Justin Verlander’s daughter rushed onto the mound to hug her dad as his legendary MLB career came to an end.
Verlander has enjoyed a glittering MLB career as a two-time World Series winner, 10-time MLB All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner but announced earlier this year he would be retiring at the end of the season.
He made his final start as the Detroit Tigers hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their last homestand of the regular season on Saturday.
Verlander pitched 5.1 innings in his final start, allowing two earned runs and recording six strikeouts in a strong end to his legendary career.
As Tigers manager A.J. Hinch left the dugout to take him out of the game, he headed to Verlander’s daughter, Genevieve, 7, who sprinted out of the stands to the mound to hug her dad.
The pair shared an emotional embrace as he broke down in tears while receiving a standing ovation from Comerica Park.
Justin Verlander’s daughter ran on to the field to hug him after his final MLB start ended
Verlander fought back tears as the final start of his legendary career came to an end in Detroit
The previous night, Genevieve threw out the first pitch to her dad after he addressed the crowd and wiped away tears at a special presentation.
Verlander’s wife, model Kate Upton, was waiting to hug him as he left the field. The family, including their youngest son Bellamy, 1, was all on hand as he bid farewell.
He was honored before Friday’s home game as he addressed the crowd at Comerica Park and saw his daughter throw out the first pitch.
‘It’s been awesome. We’ve been practicing,’ Verlander said beforehand. ‘She’s all pumped up about it.
‘We actually came out here to the field and practiced off the mound one day. I asked her, ‘Where do you want to go? You want to go to the mound?’ And she’s like, ‘The mound.’ I’m like, ‘That’s my girl.’
‘She’s been really excited. At home, she wants to grab a baseball and go up to play catch with me, which is the first time this has happened.
‘I don’t push on her at all, so to have her want to go play catch in the backyard has been awesome, and she’s glowing about it.’
Verlander struggled to contain his emotions as he wiped away tears as he addressed the fans with his family watching on.
Verlander was given a standing ovation as he made his way off the mound in the sixth inning
Verlander’s wife, Kate Upton, was waiting to give him a hug as he left the field
It was an emotional end to Verlander’s Hall of Fame career in which he was a 10-time All-Star
‘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.’
