Scherzer 'brings it,' even on back fields

This browser does not support the video element.

JUPITER, Fla. --- Soon you would be able to hear the national anthem in the distance from inside Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, and the Mets¡¯ game against the Marlins would be starting. But out here on a back field, a few minutes after 1 o¡¯clock, Max Scherzer was getting ready to get in his own work against some of the Marlins¡¯ Minor League hitters.

Tylor Megill, a big guy who could turn out to be a big pitcher for Buck Showalter with some pitcher injuries mounting, would throw four shutout innings against the Marlins with the wind blowing out at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, and he continue to give himself a shot at being Showalter¡¯s No. 5 starter. The decision had been made to stretch him out against the Marlins¡¯ big club with the start of the regular season just over two weeks away, just down the Florida Turnpike in Miami against this same Marlins team.

But Scherzer, who is at the top of Buck¡¯s rotation, along with his old friend, Justin Verlander -- they are 1 and 1A, the ¡°A¡± standing for aces -- needed to get his own work in on this day. So here he was, right before 1 o¡¯clock, pacing in front of the Mets' bench as if he were in the dugout at Citi Field, fussing with a rosin bag, talking and talking, mostly to himself.

Showalter would miss the first inning of Mets vs. Marlins to come out and watch Scherzer¡¯s bottom of the first back here. There was no pitch timer on the back field, even though Scherzer would work fast anyway. A tour bus was parked behind some palm trees on the other side of the right-field fence. But Scherzer was ready to go.

Showalter got out of a golf cart, already smiling. There aren¡¯t many players Buck Showalter has ever managed who he liked managing more than he does Max Scherzer.

¡°Look at him,¡± Showalter said. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be 39 years old [in July], and every game for him, even back here, is like his first day of Little League.¡±

Scherzer was here to throw at least 70 pitches, fastballs and breaking balls, getting a couple of called third strikes, one with a fastball on the inside corner, another with a breaking ball on the outside corner. He would watch one wind-blown ball drop over the wire fence in left. But even on a back field in the middle of March, even facing mostly Minor Leaguers, with only a few fans standing between this field and the one next to it, you still knew you were watching Max Scherzer.

Before he¡¯d left the visitors¡¯ clubhouse, Showalter asked if he was worried about what shape the mound might be in.

¡°Is there a pitching rubber?¡± Scherzer asked him. ¡°Are there going to be hitters? Just gimme the ball.¡±

Afterward Scherzer would talk about how it was a ¡°challenge¡± pitching in circumstances like that, but he understands by now that he won¡¯t always be pitching in front of a full house once the season does start on March 30. Pitching, he said, is pitching.

¡°You¡¯ve still got to bring it,¡± Scherzer told reporters, ice on his shoulder.

He was brilliant last year for the Mets when he was healthy. But he was not always healthy, only making 23 starts because of time on the injured list with a left oblique injury. His record in those 23 starts was 11-5, with a 2.29 ERA, and even in the season when he turned 38, he struck out 173 batters in 145 1/3 innings. He was Max.

But he didn¡¯t finish the way he had started. There were two games at the end -- one his last regular-season start against the Braves in Atlanta, when the Mets still had their chance to win the NL East and not have to play a Wild Card Series, then one against the Padres the first weekend of the postseason -- when he wasn¡¯t vintage Max.

Against the Padres in Game 1, he left in the fifth inning after having given up seven runs. Jacob deGrom won Game 2, but then Chris Bassitt didn¡¯t have his own best stuff in Game 3, and just like that, the Mets¡¯ season was over.

Now deGrom is in Texas. Verlander, who won another Cy Young Award last season for the Astros, has come to New York to replace him. It is Verlander and Scherzer now, the way it was once the two of them in Jim Leyland¡¯s rotation with the Tigers, at the start of it for both of them. What will surely be Hall of Fame careers has seen them win a combined total of six Cy Young Awards and three World Series and one MVP (Verlander), now it has them at Citi Field.

Max Scherzer was a long way from Citi Field on Monday afternoon. You could still see he was having a blast. Like the first day of Little League. One more of those for Max Scherzer. Just give him the ball.

More from MLB.com

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top