#MizzouMadeMonday: Max Scherzer
1/28/2019 3:10:00 PM | Baseball, General
Former Mizzou Baseball great Max Scherzer returned to Columbia earlier this month to attend his number retirement ceremony. Scherzer became one of just four Mizzou Baseball players to have his number retired, as he joined the likes of Phil Bradly, Gene McArtor and John "Hi" Simmons.
"The number 31 has always meant something to me, ever since I've been on campus here. I still wear 31 today and it goes back to my time here at Mizzou. For the athletic department to go ahead and retire it, you don't even dream of this," Scherzer said in an interview following the ceremony.
A St. Louis native and a lifelong Mizzou fan, it was never a question for Scherzer that he would attend Mizzou. Although he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school, Scherzer made the decision to further his education at the University that both of his parents attended. He cites the Mizzou program and its coaching staff for launching his career and molding him into the player he is today.
"Coach (Tim) Jamieson and his staff – everything that they did on and off the field, there was a demand for excellence. A demand to get up there and provide your best. Coach J obviously had his fingerprints all over my career, but it was also his support staff as well"
Scherzer remains one of the most dominant and decorated athletes in Mizzou baseball history. After freshman season during which he found his footing in college baseball, Scherzer underwent a transformation. A switch in focus dictated by Coach Tim Jamieson moved him away from fastballs and more towards off speed pitches and control. The change was evident, as Scherzer's sophomore season was easily his most successful. He finished the season with a 1.86 ERA and broke a 14-year-old school record by logging 131 strikeouts on the season. He was named Big 12 pitcher of the year and led the Tigers to an NCAA regional victory.
"There was a line of succession of what it takes to play at Mizzou, what it means to pitch at Mizzou, and what it means to be a Friday night starter. That's something that I am forever grateful for; what was instilled upon us because that was an attitude, that was a blue-collar approach. It doesn't matter if you're old or new to the program, that's something that resonates with all of us and something that makes us Mizzou. That desire is why, still to this day, 31 still means something to me."
Scherzer was Mizzou's first first-round draft pick when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him 11th overall in 2006. He remained with the Diamondbacks until 2009, earning their Rookie of the Year title in 2008 after posting a 3.05 ERA in 16 appearances. He then headed to Detroit for a four-year stint with the Tigers, where he earned his first of three Cy Young Awards. It was in 2015 that Scherzer was traded to the Washington Nationals, where he remains as a dominant force in the rotation today. Upon joining the Nationals, Scherzer requested that he return to his college number, 31.
"This is the place that I learned that work ethic means more than talent. This is the place where you get to choose to compete with your mind and your heart and your soul on the mound. Those things that mean so much to me and 31 signifies that for me. When I got the chance to get to Washington, I wanted to wear that number again. When you see me pitch, that's what [that number] means – I'm going to go out there, you're going to get the best from me and that all started with Mizzou."
A six-time major league all-star, Scherzer is one of the best in the game. He has logged two career no-hitters, and tied the MLB record for 250 strikeouts in five straight seasons. He's helped lead the team to two post season appearances in the last three seasons, including back to back appearances in 2016 and 2017 – the first consecutive appearances in franchise history.
When it comes down to it, Scherzer fully embodies what it means to be "#MizzouMade." He and his family remain dedicated Mizzou fans, following the sports and supporting the teams in any way possible. Scherzer has often been vocal on social media with his support of Mizzou athletics, including an appearance in a 2013 postseason press conference with the final score of a Mizzou football upset of Georgia embroidered on his sweatshirt. When reminiscing on his success both at Mizzou and beyond, Scherzer smiled.
"It just puts a big smile on your face. You realize that all the hard work that went into it really transformed me. I've been able to take that and transfer it into the major leagues. I can trace a lot of how I train, how I run, how I left back to how I did it while I was at Mizzou – how successful I was with it here and how successful it has helped make me in the major leagues. It is important because this is where it started and to look back and have your number retired because of it, that's pretty cool.
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#MIZZOUMADE MONDAY
What does it mean to be #MizzouMade? That moniker has been a staple for Mizzou student-athletes for years. It is often associated with athletes who have excelled at the highest levels of their respective sports, but the true meaning runs much deeper.
While there are certainly examples of former Tigers excelling in professional athletics, there is a much larger contingent of Mizzou student-athletes thriving in today's fast-paced, competitive work environment. What each of those student-athletes learned at Mizzou has prepared them for life beyond sports.
The mission of Mizzou Athletics remains to prepare champions for life through a personal enhancement model that emphasizes academic and athletic excellence, social responsibility, career development and leadership in order to help each student athlete become a prepared professional in any field upon earning their degree.
#MizzouMade Monday aims to tell those stories of student athletes who are bringing those values and ideals of Mizzou into the real world every day.
