HOUSTON — Before he had turned 25, Justin Verlander had been a rookie of the year, had been named an All-Star, and had started two games in a World Series. And yet what resonates with Verlander now about those days is a scout’s dismissive description of how he pitched: like he was throwing a bullpen.
If Verlander threw a curveball that did not go where he wanted it to, he would come right back with another one.