Ten years is a lifetime in baseball, and this clip will bring back plenty of memories of Tigers’ teams past. On May 8, 2009, Justin Verlander threw a shutout against the Cleveland Indians, giving up only two hits.
The reason he didn’t give up a home run is due entirely to then-elite center fielder Curtis Granderson. A Grady Sizemore ninth inning hit that seemed destined to leave the park was so surely gone that Indians play-by-play announcer Rick Manning announced as much. “IT’S GONE, IT’S GONE...” then a defeated, “no it’s not.”
The Tigers went on to win the game, the Indians left the field empty-handed, and Granderson secured his legacy as one of the most beloved outfielders in Tigers history. It was also the first of three All-Star seasons for Granderson, due in no small part to plays like that one.
Oh, and that Verlander guy did pretty well for himself, too.