Few athletes have been as beloved in Detroit as Justin Verlander, and few have landed on as many Detroit Free Press pages. When he retired, the Freep answered with "Poster boy," a full-page tribute that gathers 15 of its favorite Verlander designs, picked by deputy sports editor Ryan Ford, who spent his first 11 years in Detroit overlapping with JV as a print designer. It reads like a career scrapbook, from a rookie-era no-hitter to a final, tearful goodbye.
The highlights are all here. "VER-RIFIC!" marks his first no-hitter on June 12, 2007, against the Milwaukee Brewers, and "Two cool!" captures No. 2 on May 7, 2011, in Toronto. From that 2011 season come "JV24," for his 24 wins, and "JUSTIN-CREDIBLE!" for the pitching Triple Crown and a unanimous AL Cy Young Award. Playoff gems vs. Oakland appear in "KISS THE A'S GOOD-BYE!" and "JUST CAUSE," alongside "ONE-HITTABLE," the $180-million deal, the "JV 2K" strikeout milestone, "ROLE MODEL," and the "ACE OF THE FRANCHISE" poster. The story closes with "JUST INCREDIBLE," his final start at Comerica Park on Sept. 26, when daughter Genevieve sprinted to the mound as he was pulled in the sixth.
This tall, eye-catching print is a natural fit for a home office, living room, man cave, or game room, and it makes a thoughtful gift for Tigers fans, Michigan baseball collectors, and anyone who watched JV take the mound in the Old English D.