Kate Upton, Just One Reason Its Good To Be Justin Verlander (video)

The Detroit Tigers winter caravan is underway and so far the big news has been about the pitching staff.  Manager Brad Ausmus revealed the Tigers Ace Justin Verlander hasn’t felt this healthy since 2008.  Detractor’s would say that is bad news considering JV went 11-17 that season.

To be fair , Verlanders was probably trying to illustrate that he has fully recovered from the core muscle surgery that dogged him all of last season. If he feels fully recovered then Justin Verlander could be in line to reclaim his spot among the American Leagues best pitchers.

Having a healthy Justin Verlander on the mound bodes well for the Detroit Tigers in their quest for a world Series Championship in 2015.  Good health is certainly something to be happy about but it’s just one of the reasons it is good to be Justin Verlander.

Reason #1 – A Nasty Curveball

During his career, Justin Verlander has been best known for his elite fastball.  Although he gets plenty of swings and misses with the heater, Verlander is at his best when he is rocking the curve. Verlander 12-6 bender is enough to buckle the knees of the best hitters.

It is probably safe to say JV will not return to the days when he hit triple digits on the radar gun. As Verlander increases in age he will probably need to depend on his off speed pitches more than ever. The new and improved Justin Verlander will likely need to use his entire selection of pitches to be successful again.  At 31 he will have to do more than just blow hitter away with an upper 90’s fastball.

Verlander’s gas will probably still touch 94 or 95 MPH.  Assuming he control returns as well, his fastball combined with his killer curve should help JV reclaim his standing as the undisputed Ace of the Detroit Tigers staff.

A nasty curveball, just one of the reasons it is good to be Justin Verlander.

Reason #2 – Job Security

Justin Verlander has been in a two-year downward spiral that has baseball pundits questions whether or not the Tigers “former ace” could ever return to form. With their ace slumping, naturally fans starting looking for a replacement they could trust to be the clubs stopper. The success of Max Scherzer made him a natural choice and gave fans another pitcher they can call “ace”.

Now that Max Scherzer has taken his services to Washington D.C., the title of “Tigers Ace” is up for grabs again. It could put extra pressure on Justin Verlander to perform at a high level once again and be the fuel he needs to kick his game into high gear.  Of course David Price and Anibal Sanchez certainly have the stuff to claim the #1 spot in the rotation, but with Scherzer out-of-town the competition got a little easier.

Whether he is the ace or the 3rd arm in the rotation Justin is still getting paid.  Verlander is under contract through 2019 and he is scheduled to make $28 million in each of the next four seasons. He is also the only starting under club control beyond the 2017 season. For the Tigers sake, hopefully he can start earning his enormous contract again this season but even if he can’t he will still be cashing a fat check while likely pitching near the top of the starting rotation.  Job Security, just another reason it is good be Justin Verlander.

Reason #3 – Kate Upton

In case you haven’t noticed Kate Upton is hot. In fact she may be the hottest women on the planet right now. She also happens to be dating to Justin Verlander.

Kate Upton’s effect on Justin Verlander’s performance has been widely debated among Tigers fans. Over the last two seasons, fans are quick to blame the bombshell blonde for all of Verlander’s trouble on the mound.

Some Tiger fans feel that Kate’s soft and supple figure has dulled the once razor sharp edge of their franchise pitcher. Of course the premise that Kate Upton is to blame for Verlander’s slump is just silly.  To think girl trouble could adversely affect the performance of an elite athlete on the field seems improbable.  With that said it is hard to evaluate the Upton affect considering very few of use have ever dated a super model.

Whatever your opinion on the matter the fact remains that Verlander, win or lose, gets to go home to Kate Upton after the game.  This writer considers that a major reason why, it is good to be Justin Verlander.