Former ODU Standout Justin Verlander Named To MLB All-Star Team
DETROIT (July 1, 2012) -- Former Old Dominion pitching great Justin Verlander ('04) has been selected to this year's
Major League Baseball All-Star Game set for July 10 at Kauffman Stadium in
Kansas City, Mo.
Last
year's AL Cy Young and MVP winner joins David Price of Tampa Bay, C.C. Sabathia
of the Yankees, Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, Jered Weaver of the
Angels, C.J. Wilson of the Angels and relievers Jim Johnson of Baltimore, Chris
Perez of Cleveland and Fernando Rodney of Tampa Bay.
The
6-5 Verlander is 8-5 with a 2.69 earned run average. He leads the majors with
121 strikeouts in 123.2 innings, and only 29 walks. Opposing hitters are only
hitting .204 against him. Earlier this season, Verlander pitched a one hitter
with 12 strikeouts against Pittsburgh.
Last
year, Verlander won the AL's pitching triple crown, going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA
and 250 strikeouts, the most wins in the major leagues since Oakland's Bob
Welch went 27-6 in 1990. Verlander pitched his second career no-hitter at
Toronto on May 7. The last starting pitcher to be named AL MVP was Roger Clemens
of the Red Sox in 1986. The last pitcher to win the award was A's closer Dennis
Eckersley in 1992. Other pitchers to win MVP and CY Young in the same year are
Newcombe (1956), Sandy Koufax (1963), St.Louis' Bob Gibson and Detroit's Denny
McLain (1968), Oakland's Vida Blue (1971), Milwaukee's Rollie Fingers (1981)
and Detroit's Hernandez (1984).
While at ODU, Verlander was a Freshman All-American,
two-time All-CAA, CAA Rookie of The Year and two-time ABCA All-Region
selection. He is the all-time strikeout king in ODU, CAA and Virginia Division
I history with 427 in just 335.2 innings of work. A Silver Medalist on the USA
2006 Pan Am team, Verlander was the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year.