Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander is seemingly living the highlife in Houston enjoying a second chance at baseball success with a good opportunity to capitalize on last year’s World Series victory. The joy however JV is feeling this season was lost upon the former AL Cy Young and MVP winner not too long ago.
Just a few short seasons ago, Verlander was dealing with what was certain to be the beginning of the end, he was dealing with injury, surgeries and a closing window with the Tigers that ultimately became an all out rebuild.
Times were shitty for Verlander who opened up in an interview with the Bleacher Report about his final years in Detroit and how his wife Kate Upton helped bring him out of his own dark place.
Via SI:
“Who knows if I’m even here if it wasn’t for her? She was instrumental in me not…like, jumping off a bridge. I was depressed and kind of just upset at the world and trying to hide my own s–t.”
“F–k, man,” he says, voice shaky. “She was what I needed.”
“I don’t like to talk to people about being hurt. As athletes, you’re not supposed to. It’s an excuse. … But she was someone I could talk to. I mean, basically a therapist,” he says. “Somebody I could trust with … worries about my career. Worries about, Can I make it? Worries about what I’m going through to get back. And just the overall s–ttiness of it all.”
“Who knows if I’m even here if it wasn’t for her?” is definitely an alarming take, especially when you’re dealing with the depths of depression. Nonetheless it’s good to see Upton was able to help pull Verlander out of his mental rut so he could enjoy that career renaissance. More so than that though it’s good he didn’t seek out that bridge.
This season Verlander is enjoying a 11-6 with a 2.19 ERA since finishing out last season after the trade with a 5-0 record and 1.06 ERA.
