Kate Upton jokes she never has to watch baseball after Justin Verlander retires

Model Kate Upton announced she is relieved her husband, former MLB pitcher Justin Verlander, has retired from professional baseball after a 21-year career, joking during an appearance on the Today show that she never has to watch another game.

Justin Verlander Closes 21-Year MLB Career With Detroit Tigers

Justin Verlander officially concluded his 21-year Major League Baseball career over the weekend at Comerica Park in Detroit. The two-time World Series champion made his final career appearance on the pitcher’s mound for the Detroit Tigers against the Pittsburgh Pirates, helping secure a 4-3 victory. Verlander was formally honored by the franchise on Friday evening before taking the mound the following day for his final professional start.

Kate Upton Jokes About Retirement and Relief

Speaking about her husband’s departure from the sport, Upton shared her lighthearted perspective on television. “I am so relieved. I never have to watch a game again,” the 34-year-old said on the Today show when asked about her feelings regarding Verlander’s retirement, adding with a laugh that they were “tears of joy.” Verlander and Upton first met in 2013 during a commercial shoot, became engaged in 2016, and married the following year in Tuscany.

Family Moments Mark the Pitcher’s Final Inning

Before the game began, Verlander’s seven-year-old daughter, Genevieve, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, landing a strike into the catcher’s mitt before running to hug her father. When Verlander was removed from the game in the sixth inning, he grew visibly emotional. Genevieve, wearing a Detroit Tigers jersey, ran onto the field to embrace him as he left the mound to a standing ovation. Upton watched from the stands wearing an orange sweater and a Tigers cap while holding their one-year-old son, Bellamy. The family reunited on the field before walking together through the stadium’s player tunnel.

Historic Statistics Define an Era for Verlander

Verlander finishes his storied career with 266 regular-season wins, tying him with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 36th on baseball’s all-time wins list. His 3,560 career strikeouts place him eighth all-time in MLB history. Across two decades in the majors, the veteran right-hander established himself as one of the most durable and dominant starting pitchers of his generation, capturing his two World Series titles.

More on this story: Justin Verlander ends his baseball career with Detroit Tigers