Sometimes the end comes with a burst of celebratory fireworks, laudatory speeches, adoring adulation. And sometimes the end arrives with ignominy amidst a rumble of boos.
Even a gold-plated first-ballot Hall of Famer can鈥檛 foresee that he鈥檒l make his departure from baseball hoisted triumphantly on the shoulder of teammates.
A question that must be posed of Max Scherzer, who will eventually take his place on the Mount Rushmore of pitchers: Have we seen the last of the three-time Cy Young winner on the hill in a 海角社区官网Blue Jays jersey? Or any major-league jersey, come to that.
Manager John Schneider, asked if there were any circumstances in which the 41-year-old right-hander would start for the Jays in the post-season: 鈥淵eah, I think so. I think he can still do it. It may not be six or seven or eight innings, but he can still do it.鈥欌
In the wake of back-to-back outings where Scherzer gave up a combined 11 runs on 17 hits, the playoff starting rotation is as clear as mud, roiled further with Chris Bassitt unable to come off the injured list until next Friday and Jos茅 Berr铆os聽鈥 stripped of his starter status, dumped into the bullpen聽鈥 on the IL with a sore right elbow.
All of which casts Scherzer as a pitcher who apparently must start, if there鈥檚 a wild-card series to be played, or work as a reliever out of the 鈥檖en thereafter.
鈥淚f someone鈥檚 going to figure it out, it鈥檚 going to be him,鈥欌 insists Schneider of Scherzer鈥檚 veteran capacity to excavate himself from the deep pit of recent performances. 鈥淎nd we need him to do that.鈥欌
That 20-1 monstrosity against the Kansas City Royals earlier this month can be discarded as an aberration from the bump out, with Toronto鈥檚 bats colder than a brass toilet seat. Scherzer didn鈥檛 make it out of the first inning, his shortest start ever. But this is a crackerjack, multi-decorated moundsman and if signing him to a one-year, $15.5-million (U.S.) deal might have been risky for someone coming off two injury-plagued seasons with declining velocity, early (belated) indications were encouraging. Scherzer was certainly perceived as a big-game pitcher. That鈥檚 his DNA.
Wednesday鈥檚 acquittal against Boston, however聽鈥 dinged for four runs in five innings, including a 19th jack that left the park, ERA ballooning to 5.19 鈥斅爂ives considerable pause, even if four of five first-inning hits were bloopers.
Scherzer wears it.
鈥淚鈥檓 accountable for locating the ball. When I leave the ball in the middle of the plate, that is on me. My job is to get the ball out of the middle of the plate and not give them a pitch to hit. So, I鈥檓 not going to change how I evaluate myself based on results. My job is to get the ball where I need to get the ball, to the right spot. I鈥檓 not going to reinvent myself because the results aren鈥檛 there.
鈥淭he game can play funny tricks on you. It can play illusions on you. It鈥檚 just go back to the simple: hit the catcher鈥檚 glove, put the ball in the right spot and do that consistently.鈥欌
Yet consistency has eluded the career-blessed Scherzer in this most un-Scherzer season.
After that last loss, the always insightful pitcher told reporters: 鈥淲hen you look in the mirror, you just need to know who you are and how you play this game.鈥欌
But what does Scherzer see when he looks in the mirror now?
A day later, Scherzer explained that he was actually reflecting on the topsy-turvy standings and post-season destiny. And because he has an anecdote for every occasion, he recounts his first playoff start: Oct. 2, 2011 with the Detroit Tigers in the Bronx.
鈥淎ll the veterans were telling me, make sure you go out there calmed down. It鈥檚 the playoffs, it鈥檚 Yankee Stadium, it鈥檚 going to be such a big atmosphere, it鈥檚 going to get you out of control and speed you up. When I took the mound that day, I tried to be calm, and in that first inning I walked three guys. I got out of it, but I was real mad at myself because I wasn鈥檛 myself. I tried to be something else on the biggest day of my life, changed for the moment of the game.
鈥淚 said: No, that鈥檚 not how I pitch. I鈥檝e got to use the atmosphere of Yankee Stadium and my first playoff start as fuel. And I鈥檝e never forgotten that moment. I鈥檝e always told that story to other teammates: Be who you are.
鈥淔or me, I pitch with my hair on fire.鈥欌
That is the ferocious intensity that encapsulates Scherzer. Not a smidge of it disappears even when he鈥檚 just been mangled by five consecutive hits out of the chute.
鈥淚鈥檓 coming at you. I鈥檓 not a low-adrenalin guy. If you鈥檙e a high-adrenalin guy, be a high-adrenalin guy. If you鈥檙e a low-adrenalin guy with ice water in your veins聽鈥 calm, cool and collected聽鈥 be that.鈥欌
Eighteen years in the majors, only his countenance has been wizened by time, not his attitude, the needle always pointed at consuming urgency and emotional fervency. Still a student of pitching, too.
The Blue Jays are going into the season’s final weekend having clinched a playoff spot but are
鈥淵ou never stop learning in this game. You are always identifying different things about why you win and lose ball games. It never ends. The hitters are constantly evolving, constantly trying to figure you out. If you鈥檙e not self-recognizing and willing to make adjustments, coming up with new ideas, you get beat. Doesn鈥檛 matter how good you are.鈥
Grinning: 鈥淚鈥檝e been stuck in this mindset for the past 15 years.鈥欌
It will be revealed imminently whether Schneider utilizes Scherzer as a starter or reliever in the playoffs. But does the skipper really have faith in his Hall of Fame-bound pitcher out of the 鈥榩en for an inning when Scherzer鈥檚 first-inning stats are so crooked? First batters of the ball game collectively are hitting .400 against him with a .471 OBP: 6-for-15 with a double, a home run, one walk, one hit batter (1.137 OPS).
Scherzer has made five playoff appearances as a reliever versus 25 starts across 20 series, twice collecting a World Series ring.
鈥淚鈥檝e won and lost in those situations,鈥欌 he says about his relief appearances. 鈥淚鈥檝e had good outings where I鈥檝e come in in relief, I鈥檝e also had one where it completely got away from me.鈥欌 That would be a meltdown in Game 5 of the 2017 NL Division Series with the Washington Nationals against the Chicago Cubs. 鈥淚 had two outs, nobody on and four runs ended up coming across: catcher鈥檚 interference, error, dropped strike, one-in-a-million stuff. That鈥檚 how it goes. You can鈥檛 cry about it.鈥欌
Starting or relieving, his head space won鈥檛 change.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be ready for everything and anything.鈥欌
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