Max Scherzer has worn a couple of totally different hats in his esteemed, Hall of Fame-worthy profession. Since making his debut with Arizona in 2009, he has been a D-Back, a Tiger, a National, a Dodger and now a Met. Before that, he was a Missouri Tiger, a Fort Worth Cat and a Toledo Mudhen.
But till final week, Max Scherzer by no means had the honor of calling himself a Binghamton Rumble Pony.
The 37-year-old Mets ace, who has been on the IL since May 18 with an indirect harm, made his second of two rehab begins for the Mets’ Double-A affiliate on Wednesday night time. Though he was restricted to simply 80 pitches, Scherzer appeared wholesome and is anticipated to return to Queens in the coming days.
Besides the hilarious juxtaposition of a generational hurler pitching in a Double-A park whereas sporting “Rumble Ponies” throughout the chest, Scherzer’s quick tenure in the minors left an actual mark on his Binghamton teammates.
Whenever an enormous leaguer makes a rehab look in the minors, it’s typical for mentioned participant to buy the pre- or postgame unfold. It’s a type of gracious gestures that’s additionally an expectation, baseball’s model of a marriage reward. Anybody with MLB service time ought to have sufficient spare money to present minor leaguers with an upgraded cornucopia for a night.
But on Wednesday night time, after the Rumble Ponies’ 8-3 win in Connecticut over the Hartford Yard Goats, Mad Max went above and past. According to these acquainted, Scherzer, who has earned greater than $250 million in his profession, shelled out massive money for a locker room feast that included bone-in ribeye, filet mignon and lobster. Whereas a traditional postgame dinner could be restricted to only one folding desk, Chateau Scherzer was a three-to-four folding desk state of affairs. The approximate greenback determine tossed round the clubhouse was upward of $7,000.
“They’re consuming effectively tonight,” Scherzer mentioned to the media after his begin.
Yeah, no duh.
Scherzer’s fortnight in Binghamton is the second notable rehabbing Mets ace minor-league story in two seasons. Last June, when Jacob deGrom was getting back from certainly one of his many illnesses, he made a comically dominant two-inning begin for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets in opposition to the Palm Beach Cardinals. Opposing hitters compared that have to a online game on arduous mode.
Even although he’s ruthless and intense on the mound, Scherzer has a popularity round the recreation as an exceptional teammate and an impressive clubhouse man. He was intimately concerned in the latest CBA negotiations throughout the lockout and is well certainly one of the extra outspoken voices and lively members in the MLBPA. And with minor-league pay and dwelling circumstances nonetheless a serious subject that the league has but to absolutely rectify, it’s no shock that Scherzer was courteous throughout his two-start stint with the Rumble Ponies.
But nonetheless, he went above and past.
Two days after his first begin with Binghamton, gamers got here into the locker room and located an sudden current from the heterochromatic hurler.
“He purchased everybody AirPods,” a supply round the staff advised FOX Sports. “We stroll in and there’s a clubbie simply handing out AirPods saying they’re from Max.”
In every week, certainly one of the most dominant pitchers of his period will probably be again on a major-league mound flummoxing hitters left and proper. The Mets eagerly await his return. Once 11 video games clear in the NL East, the membership is now simply 3.5 video games up on Atlanta getting into play on Friday. If the Mets are to be what the Mets need to be, they’ll want Max Scherzer wholesome and roaring full hog.
When it’s all performed and dusted and Scherzer is sharing tales and thank-yous from a wood podium on a scorching summer season day in Cooperstown, New York, his time in Binghamton in all probability gained’t get a point out. It’ll be a small footnote in a magnificently wealthy profession. But whereas the Max Scherzer Rumble Pony Era could be misplaced to the sands of time, his Secret Santa actions ought to stay on endlessly in the hearts of Greater Rumble Pony Nation.
“I already had some good wi-fi headphones,” one particular person advised FOX Sports. “But my dad was utilizing these previous wired headphones, so I gave the AirPods to him.”
Mad Max? More like Kind Max, am I proper?
Jake Mintz is the louder half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball author for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan dwelling in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s nearly actually using his bike. You can comply with him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.
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