When former Astros manager A.J. Hinch was impressed with Justin Verlander for his uncharacteristic humility
Justin Verlander is known for both his amazing skill as a pitcher and his generous personality. Many would not believe someone who is basically on top of the world right now could also be this humble.
However, a 2018 Bleacher Report piece discussed just that. When asked about Verlander, former Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch had a lot to say.
“He’s not an asshole," Hinch said. "I’ve been around a lot of stars in my day. He gets it. For someone who virtually has everyone’s dream life and dream ability, he gets it.”
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From the glimpses of what has been seen of the pitcher throughout the years, Verlander appears to be a humble man.
Kate Upton, Justin Verlander's wife, talked about the pitcher's struggles
Justin Verlander has a story that has been filled with just as many downs and as many ups scattered in it: from being on top of the world to facing the reality of never being able to pitch again.
Verlander faced it and still remained strong. And that strength could be attributed to the support of his wife.
“It was so emotional,” model Kate Upton said. “He was in so much pain, and he was just trying to find the best path back.”
Verlander, who won his first Cy Young in 2011, experienced depression in 2014 while undergoing a slump with the Detroit Tigers, according to Bleacher Report. He had begun dating Upton two years earlier, but as his body aged, with groin, hip, abdominal and shoulder issues, his career stalled. Shoulder issues, in particular, can ruin a pitcher's career, but the issues turned out to be minor.
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Justin Verlander talked about how when his injuries got worse, he was faced with the reality of never being able to play baseball. He said that Upton was with him throughout that difficult time.
When asked about the effect Upton had on his life, Verlander, who was going through depression, had quite impactful words.
“Who knows,” Verlander said, “if I’m even here if it wasn’t for her?”
Verlander's depression had gotten bad, but with his wife's support, he was able to pull through and have a career renaissance in his late 30s.
“I’d say it’s impossible, what he’s doing,” Houston manager AJ Hinch said in the 2018 Bleacher Report article, “but we’re all sitting here watching him do it."
Verlander and Upton married in November 2017, two days after he won his first World Series in Houston. He won his second Cy Young in 2019.
Verlander missed all but one start in the 2020 season and then all of the 2021 season after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to win the American League Cy Young Award, the third of his career, and helped Houston win the World Series, the second of his career. He signed with the New York Mets in December.