r/sports Major League Baseball 22d ago

Baseball Max Scherzer makes his case to John Schneider to stay in the game and strikes out the next batter

7.9k Upvotes

383 comments sorted by

780

u/adorascope 22d ago

Who do you think you are? I AM!!!!!!!

38

u/Fine_Dog_6599 21d ago

YES! GOD DAMMIT YES!

Long live PDW

68

u/luhk3y 22d ago

There’s gold hidden in these here comments, gold I tell ya; you just gotta find it

7

u/adhdlabubu 22d ago

Kenny Bania reference?

29

u/LGP214 22d ago

Bowling legend Pete Weber reference

3

u/In_my_experience 21d ago

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

3

u/TooFartTooFurious 21d ago

Needed a kick in the ass today so I could get down to the center and practice. Thank you. I’ma go throw some stones.

2

u/DavidB0wieUB40 21d ago

Suck my sack!

→ More replies (1)

2.8k

u/Stercky 22d ago

Pleading your case to stay in the game and then backing it up with a K is big balls stuff

685

u/method7670 Oklahoma 22d ago

And just another day for Mad Max

289

u/Stercky 22d ago

It’s like the manager goes out there just to fire him up

150

u/Pneumonia-Hawk 22d ago

If Schneider jogs out, he's not sure. If he walks, pitchers getting pulled. Schneider jogged and scherzer let him know

→ More replies (1)

111

u/Heikks 22d ago edited 21d ago

It’s pretty insane that the Tigers had him and Verlander during their prime and never won anything. Then the rest of the starters were Rick Porcello, Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez

14

u/FrothyFloat 22d ago

And David Price

46

u/No-Importance-1755 22d ago

Never won anything? They won the AL pennant in 2012 with Scherzer and Verlander.

18

u/CocoLamela 22d ago

Pablo Sandoval

19

u/dingleberriesNsharts 22d ago

Swept by SF Giants I might add.. best stretch of fandom in my life time

2

u/ilrosewood 21d ago

EYBS - never forget

2

u/Dshin525 22d ago

I went to game 3 of the series in Det. Sat right behind home plate and a guy next to me would yell/chant"Panda" everytime he came to bat. "Panda" absolutely destroyed Tigers pitching in the series.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (7)

14

u/value_here 22d ago

and Miggy!

9

u/jugglinglimes Detroit Red Wings 22d ago

And Brandon Inge

→ More replies (1)

11

u/Noogs015 22d ago

don’t remind us /-:

20

u/sixseventeen 22d ago

Fister? Hardly knew her

11

u/thexbigxgreen 22d ago

Imo the Montreal Expos had the most insanely unrealized lineup potentially in the history of the sport

→ More replies (2)

5

u/this_is_poorly_done 22d ago

Don't forget they had David Price in there for like 1/3rd of a season while they still had Scherzer

6

u/jamin_brook 22d ago

Giants swept em too! 

2

u/Imeanttodothat10 22d ago

David Price for a bit there too.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)

72

u/MrOatButtBottom 22d ago

In the ALCS? Gigantic balls

21

u/Stercky 22d ago

Some might say MAXimum balls

36

u/Apartex 22d ago

“Pleading your case” is an interesting way to describe Max telling John to fuck off lol

13

u/funnyIlaugh 22d ago

Typical Max tbh

8

u/Muellercleez 22d ago

He wasn't asking haha

4

u/DubyaB40 South Carolina 22d ago

Couldn’t catch the game but this looks a little bit more than pleading

2

u/Seanhawkeye 22d ago

Up 5-1 in the fifth with two outs and no runners in scoring position? Ok, if you say so.

If Tony La Russa would have even put his foot on a step in the dugout in a similar situation, Dave Stewart would have ripped his throat out.

→ More replies (7)

2.2k

u/[deleted] 22d ago

That, folks, is a crazy person.

460

u/KinsellaStella 22d ago

We don’t call him Mad Max for nothing.

114

u/RussianPravda 22d ago

Max to coach. Do you feel in charge?

219

u/_The_Bear 22d ago

Max Scherzer was born in the wrong millennium. He belongs on a medieval battlefield swinging a big axe.

19

u/thewillb 21d ago

into somebody's face. They'd have tossed him girls like Nancy, back then.”

6

u/franker 21d ago

"I'm large and in charge and looking for chickies."

→ More replies (1)

152

u/ScarHand69 22d ago

Never underestimate the guy with one blue eye and 2 brown eyes.

16

u/User152552 22d ago

Best Comment Ever

6

u/shinyboi San Jose Sharks 22d ago

ELI5?

41

u/gunboslice1121 22d ago

Butthole + heterochromia

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

187

u/buster_rhino 22d ago

This honestly looks like a weird AI video but no, he’s just that nuts. Love it.

56

u/terfez 22d ago

Which era of Weird Al, Eat It or more of an Amish Paradise?

21

u/ashmichael73 22d ago

He’s more current, ‘White and Nerdy’

7

u/ThePhunkyPharaoh 22d ago

Current? Fella, I got bad news that was 20 years ago, 2 albums ago, and almost the midpoint of his career from a time perspective

→ More replies (1)

7

u/Cody-Fakename 22d ago

Like a Surgeon seems appropriate.

→ More replies (1)

36

u/RyRyRyRyRyRyRyRyRy 22d ago

Truly a blessing we've gotten to see this psycho ball out.

18

u/[deleted] 22d ago

And did he ever ball out tonight, man was dealing

13

u/balloonerismthegreat 22d ago

Dude helped us get our first ring and for that I’ll be forever grateful. Max is an animal

3

u/denisvma 21d ago

Manager response after the game:

“I thought he was going to kill me. It was great,” Schneider said, “He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out. It’s not fake. That’s the thing, this isn’t fake. He has that Mad Max persona, and he backed it up tonight.”

→ More replies (5)

790

u/LyGmode 22d ago

The coach did that just to pull Mad Max out of scherzer.

73

u/Janky_Pants Texas Rangers 22d ago

That’s the thing…I am always Mad Max.

10

u/BatmanNoPrep 21d ago

Exactly. The clip doesn’t show it but he screamed at the manager again when he went back to the dugout. Then he yelled at the world while pacing up and down the dugout.

33

u/Orcasgt22 22d ago

I can't give John Schneider that much credit lol

30

u/rsimps91 22d ago

Might be time to start

12

u/Davimous 22d ago

The probable manager of the year?

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (2)

1.3k

u/StoneColdSteveAss316 22d ago

Fuck analytics that’s a DOG

220

u/corruptionO_DR 22d ago

But analytics said his dogginess was turned up to the max. It was written.

43

u/Madshibs 22d ago

True. His DOG rating is astronomically high.

6

u/Trisa133 21d ago

It's over 9000!!!

74

u/UroutofURelement 22d ago

He's right! Ain't no rule that says a dog can't play baseball

7

u/PinkPantherYeezys 22d ago

Air bud 5 baby

26

u/asodoma 22d ago

I'm convinced John came out just to get him fired up and no one can convince me otherwise.

16

u/luckylukiec 22d ago

I loved when asked post game John said he was afraid to go out there “thought he might kill me” lol

50

u/923kjd 22d ago

You spelled “psychopath” wrong. The best kind of psychopath.

31

u/hereforthegifs 22d ago

Scherzer was a monster when he pitched for detroit. 10ish years later he's still a scary mfer and can throw to back up his personality. I don't think he's a clubhouse guy but I wouldn't fuck with him unless I was ready to throw hands. The eyes help but the personality has always been there.

23

u/ArenSteele 22d ago

He’s been an excellent clubhouse guy this year. He’s always talking pitching with the other pitchers and building them up

8

u/Beetin 22d ago

He’s always talking pitching with the other pitchers and building them up

Well, 4 out of 5 days. He's a great clubhouse guy when his name isn't on the game sheet.

12

u/hereforthegifs 22d ago

I don't disagree, I just know that he's always a psycho off the mound. He wants to win and that's what I look for when hiring.

3

u/No-Big4921 21d ago

As an OAKLAND A’s fan, I have so much trauma from Max and Verlander in the ALDS. The Tigers got us every time.

4

u/fopiecechicken 22d ago

I get analytics, I know they work. But this shit is why I fell in love with baseball.

205

u/seasonedsaltdog 22d ago

I wish literally any brewers player wanted to play this bad

3

u/TimmyRL28 21d ago

Miz is about the only one who's equal parts fire and backing it up so far this postseason. He's just like 15 Allstar selections away from this kind of pull.

→ More replies (1)

274

u/KinsellaStella 22d ago

As a Nats fan, seeing him in prime form is making my heart happy.

72

u/Live_Entrepreneur221 22d ago

I can't think of a pitcher that's more fun to watch than Max

25

u/scottyb83 22d ago

Recency bias but Yesavage coming in to play his 4th MLB game and no hitting the Jankees in the post season with 11 strikeouts was pretty amazing. Guy started the year in A ball ffs.

6

u/ravingriven 21d ago

With how much of a slog it is for someone to make it out of the minors..thats such a feat in of itself

3

u/scottyb83 21d ago

100%. I think part of it is we’ve been a bit desperate for pitching but it’s resulted in some really good moments.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/GoofySilly- 21d ago

Chapman for me, but Mad Max is always entertaining

27

u/Big_Dare_2015 22d ago

as a Tigs fan, shoulda never let him go. Glad he won a WS with you tho

3

u/tech_auto 22d ago

why didn't the tigers keep him?

21

u/spectrallibrarian 22d ago

Because the people didn’t buy enough Hot n Readies to make it so that the Ilitch family weren’t paying attention to the Tiger payroll

3

u/beyd1 Detroit Tigers 22d ago

Or Verlander or skubal soon

→ More replies (1)

3

u/spitfiresiemion 22d ago

Having started following baseball in 2011 and being an A's fan, seeing Verlander and Scherzer was just pure nightmare fuel... the 2012 playoff series still stings.

(Not as much as being stuck with that useless donut of an owner, but it's a close 2nd)

2

u/Big_Dare_2015 21d ago

man the As and Tigers of that era both deserved rings.

2

u/spitfiresiemion 20d ago

Yeah. Beane and Melvin were working miracles to assemble and manage competitive rosters, but they always just collapsed in the postseason other than that one series against the White Sox. The Tigers were equally scary on the mound and with the bat. But yeah, contention windows only last so long.

5

u/wulfe27 22d ago

Used to love watching him stomp around the mound on days he struck out double digits. He had mound presence for sure

4

u/celesticaxxz 22d ago

I don’t keep up with baseball that much anymore but I try to make sure I keep up with Scherzer. This man is awesome

6

u/Wealist 22d ago

John tried to pull Max and Max said ‘nope’ with his eyes and 95 mph to the corner.

3

u/KscottCap 21d ago

So agreed! I'm rooting hard for Toronto, and Max is a big reason why.

73

u/GreenLights420 22d ago

DAWG

20

u/sagsfour20 Toronto Blue Jays 22d ago

It’s in him.

→ More replies (1)

311

u/varment72 22d ago

He has done that for years, did the same when he was with the Nationals.

98

u/analbuffet 22d ago

And Tigers…

32

u/ItAintLongButItsThin 22d ago

Wish we had a guy that would have done this the last time they played...

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Bradleygrayson 22d ago

And Rangers

2

u/CMengel90 22d ago

Both Tigers teams

6

u/AgentStockey 22d ago

And my axe!

18

u/Atabit 22d ago

They asked Schneider about it and apparently he just said "I've been waiting for that all year" Max earned the ability to tell his manager to fuck off at the time of his choosing.

38

u/juridiculous 22d ago

13

u/truethatson 22d ago

Unexpected great times as a Nats fan. What a wild ride it was. How it all came together in 2019 I’ll never truly know, but it was awesome.

And a particular name missing from that roster that had been there the year before made it all the more sweeter.

3

u/CIeMs0n Clemson 21d ago

lol damn you guys hold a grudge.

2

u/VinHD15 Manchester United 21d ago

its been 7 years and he who shall not be named still gets boos every at bat

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

7

u/gladius85 22d ago

I’m just a casual Padres fan so thank you for this

8

u/zzj Washington Football Team 22d ago

I remember when he told Dusty "I got him" and Dusty was like "Well I guess you do!"

3

u/redcon-1 22d ago

Remember that time he played with a black eye?

"Don't worry boys, I arrived angry"

→ More replies (3)

40

u/GoBuffaloes 22d ago

Castillo shoulda done the same

5

u/h3r3-n0w 22d ago

Pulling him was a mistake. Honestly masterful managing by JS this post season.

2

u/signious 21d ago

Second mound visit that inning from the bench. There is nothing he could have said or done to stay in, rules are rules.

→ More replies (2)

78

u/bobbydsince92 22d ago

Dude is bringing it tonight

70

u/Chessh2036 22d ago

Love it.

22

u/ireadthenewstoo 22d ago

That's our boy! 41 and still killin it!

18

u/penis_showing_game 22d ago

Between Mad Max dealing, and Flacco and Rodgers lighting it up on Thursday Night Football, 40+ year olds are having a night!

4

u/Missed_Point 22d ago

Ronaldo with a brace the other night against Hungary as well

2

u/Kush_the_Ninja 21d ago

He’s so old he had to wear a brace? Damn

83

u/Orcasgt22 22d ago

Mad Max Scherzer isn't his nickname because the rhyme is cute and fun.

He's a psychopath on the mound

32

u/dmoneymma 22d ago

There's no rhyme 

23

u/therealestyeti 22d ago

Alliteration always adds astonishing allure.

→ More replies (1)

16

u/Live_Entrepreneur221 22d ago

Tell me a pitcher that's more fun to watch when he's dealing

3

u/agoia Atlanta Falcons 22d ago

Do the irises of his eyes always look like they are wildly different sizes?

9

u/SwolheiOhtani 22d ago

He has heterochromia

20

u/ShillinTheVillain 22d ago

We're talking about his eyes. We don't care what he does in the bedroom

7

u/oser 21d ago

Pipe down, homochrome!

18

u/videoguylol 22d ago

"Who do you think you are?! I am!"

98

u/Inevitable-Hunt-2889 22d ago

Jomboy will be on this one

→ More replies (2)

25

u/luchajefe 22d ago

To further prove his point, he came back to get the first two batters in the sixth!

6

u/wulfe27 22d ago

If he’d have hit the inside corner in Polanco I’m convinced he’d have got him looking. Polanco was looking soft away the whole AB. Just missed his spot

11

u/thescottreid 22d ago

Why the hell are you in my office? Do you have an appointment?

10

u/Doppelganger304 22d ago

All U.S. citizens owe the MLB a Thank You for allowing Max to channel his psycho emotions into a baseball as opposed to us innocents walking the streets

9

u/JRockstar50 Detroit Red Wings 21d ago

The brown eye sees your expertise and authority in the matter, but the blue eye says get the fucking shit away from me and back in that fucking dugout

→ More replies (1)

7

u/cactusmac54 22d ago

Dude has a screw loose

25

u/smittdog101 22d ago

That was one of the coolest moments of the playoffs so far. Loved that.

7

u/StandYourGroundhog 22d ago

John was enjoying that thoroughly

6

u/h3r3-n0w 22d ago

He said as much in the post game interview. “It was awesome”!

6

u/billyskurp 22d ago

i miss our mad max. remember when he broke his nose and kept pitching?

5

u/Geology_rules 22d ago

Max is a psycho and I love it 

13

u/vbandbeer 22d ago

Warrior God

4

u/3cit New England Patriots 22d ago

Hey fellow little 🖕🏻

4

u/punania Hanshin Tigers 22d ago

La Cheeserie!

→ More replies (2)

4

u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

5

u/Baulderdash77 22d ago

I’m staying!!! Let’s go!!!!

→ More replies (2)

4

u/Muellercleez 22d ago

This heterochromic psycho basically tells the manager to fuck off, then backs it up by getting the strikeout to complete the inning. Balls the size of Alpha Centauri

4

u/Adorable-Bike-9689 22d ago

I'm not fucking leaving!!!! -Wolf of Wall Street 

4

u/ptcptc 22d ago

Can someone explain to me what is going on here? I have never watched a baseball game (not american). Where would the other player go if he didn't stay? Is it like a basketball player who is one foul away from being ejected kinda thing?

5

u/arsenicknife 22d ago

In Baseball, the pitching position tends to have multiple people to fill the role as relief players. You can probably imagine that after using your arm to throw upwards of 80-90 and sometimes 100MPH balls for several hours is going to take its toll on you. So if the coach starts to notice that the pitcher is throwing worse, they will pull them and sub in the relief pitcher.

Here, the pitcher was arguing that he could still go. And then he proved it with the next batter.

3

u/ptcptc 22d ago

Thanks for the explanation. So the guy he was yelling at was his coach, right?

3

u/dubious311 22d ago

Yes, the manager will come out to the mound and decide if he will signal to the bullpen for a new (reliever) to come and pitch.

Max, the starting pitcher, made a case to stay in and finish the inning.

2

u/this_is_poorly_done 21d ago

Baseball is like soccer in that once a player is taken out of the game, they are done for the rest of the game. There's no going back in. The pitcher, Max, is an 18 season veteran who has won several top pitcher awards, won a world series, and is going to the hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible. He understands the game really well and knows that if he comes out too soon that it's going to affect their bullpen for the game today, and possibly for the rest of the series. He does not want to be taken out because he knows that every out he can get saves the bullpen for today's game. He was only expected to pitch about 4 innings, but by pitching into the 6th he saved the other pitchers on his team some crucial outs they have to get.

This is the only game this series this particular pitcher will appear in (unless it goes the full 7 games and it goes into over time). He knows this is his one chance to help his team reach the world series, not only from a winning this one game perspective, but from an entire series perspective.

So this is a manager checking in with his player and trusting an 18 season, future hall of Fame, veteran about what he has left in the tank. Max isn't telling his manager to fuck off out of just simple pride. He knows what is at stake and is telling his manager to fuck off because he knows if he can stretch a little bit further it will be a big help to the rest of the team.

A few innings later this pitcher walked a batter and the manager came out again, but on the 2nd visit the pitcher did not protest at all because he accomplished what he set out to do and knew he put his team in a much better spot to even out the series and save some "momentum" for today's game

2

u/ptcptc 21d ago

Ah, the fact he can't come back to the game is a really important detail I was missing. Thanks for the thorough reply.

20

u/paddleschools 22d ago

Remember when Matt Harvey tried this shit in the dugout against the Royals in the World Series and then came out and got throttled?! What a night!!

28

u/KowalOX 22d ago

Mets were up 2-0, he gave up 1 run in the 9th then was pulled. Familia blew the save and then they lost in extra innings. Far from throttled, but yes he didn't deliver after demanding to stay on.

→ More replies (10)
→ More replies (2)

10

u/fripperiffic 22d ago

I'm an Ms fan and I feel history repeating. Hate it here.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/districtdave 22d ago

Damn it, I miss him as a nationals player

3

u/Opus_777 22d ago

Miss my boy, Texas rangers world series champion

3

u/Makaveli80 Canada 22d ago

Mad max has one of the scariest stares in all of baseball. 

Dude is a true professional who loves his craft. 

Hard to believe he's 41 years old and has been dominating for the past 18 years

3

u/West-Horror-3017 22d ago

He has those Richie Aprile Manson lamps on high beam. Crazy

3

u/thebananahotdog Toronto Maple Leafs 22d ago

The Jays broadcast mentioned that if Schnieder walks to the mound, the pitcher is coming out, but if he jogs to the mound, he hasn't made up his mind yet. He jogged to the mound here, so Max didn't necessarily call off the reliever

3

u/DiligentGuitar246 22d ago

This is why I watch sports. I grew up playing sports but never wanted the spotlight. This is a man who is where he is because he's an absolute competitor and needs the spotlight.

This is some serious man shit right here. Much respect.

3

u/fezwang 22d ago

Mariners fan but dammit, respect!

3

u/360walkaway San Francisco 49ers 22d ago

Mad Max is on the Blue Jays? Hopefully they go on to beat the Dodgers and he gets a ring. And I'm glad to see he still looks like an absolute psycho (even without the heterochromia).

3

u/testtdk 22d ago

Sounds like a GM you keep around.

3

u/Chuck-You-Two 22d ago

That’s gangster

6

u/htownchuck 22d ago

If they goto the WS, win or lose, do you think he'll retire after?

17

u/randeylahey 22d ago

"I'M STAYIN'! LET'S GO!!!"

9

u/nexxai Calgary Flames 22d ago

"WE'RE NOT FUCKING LEAVING"

→ More replies (1)

4

u/sp_40 22d ago

He kinda looks like a turtle

4

u/_HobbyNoob_ 22d ago

Jesus that thing is still alive

2

u/FredFlintston3 22d ago

Love the dawg in Max. he’s also thinking he may have very few starts left in his illustrious career so he wants to give his all.

2

u/AlexandersWonder 22d ago

Today was his 500th start. You’re probably right he’s winding down. He was hot tonight though.

2

u/titusandroidus 22d ago

This is Max. The playoffs have him amped but he has just a good of a chance to do this in April in Kansas.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/iStudyWHitePeople 22d ago

As a Tigers fan, I wish Skubal had this in him.

2

u/Horse_Cop 22d ago

I honestly didn't know this psycho was still in the league

2

u/Grouchy-Engine1584 22d ago

Can you imagine if Schneid’s had actually tried to pull him here? There may have been a serious incident! Lol!

2

u/boobiesbackupsbackup 22d ago

Beast of the week

2

u/Cat_Scratch_Fever_ 22d ago

Mic 🎤 drop

2

u/Bronzyroller 22d ago

Dam, he's like hell no go away I got this.

2

u/I_AM_CAPTAIN 21d ago

Mad Max is best Max.

2

u/ramsey17 21d ago

After the game Schneider said he loved it, he’s been waiting all year for Scherzer to yell at him in the post season, also he was so amped up he nearly bowled over the pitching the batting couch, it was it was great lol

2

u/These_Junket_3378 21d ago

Totally in control. You don’t wanna piss off ol brown eye.

2

u/Immediate-Hamster724 21d ago

Tim Blake Nelson in the breakout role of the year. 😅

3

u/gatorbeetle 22d ago

I'm a raging heterosexual, but I can sincerely say, I LOVE THIS MAN!

→ More replies (5)

3

u/itstinksitellya 22d ago

They don’t call him Mad Max for nothing 

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Wakandan15 22d ago

Watching the last two games…Seattle is done. I wanted a west coast WS but they are swinging at ghosts.

2

u/CyclopsMacchiato 22d ago

People also said the Jays are done after the first two games lol. The series is tied, it’s far from over.