Don Kelly will be in the opposing dugout when Justin Verlander takes the mound for what is expected to be the final start of his career on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Comerica Park, but the former Tigers utility man isn’t hiding how much admiration he still has for his old teammate.
Now the Pirates’ manager, Kelly spoke with Jeremy Otto of WWJ Radio Network ahead of the season-ending series between Detroit and Pittsburgh. The weekend will bring the Tigers’ celebration, but it also puts Kelly in a familiar setting: watching Verlander work from a close distance, just from the other side of the line this time.
For Kelly, the memories go back to Verlander’s peak years in Detroit, when the right-hander seemed to make overpowering hitters look routine.
"It was almost every game in 2011; every time he took the mound, you were shocked when he gave up a hit," Kelly said. "It was unbelievable, the stuff that he had. I don't know how many times he carried no-hitters deep into a game that year, but to have the MVP and Cy Young Award, he certainly earned it."
Kelly also laughed about one of the lighter moments Tigers fans still remember: Verlander setting the back of his cleat on fire in the dugout while he had no idea what was happening.
"I was not too happy about that one. It was hilarious and funny, he got me good."
That kind of looseness off the field came with a serious edge on it. Kelly said Verlander’s start-day routine made it clear how locked in he was before he ever threw a pitch.
"On start days, he was locked, you don't really talk to him. He had the headphones on, preparing to go out and dominate. Guys have routines like that, but he was very focused."
Now Kelly is preparing to try to beat the same pitcher he once watched dominate for Detroit. He expects Verlander to compete hard until A.J. Hinch pulls him from the game, no matter what the scoreboard looks like.
"The one thing that sets him apart is that competitive aspect - he hates to lose at anything - cards, golf, baseball, it's really what's driven him and what's going to be a first ballot Hall of Fame career."
Even with all that respect, Kelly made it clear his Pirates won’t be stepping aside for the ceremony.
"I'm a competitor and so are our guys, we're going to be playing."
Kelly also pointed to how Verlander evolved over the course of his career, growing from a power arm into a pitcher who could control the strike zone with much more precision.
"He learned through his career how to manage himself, not just through the week but as he goes through a game, too. In his younger years, he was trying to throw every pitch as hard as he could; then he learned how to manage that in the game. He went from a guy who threw hard to a really, really good pitcher who could throw anything for a strike and locate his stuff really well."
Saturday’s game will carry plenty of nostalgia, both for the crowd at Comerica Park and for Kelly in the Pirates’ dugout. But when the first pitch is thrown, the manager who once shared a clubhouse with Verlander will be trying to spoil the ending.
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