By Jake MintzFOX MLB Sports Writer
Max Scherzer has worn a few different hats in his esteemed, Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Since making his debut with Arizona in 2009, he has been a D-back, a Tiger, a National, a Dodger and now a Met. Before that, he was a Missouri Tiger, a Fort Worth Cat and a Toledo Mud Hen.
But until last week, Max Scherzer had never had the honor of calling himself Binghamton’s Rumble Pony.
The 37-year-old Mets ace, who has been on the disabled list since May 18 with an oblique injury, made his second of two rehab starts for the Mets’ Double-A affiliate on Wednesday. Although he was limited to just 80 pitches, Scherzer appeared healthy and is expected to return to Queens in the coming days.
In addition to the hilarious juxtaposition of a generational hurler pitching in a Double-A park while wearing “Rumble Ponies” across his chest, Scherzer’s brief stint in the minors left a real mark on his teammates in Binghamton.
Whenever a former major leaguer makes a rehab appearance in the minors, it’s typical for that player to buy the spread before or after a game. It’s one of those gracious gestures that’s also the expected, baseball version of a wedding gift. After all, anyone with MLB service time should have enough cash left over to provide an upgraded cornucopia for a night to those who leave less than that.
But on Wednesday, after the Rumble Ponies’ 8-3 win in Connecticut over the Hartford Yard Goats, Mad Max went a step further. According to those in the know, Scherzer, who has earned more than $250 million in his career, dropped big for a locker room feast that included bone-in ribeye, filet mignon and lobster. While a typical post-game dinner would be limited to one folding table, Chateau Scherzer was a three to four folding table situation. The rough dollar figure that was thrown around the club was upwards of $7,000.
“They’re eating well tonight,” Scherzer told the media after his start.
Scherzer’s two weeks in Binghamton are the Mets’ second notable minor league rehab story in two seasons. Last June, when Jacob deGrom was coming back from one of his many ailments, he made a comically dominant, two-inning start for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets against the Palm Beach Cardinals. Opposing hitters likened that experience to a video game on hard mode.
Although he is ruthless and intense on the mound, Scherzer has a reputation around the game as an incredible teammate and excellent clubman. He was closely involved in the CBA negotiations during the lockout and is easily one of the most outspoken voices and active participants in the MLBPA.
And with minor league salaries and living conditions still being major issues that the league has yet to fully correct, it’s no surprise that Scherzer was polite during his two-start stint with the Rumble Ponies .
But again, he went above and beyond.
Two days after his first start with Binghamton, players entered the locker room and found an unexpected gift from the heterochromatic hurler.
“He bought AirPods for everyone,” a source around the team told FOX Sports. “We walk in, and there’s a club handing out AirPods saying it’s from Max.”
In a week, one of the most dominant pitchers of his lifetime will be back on a major league mound hitting flummox left and right. The Mets eagerly await his return. Once 11 games clear in the NL East, the club is now just 3.5 games ahead of Atlanta entering play on Friday.
If the Mets are going to be what the Mets want to be, they’re going to need Max Scherzer healthy and roaring a full hog.
When it’s all done and dusted and Scherzer shares stories and thanks from a wooden podium on a hot summer day in Cooperstown, New York, his time in Binghamton probably won’t be mention It will be a small footnote in a very rich career. But while Max Scherzer’s Rumble Pony Era may be lost to the sands of time, his Secret Santa activities should live on forever in the hearts of Greater Rumble Pony Nation.
“I already had nice wireless headphones,” one lucky recipient from Binghamton told FOX Sports. “But my dad was using these old wired headphones, so I gave him the AirPods.”
Mad Max? More like Kind Max, am I right?
Jake Mintz is the top half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He is an Orioles fan who lives in New York City, and as such, leads a lonely existence for most of October. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.
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