Max Scherzer is one of the most competitive pitchers in baseball and his managers have long faced confrontation when they attempt to take him out of games. So Blue Jays skipper John Schneider had to know what was in store as he strode to the mound to speak with his fiery starter in the fifth inning of Game 4 against the Mariners with a spot in the World Series on the line.
And Scherzer reacted the way one would expect him to act, especially since he was protecting a 5–1 lead and needed just one more out to qualify for the win. Somewhat predictably, Scherzer's passionate plea worked out as Schneider allowed him to get out of the inning and save his bullpen for later.
After the game, Schneider revealed how awesome he found the whole experience.
"I've been waiting for that moment," he said. "It was awesome, I thought he was going to kill me. It was great."
John Schneider on his 5th inning mound visit with Max Scherzer:
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 17, 2025
“I've been waiting for that moment... It was awesome, I thought he was going to kill me. It was great.” pic.twitter.com/cYrFMDFwpN
What a quote. It opens up the possibility that Schneider knew exactly what he was getting, realized it was his last chance to be in the spray zone and hustled out there just so he could experience the genuine fear of God.
Scherzer's teammates also loved to watch their pitcher turn into Mad Max, having a grand ol' time in the dugout recapping what had just happened out there.
The dugout couldn’t believe what they just witnessed 😭 https://t.co/3PLIjLg4Vf pic.twitter.com/pIfWehEQ53
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 17, 2025
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Max Scherzer's Teammates and Manager Loved His Intense Argument to Stay in the Game.
