JUSTIN VERLANDER ON: Inge the Miguel Cabrera trade and more

JUSTIN VERLANDER ON: Brandon Inge, the Miguel Cabrera trade and more

January 21, 2008

FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Justin Verlander spoke with 97.1 FM this week.

Some highlights:

On his reaction to the Miguel Cabrera trade:

“Obviously I was excited, and I think we took a good team and made it better. That’s a credit to our front office and our owner Mike Illitch, and really, they spared no expenses to get two All-Stars. We’re almost like the fans up here, we get excited too. We’ve got pressure on us to be the best, but that’s because we have a good team. I think we like it and we’re ready to go. I heard about it the day before, obviously the rumors, but the day it became finalized I was on the course with (Andrew) Miller, so yeah. He was O.K. with it, he’s from Florida so in that aspect I think it’s fine. I’m sad to see him go but at the same time, it might be best for him, he might have a better opportunity down there for his career. It might be good for him.”

On the Tigers being the hot topic in Detroit:

“I think that’s something special. You don’t see that often, especially as quick as we did it. Really, the turnaround happened in a year. Obviously, it was more than that, acquiring some players and kind of building a team but the wins and the World Series, they came in one year. I don’t think that happens too often, usually teams gradually get better and better and before you know it, they’re good but we were the story because of that I think.”

On changing the perception of Detroit as a baseball town:

“I think it changes the perception from the outside. I think the players and the fans and Michigan see it the same, but I think when we got the national exposure and everybody saw what we’re doing up here in Detroit and the ballclub that we’ve put together, I think that people perk their ears up, because we have something special up here.”

On improving his game in the off-season:

“Well right now there’s really no working on it until I start throwing and really getting after it. One thing I’m always working on is control, and that’s going to be a constant ‘always’ for me, I’m always going to be trying to get better at that. I think this year I might try to work on my changeup a little bit more, I’ve always been trying to work on that so that’s something that I think I always want to try to get better.”

On his occasional wildness intimidating hitters:

“I don’t know if it helps me. I’m an aggressive pitcher and I pitch in a lot and that’s the reason that I led the league in hit batters, because if you’re pitching in you don’t want to leave the ball in over the middle of the plate. So it’s either going to be in there, or sometimes it’s going to hit them. That’s why I led the league. I think it helps in the fact that it opens up the outside part of the plate, because if you pitch in the same spot all the time you’re going to get hit—that’s just the way it is.”

On high team and personal expectations:

“First of all, our goal obviously is to win a World Series, and we have a real chance at that. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be hard work, but we’re prepared to do that and I think the expectations that come with that are good. I remember a couple of years ago talking about the Yankees, and if you look at them, how they have the expectations every year, and that’s for a reason. That’s because every year they have a good team. I remember saying if we have those expectations on us, I think that’s good. We’re ready to go, that’s my point of view anyways.”

On the Brandon Inge situation:

“Not really, I haven’t talked to him since the trade. I really think he’s in a tough spot and obviously we love him here but he wants to go somewhere where he can play, and I think we all understand that and respect that. For selfish reasons, would we like him to stay? Absolutely, but as his friend though, I understand why he wants to play.”

I wish we would lock up Verlander long term...