While Victory for Veterans was about celebrating vets for a day, Wins for Warriors tackled something even bigger: offering mental health support for veterans and their families by giving grants to organizations already focused on that issue.
“Then I met Kate [Upton], and she had a dog adoption thing, and we had the idea to combine those,” Verlander said.
Trying to save vets. Trying to save dogs. All at the same time.
And another mission was born.
“We would adopt a dog, spend the money to have it trained, and then paired with a veteran,” Verlander said. “That was very intensive training.”
Not to mention expensive.
“It wasn't just like, here's a dog,” Verlander said. “It was a highly trained service animal. So they had to have the right temperament. So we would go to the adoption agencies and hunt for the right kind of dog.”
Now, his passion is morphing again. Verlander is donating $100,000 to Michigan Humane for Military, which connects veterans and active-duty service members with companion animals while providing ongoing veterinary support. The really cool thing? Way bigger than awards or even recognition? Verlander has seen the impact of all these things on a personal level.
“We hosted a lot of physical events,” Verlander said. “I would go to these things and have veterans come up and people say, ‘You literally saved my life.’
“It is very meaningful, and it was a really cool experience.”
Helping true heroes
Now, I have to admit something. I’m incredibly biased because this is a topic I care about deeply.
In my first life at the Free Press, I covered the war in Iraq, writing human interest stories about our troops, telling the story of the war, one solider at a time. I was paired up with sketch artist Richard Johnson and we produced a series called Portraits of War. After returning from the war, we visited a military hospital to write about soldiers who were injured. We attended a military funeral at Arlington National. We went to the Pentagon. And I went to homes across Michigan, writing about the families who lost loved ones.
Issues facing our veterans and their families are layered with so many complexities. So when Verlander stood at his locker on Monday, talking about trying to help the troops, a pro baseball player trying to do something so incredibly important, I got chills down my arms and my eyes watered up.
More than anything, I think it was just seeing Verlander’s passion. Seeing how much he cares. And it’s something to keep in the back of your mind over the next week or so. Verlander’s greatness on a baseball field has given him riches beyond belief. It’s given him opportunity and a platform, which he has used in the most amazing way. Helping true heroes who are often forgotten.
So while we remember all that Verlander has done on the field over the next few weeks, remembering amazing wins and Cy Youngs and no-hitters, please take this moment to consider what he’s done off the field.
Because, in my mind, it means so much more.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Justin Verlander should be celebrated for much more than his on-field dominance
