Kate Upton Jokes About Justin Verlander's Retirement Being a Relief
The supermodel shared her 'tears of joy' over her husband's departure from baseball, citing a desire to no longer attend games.
Kate Upton candidly shared that her "tears of joy" over husband Justin Verlander's retirement stemmed from no longer having to attend baseball games. The model joined Verlander on the Today show to discuss his 21-season Major League Baseball career, which concluded on September 26.
When asked by co-anchor Savannah Guthrie about her feelings regarding Verlander hanging up his cleats, Upton responded with a laugh, "I'm so excited. I am never watching another baseball game again." She emphasized her "tears of joy" sentiment.
Verlander's final game saw an emotional moment when his seven-year-old daughter, Genevieve, walked onto the field to pull him from the game against the Pirates at Comerica Park. The pitcher and his daughter shared a tearful embrace as the Detroit Tigers crowd gave a standing ovation. Verlander's teammates also surrounded him to offer their goodbyes.
Speaking on Good Morning America, Verlander described the weekend as filled with emotion, acknowledging that his life as he knew it was ending. "I feel like I ran my race and gave everything I had to the game," he told co-anchor Michael Strahan. He also spoke of reassuring his daughter during the moment on the mound, whispering to her, "I'm just so happy."
Verlander and Upton began their relationship in 2012 and married in Italy in November 2017, shortly after Verlander's World Series win with the Houston Astros. They welcomed Genevieve in November 2018 and their son, Bellamy Brooks, in June 2025.
With his playing career concluded, Verlander stated his priority is to be present for his family. "My family means the world to me," he said. "And I'm just so happy that I get the opportunity to make up for lost time."
Verlander's illustrious career includes two World Series championships, 10 All-Star selections, and three Cy Young Awards. He announced his retirement earlier this year. He concludes his career with 266 major league victories. While he acknowledged the disappointment of not reaching 300 wins, a goal he had, Verlander expressed a sense of peace.
"I think it's all how you look at it, right? I could be sad for what maybe I didn't do. I didn't make 300 wins. That was a goal," Verlander reflected. "I'm not going to go home and lay my pillow on my pillow tomorrow night, no matter how the game goes, and be like, I left something out there. I think that gives me some ease."