Reese Kaplan -- Know When to Walk Away, Know When to Run

Tempers are a challenge to control, necessary at times but often the source of recrimination and regret.  The recent outburst by Max Scherzer regarding the umpires picking on him and then loudly sounding off to the press afterwards was just one of those occasions.

Don't get me wrong.  Scherzer may or may not have been doing anything wrong and the umpires do have a right to check.  It is their job to preserve the so-called integrity of the game.  However, after checking once, then having Scherzer invite them to watch in person as he washed his hands and apply rosin both the second and third times suggests that the umpires were indeed more concerned about expressing their authority than in doing what was right.

In retrospect as a casual fan you'd have to wonder if Scherzer's inclination to be highly vocal in his criticism of the 2023 pitch clock (and corresponding batter's timing rules) also seemed to question the necessity of this change made by MLB and by extension the umpires' collective ability to apply the rules both properly and fairly.  Consequently, he was already under the umpires' skins before this particular game earlier this week occurred so you can very well wager a full paycheck that he was not going to get any benefit of doubt whatsoever.

Turning to the second part of the incident -- the on-field arguing -- well, that is not unlike a batter arguing a called strike or a runner arguing whether or not he was safe at the base.  The difference here is that the other types of situations are somewhat more spontaneous in nature whereas Scherzer knew three full times that he was being watched under a microscope, so he should have been prepared to say one or two things calmly in quest of explanation instead of blowing a gasket.  That action itself was not what got him bounced from the game, but the umpires' ruling that he knowing applied "substances" that caused his hand to become unduly sticky.  

Strike three in this incident, however, was his very vocal press conference afterwards wherein he did not politely say, "I disagree with what was done but hopefully both sides have learned from the experience."  Instead he recited in great detail what he did, how he washed with alcohol, how the umpires witnessed him applying rosin and essentially throwing gasoline on the fire.  

Consequently when the league office came forth with a 10-game suspension for Scherzer's illegal substance application to the ball which may or may not have taken place, you can't help feeling it was the digging at the umpires to shame them for not knowing their jobs when they personally witnessed his preparation of his hands between innings was more likely what was behind the penalty.  

Fortunately, given the fact that the Mets are already without Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana and Carlos Carrasco, Max Scherzer and the Mets agreed that they were not going to appeal the ruling in order to minimize the time they'd be without their current ace pitcher.  Joey Lucchesi is likely a fine human being and is surely eternally grateful to get back to the big leagues, but not even his own family will try to equate a substandard 2023 Max Scherzer with Lucchesi's pitching metrics.  

In the past the Mets (and other teams) have had players and other staff who totally lost control on or off the field.  Names like Carl Everett, Frankie Rodriguez and others immediately spring to mind.  Even the team's worst ever manager, Terry Collins, lost control in full uncensored glory.

The difference here is that with a team already stretched to the breaking point when it comes to starting pitching, manager Buck Showalter needs to instill upon his players (with a special emphasis to the starting pitchers) the need to be stern but respectful to the guys who have the ability to run them not only out of the game but off the roster for an extended period of time.  Everyone admires the ferocity of Scherzer as a competitor, but special times sometimes require what Jimmy Buffett would call changes in attitude.