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Max Scherzer unleashes impressive string of obscenities before pitch

Chris Cwik
·Staff writer

There’s no need to doubt Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer’s competitive nature. That probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. Elite athletes generally take their jobs pretty seriously. Remember when Clayton Kershaw couldn’t be bothered to get involved in a tussle because he was pitching? Yeah, it’s like that.

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Scherzer took that intensity to the next level during Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. As he prepared to deliver a pitch to Chase Utley during the seventh inning, Scherzer unleashed an impressive string of obscenities to himself.

We’re not going to try and interpret what Scherzer was saying there. Partially because this is a family website, but mostly because we don’t want to get fired. You can probably figure out a few words without the help of a professional lip-reader.

There are two ways to interpret Scherzer’s outburst. You can either praise Scherzer for his fiery nature, or you question whether he’s maybe taking things a bit too seriously. Both are valid, as far as we’re concerned.

Max Scherzer doesn't have a problem pitching angry. (AP Photo)
Max Scherzer doesn’t have a problem pitching angry. (AP)

For Scherzer, it appears anger is a pretty good motivator. He was fantastic during the start, striking out 14 Dodgers over seven innings. He gave up just one unearned run, earning the win.

This is not the first time Scherzer has exploded with rage during a start. He’s chased off more than one coach with some four letter words.

Oddly, Scherzer seems completely different when he’s off the mound. The pitcher is often found engaging in hijinks with his teammates. He’s teased Gio Gonzalez on social media, made teammates play games during interviews and has put up with being on the receiving end of a joke. He seems like a pretty fun guy.

In that way, he’s kind of like the Hulk. Off the field, Scherzer is kind and mild-mannered. But once Scherzer takes the mound, you do not want to make him angry.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik