Justin "Wild Thing" Verlander?

On October 5^th 2013, Detroit Tigers ace, Justin Verlander, and Oakland A’s rookie sensation, Sonny Gray, put on a pitching duel for the ages. Neither pitcher gave up a run and they combined for 20 strikeouts. The A’s would go on to win Game 2 of the ALDS 1-0, the best of five series was even at one game apiece. During most Tigers games and all playoff games I text with longtime friend and fellow Tigers die hard, Ryan. The texts usually include pessimistic dialogue and sarcastic remarks directed towards our own players. This game was no different. Early in the game we were nervous. If you follow baseball you know Justin Verlander wasn’t exactly himself this year. We were waiting for him to blow it. As innings passed our excitement grew and we noticed something very interesting: Justin Verlander was Rick Vaughn.

If for some reason you have not seen the Major League movies, starring Charlie Sheen as Rick Vaughn, at least hundred times, well shame on you. But I will quickly summarize the first movie before diving into the sequel, where our comparisons begin.

Major League, the first installment of the movie trilogy, is centered around a bunch of outcasts, has-beens, and forgotten professional baseball players who make up the budget-less Cleveland Indians. As you can probably predict, since it’s a Hollywood scripted story, this rag tag bunch of nobodies overcame the seemingly insurmountable odds and claimed the glory that comes with winning the pennant.

Which leads us to Major League 2. No longer under the radar, the Cleveland Indians are now full of superstars. The former nobodies were now finding themselves shooting commercials, making movies, and going to lavish parties. The added attention takes a toll on the team as they struggle to perform on the field. These struggles are particularly evident in the former pitching stud, Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn.

In 2011 Justin Verlander won both the Cy Young and MVP awards, a feat that has only been accomplished by 7 other men in the history of professional baseball. After his historic season, in which he won 24 games and struck out 250 batters, both good enough to lead the majors, Verlander became recognized as the greatest pitcher on earth. He was compensated as such and the endorsement deals popped up faster than Prince Fielder in a clutch-hitting situation. JV, as us Tiger fans refer to him, also started dating supermodel Kate Upton. This was the beginning of his demise.

Similarly, in Major League 2, Rick Vaughn began shooting commercials and dating models. He became more interested in his wallet and appearances, and less interested in perfecting his craft. Vaughn could no longer throw a fastball, or as he puts it in the film, “I can’t believe I forget how to throw the heat.”

In 2013 the average speed of Verlander’s devastating fastball dropped about 4mph, through much of season. Which may not sound like a whole lot, but ask David Ortiz if he’d rather see a 97mph fastball or a 93mph fastball, and he’ll adamantly state the latter.

It was a sad year. JV had lost his fastball and began trying to compensate by throwing an absurd amount of curveballs that simply did not curve. Opposing hitters were smashing Verlander’s pitches like an angry Bruce Banner. It was apparent to Tiger’s fans that JV had become more concerned with making out with the hot supermodel and checking his stock portfolio, that he forgot his roots. The once untouchable Verlander was human, hell he looked average at best. But a movie can’t end with the protagonist walking down a lonely road of shame, can it?

The Indians made the playoffs despite their struggles and found themselves in a battle with the Chicago White Sox. Vaughn, disgusted at the corporate puppet he had become, vowed to regain his rightful position as the dominant force in pitching.

As “Wild Thing” by The Troggs blares throughout the stadium speakers Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn emerges from the bullpen. Equipped with his cut-off leather jacket, skull and crossbow bedazzled eyeglasses that fans had loved from the original Major League flick, the Indians stud had returned. Long story short, Vaughn dominated and everybody lived happily ever after.

October 10^th, 2013. Game 5. The Detroit Tigers versus the Oakland A’s in Oakland, California. The winner moves on to the ALCS to face the powerful Boston Red Sox, the loser goes home and starts booking vacation plans for the winter. The season is on the line and the burden of pressure falls on the shoulders of Justin Verlander.

We all know what happened. Verlander carved through the A’s like a top prized jack-o-lantern at the county fair. JV had transformed back to his dominant self that had propelled him into superstardom. The events unfolded like a perfectly polished Hollywood script that Ron Howard would be proud to direct. Justin Verlander had remembered how to throw the heat.