Background

Justin Brooks Verlander was born on February 20, 1983 in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia.  His parents were Richard and Kathy Verlander. He also had a younger brother named Ben, who is also a baseball outfielder and plays for the Detroit Tigers baseball team. He started his baseball career thanks to his father, Richard, who sent him to The Richmond Baseball Academy.

He studied at the Goochland High School. After finishing high school, he enrolled in Old Dominion University which is located in Norfolk, Virginia. He decided to go to college in his home state of Virginia because he wanted to stay home close to his friends and family. Often, college age students want to go to a school far away from their home and parents because they want to experience life without the help and assistance of their parents. They want to be independent and see how they can develop as people. Justin understood the benefits of going to a school away from home but he felt that living in the same state of his parents was a better option.

Field of Dreams

He was raised in Manakin-Sabot as a young boy who loved the sport of baseball. A lot of Justin’s early memories involved riding bicycles with his friends to the local baseball field. Their summers were filled with dreams of becoming pro ball players. Even though they grew up in the cold eastern state of Virginia, they tried to endure any weather as long as they got to play the sport that they loved. When summer came, they tried to make the most out of it. They didn’t care about anything else, the most important goal during that small window of hot weather was to get onto the baseball field.

Playing baseball with his friends really brought him close to the neighborhoods. They developed a bond with each other because they would spend countless days practicing skills for their passion. The common interest united them together and they promised to be proud of anyone that made it to the pro level from their circle of friends. Justin and his brother would end up being the best of the bunch as became a player for Major League Baseball but he never forgot about his roots and relationships that were developed during his childhood.

Baseball Career

He was a very fast college baseball player and during his first year at Old Dominion. In some speed measurement tests, he reached 87 mph as an excellent and deadly pitcher. In 2003 he pitched for the US national baseball team and produced great results for his home country. He helped the US win a silver medal during the Pan American Games. Justin broke his own strike out record in 2004 and later was chosen by the Colonial Athletic Association for his record of 151 strikeouts.