"In signing Verlander, the Tigers are implicitly asking fans to believe in something as magical as time travel. That's what'll move the tickets for his starts: the belief that you might see something that looks vaguely enough like 2011 out there."
"Detroit isn't the only city that can claim him. Verlander's career has taken such a strange loop back around that it's left me a little dizzy."
"Squint at the underlying analytics, and you could see someone who might still be worth carrying in the back end of a rotation."
"This is a Tigers team and fanbase that feels the need to win in the playoffs more acutely than they have since the last time Verlander was making postseason starts for them."
Justin Verlander, now 43, returns to the Detroit Tigers after a long and varied career, including two World Series wins and two Cy Young awards. His signing evokes nostalgia among fans, who hope to witness a glimpse of his past greatness. Despite recent struggles, including a 5.48 ERA in 2024 and a 4-11 record in San Francisco, the Tigers are banking on Verlander's experience to help them succeed in the playoffs. The team seeks to rekindle the magic of his earlier years, asking fans to believe in a potential revival.
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