"He knew the rules. Whatever much he signed for - what did he get, again?" - Looking back at Madison Bumgarner's disagreement with Max Scherzer over the latter's belief that pitchers are not real hitters
Madison Bumgarner saw a different side to the story with Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer after injuring his thumb back in 2015.
Bumgarner blasted Scherzer after taking issue with the latter's words. Scherzer stated that "pitchers are not real hitters." Speaking to ESPN, he said:
"He knew the rules. Whatever much he signed for - what did he get again? He didn't have a problem signing his name. He didn't have a problem with hitting then. I'm sure he had his pick of anywhere he wanted to go."
Bumgarner continued:
"If you look at it from the macro side, who'd people rather see hit: Big Papi [Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz] or me?... I hate what happened to him. He works his butt off out there. But I don't think it was because he was hitting. What if he gets hurt getting out of his truck? You tell him not to drive anymore?"
Bumgarner insisted that the uniformity of the rules should apply to both leagues and that pitchers were also vulnerable to injury. His comments came in the aftermath of Scherzer suffering a thumb injury, which kept him out for a few games.
Career win No. 200 for Max Scherzer sends the Mets to the postseason! https://t.co/fMNd0DMgVr
Earlier, Scherzer claimed that fans did not pay to see pitchers hit. He went on to say that preventing them from batting could be a viable solution. He also referred to his batting stance as similar to swinging a "wet newspaper."
Max Scherzer impresses after returning from long-term injury for the New York Mets
Max Scherzer returned to the fray as the Mets routed the Oakland Athletics 13-4 on Sunday to stay on top of the NL East division. This was Scherzer's second appearance since returning from a long-term oblique injury. In his last game, Scherzer was pulled after six perfect innings and 68 pitches against the Brewers. He said:
“I feel pretty good about it. I was able to get up to 90 pitches today. ... I am in a good spot. Hopefully, next weekend when I get the ball I can get to 100 pitches. That would be a good number to hit.” (via Yahoo)
Max Scherzer's return will be crucial for the Mets as they head into the postseason this year. The Mets haven't won a World Series title since 1968, but appeared in the finals in 2015. The 38-year-old has three Cy Young awards, eight All-Star selections and a World Series crown to his name and could be an important asset as he enters the final stages of his long career.