Verlander Goochland High Bobblehead July 31st

RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Flying Squirrels will be giving away limited edition Justin Verlander Goochland High School Bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans ages 15 and up as part of Goochland Night on Tuesday, July 31st, presented by HCA Virginia and 1140 WRVA. The one-of-a-kind collectable features the 2011 American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award Winner in a Goochland High School uniform.

"What makes this so special is that you've got a local guy from a great family who spends time in the community in the offseason and by the way, he's a guy who had one of the greatest seasons of any pitcher in Major League history," said Flying Squirrels Vice President and COO Todd "Parney" Parnell. "These bobbleheads will remind fans of Justin's accomplishments, but more importantly, they will remind folks that he is from Central Virginia and that's something people should be proud of."

Verlander went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA in 34 starts for the Detroit Tigers in 2011. In addition to leading the American League in wins and ERA, he also struck out a league-best 250 batters in 251 innings. The 29-year-old became just the 10th pitcher in Major League history and the first since Dennis Eckersley in 1992 to win both the MVP and Cy Young Awards in the same season. Verlander joined Don Newcombe as the only two pitchers in Major League history to have won Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young Awards. The former first-round pick was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2006. A product of Old Dominion University, Verlander is a five-time American League All-Star including each of the last four seasons, and he was the starting pitcher for the AL in the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City.

The 2001 Goochland High School grad's parents - Richard and Kathy Verlander - recently celebrated the launch of their new book Rocks Across The Pond. Lessons Learned. Stories Told. at The Diamond.

Individual game tickets for the remaining Flying Squirrels' 2012 home games are currently available and can be purchased by calling (804) 359-FUNN (3866), visiting the Flying Squirrels' Ticket Office at The Diamond or logging on to SquirrelsBaseball.com.