Justin Verlander’s final Major League start in Detroit carried one extra layer of meaning on Saturday: the man calling balls and strikes behind the plate was also working what amounted to a farewell.
Laz Diaz, 63, was behind the plate for Verlander’s last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park, according to the live game listing from Yahoo Sports. Diaz was one of seven veteran umpires who accepted buyouts and planned to retire after the 2026 campaign, and his final career assignment was expected to come Sunday. That made Saturday his last game behind the plate.
It was a rare shared exit. Verlander was closing out 21 Major League seasons, while Diaz was wrapping up an umpiring run that started at Tiger Stadium 31 years ago.
Diaz first reached the majors at Tiger Stadium in 1995 and became a full-time umpire in 1999. Over the years, he worked three World Series and a handful of baseball’s biggest stages, including Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 756th home run and the first Field of Dreams Game.
His link to Verlander stretched back almost two decades. Diaz was the home-plate umpire for Verlander’s first postseason start, a 2006 American League Division Series game against the New York Yankees.
Detroit won that game 4-3 at Yankee Stadium and went on to reach the 2006 World Series. Nearly 20 years later, Diaz was again behind the plate for Verlander, this time for the end of the line.
The two men were finishing long careers in the same city, but the tone around their departures could not have been more different. Verlander’s final days were built around celebration and gratitude. Diaz made clear he was ready to walk away from the modern game.
In an interview with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Diaz did not soften his view.
"It’s nasty," Diaz said while discussing the growing criticism directed toward umpires.
He pointed to video review, public umpire evaluations, technological changes, and the constant scrutiny that comes with the job as reasons the role has become less enjoyable. Diaz also defended Angel Hernandez and CB Bucknor, saying the criticism of missed calls had become overwhelming.
"There are a lot of people I’m going to miss, and I made a lot of friends, but what I won’t miss is the game," Diaz said. "Not one bit."
His comments landed during the first year of MLB’s automated ball-strike challenge system, which still leaves the initial calls to umpires but allows players to challenge selected pitches with technology. That has only sharpened the spotlight on every call.
Diaz said younger umpires should not chase the profession unless they can genuinely enjoy it. He still described his time in the game as a blessing, but his words made it clear how differently he viewed baseball as retirement approached.
A Reuters report on his retirement described a veteran who valued the relationships and the history, but not the direction the sport had taken.
Verlander’s farewell was about everything a player can love in a long career. Diaz’s was quieter, and much harsher, a closing chapter shaped by pressure and frustration as much as by accomplishment.
Both men returned to Detroit for one final weekend. Only one sounded like he would miss the game.
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