The return of Justin Verlander against the "sad" Detroit Tigers

The Verlander of Astros dominated the Tigers, but the sensation at Comerica Park is quite different from the one he had when he was playing for the home team

It is time to move on. And in a way, many of you have done it.

Judging by the number of people in the stands Wednesday night at Comerica Park. Judging by the warm but moderate response of the best pitcher this city has seen in the last 20 years.

Last fall, when Justin Verlander presented the title of Houston Astro for the first time in Detroit, the former winner of Cy Young was hailed as a kind of conquering hero.

And although Verlander heard cheers Wednesday night, the whole affair resembled – and resembled – a regular match in May between a visiting team watching a World Series and a local team looking to the future.

The distant future

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Yes, it was nice to see Verlander return to the mound of Comerica Park, even in an almost empty stadium.

To watch him rub the dirt of the mound with his crampon, to go up and throw this heat effortlessly, to mix the heights at reduced speed, especially this slider at 80 km / h which passes at the bottom of the striking zone, to see a Hall of Famer at work.

That's the reason the fans came, I guess. Or most of them anyway. Not that they had a lot to rejoice in the 5-1 defeat of the Tigers.

Justin Verlander limited the Tigers to 2 hits in 7 innings. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

Verlander's presence reminded them of what they no longer had and what the baseball city was.

"It's a bit sad," Verlander said. "Most of my memories here … this stadium was packed. The fans were rowdy. Obviously, a little different now. But that comes with winning. Put a winning product on the field and fans will show up. This has proven itself time and time again.

[[[[Justin Verlander explains why the Tigers lost twice in the World Series]

Verlander was not targeting the organization that helped him become a star. He acknowledged that it was difficult to stay good forever. This time does not slow down for anyone.

"Nothing against these guys," he says. "I know they're grinding and playing the best baseball possible."

He's not wrong. These tigers will grind. They just do not have the talent. And the only star they have left is disappearing.

Unlike Verlander, Miguel Cabrera did not regain his rebirth in the mid-30s. He can not seem to stay healthy, for one – he was a scratch Tuesday because of knee pain. He fights history and biology for another.

Outsized sluggers rarely age well. And for all of Cabrera's gifts of all times – hands, feet, balance, eyes – his greatness was based on providing these sublime talents with an agile and imposing frame.

Well, this frame did not resist. Remarkably, Verlander's a.

But that should not be so surprising. Few throwers have thrown three digits so easily.

Of course, he was born with a gold arm. But his power always came from his legs. Despite everything, what made him great was that he could mingle with all these lands.

It was obvious against the Tigers. He changed gears. Unclog the curve. Thrown in the slider. And opened the gas when he needed it.

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It was so easy. As he did when he wore the Old English D.

And aside from a high goal in the fastball that JaCoby Jones picked up and crashed into the left seat, Verlander made some mistakes – if you can call that a mistake.

"It's a bit your cap," he said about Jones's shot from a distance of 436 feet.

At 36, Verlander is almost at the top of the AHL in most important statistical categories. He throws as well as he has ever done.

He threw 101 shots – 71 for the shots – and allowed one run on two hits in seven innings. Once he had finished and he was heading for the dugout for the last time, he heard some cheers.

Light cheers.

Yet, it warmed his soul.

"Special," he says.

Among the people who cheered him while he was warming himself in the office to the people who recognized him at the first run, he noticed. He could not stop it. Because despite his ability to lock and exclude the world, it will still be his first home baseball.

"Certainly still a bit scary," he said about the presentation. "And exciting all at the same time. The fans were fantastic, with the exception of one of those men in the first run who shouted "you fear". I swear to God that I heard this guy. I should probably be a little more focused.

As always, he was too hard on himself. And while he was talking to the media before his locker in the visitor's pavilion, you could hear the anxiety in his voice.

He was also cordial and attentive, as if the crowd was aiming at him, rocking their collective cap so to speak.

Yes, the night bore a touch of melancholy. Verlander was right about it.

And although his return – for the second time – did not spark the love of last fall, it should not be surprising either.

Because it's time to move on. The memory of the time becomes blurred.

It was easy to see on Wednesday, when two of the biggest players in the franchise arrived at Comerica Park. One of them wears a knee pad. The other wearing the uniform of a team whose home is far away.

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Contact Shawn Windsor at 313-222-6487 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.