NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Justin Verlander has announced his retirement, bringing an end to a 21-year Major League Baseball career — and for his father, Richard Verlander, the news hit hard even though he knew it was coming.
"I couldn't be prouder. I've really just been kind of a basketcase all day to tell you the truth," he smiled. "So much emotion caught up in memories. It's kind of hard to get your head around something so significant."
The end of the 2026 season will mark the close of a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career — one that got a big boost at Old Dominion University before his professional days began, where then-head coach Tony Guzzo saw potential in a young pitcher from Goochland, just outside of Richmond.
"All Tony said was 'hey, we're going to take care of your kid. We'll take care of your son.' Right away we knew there was just something different about that man," recalled Richard.
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ODU legend Verlander announces plans to retire from MLB
Verlander chose the Monarchs over several high-profile power conference programs, and the decision paid off immediately. He earned a spot as a freshman starter on Friday nights — a significant opportunity at the time for a newcomer looking to make his mark.
"They were all-in on Justin from the beginning and they let us know it," the elder Verlander remembered. "So he gets an opportunity to be a freshman starter on a Friday night, which at that time is a big, big deal."
The 2002 season launched his rise. Verlander earned Freshman All-American honors and tried out for Team USA, earning a spot on the national team the following year — exposure that may not have materialized had he gone a different route for college.
"The next year, he makes Team USA, so how much of that happens if he's at a preeminent program somewhere and maybe doesn't play at all his freshman year?" Richard said.
Verlander went on to set ODU and CAA records for career (427) and single-season (151) strikeouts before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft.
"It's a gift and he's blessed. A lot of times you're just in the right place at the right time and ODU was a big part of that," Richard said.
Through 21 years in the majors, which included three Cy Young Awards, three no-hitters, two World Series titles and an MVP honor, Richard said no moment compared in nerves to watching his son pitch as a child.
"I couldn't get any more nervous than I was at the Tuckahoe Little League championship game when he was 12 years old. If you could, my head would've blown off," laughed Richard. "The feeling is the same."
As for what comes next, Verlander is expected to spend time with his wife and two young children. His father said he would not be surprised if his son's next chapter has nothing to do with baseball.
"I'd be surprised," he noted. "I'd be less surprised really if he ended up doing something completely different."
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