A one-year absence from the Detroit Tigers was long enough for catcher Alex Avila, especially as he pondered what it would be like to again catch - rather than hit against - longtime battery mate Justin Verlander.
Avila hit a memorable home run off Verlander last August as member of the Chicago White Sox. It was a beauty - dead center to give the Sox a temporary lead - but the prospect of returning to the Tigers played out far better than an unlikely replay at the plate against Verlander.
Especially how he saw Verlander pitch last season.