He made his MLB debut in July 2005 for the Detroit Tigers, playing for the franchise for 12 years and being named the American League MVP in 2011.

” “I’ll defer to his memory,” Verlander laughed. On July 4, 2005, Verlander took the mound in Cleveland for his first game in the majors, a spot start in the second game of a doubleheader.

When Justin Verlander threw his first major-league pitch on July 4, 2005, Buster Posey was a shortstop who had yet to play his first game at Florida State University.