Toronto Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer received high praise from Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona after maybe his final career start.
Scherzer pitched 7 IP for the Blue Jays as they won 5-1 over the Reds in the final game of the season for both teams, neither of which will be going back to the playoffs this year after they both went to the dance in 2025.
In what could potentially be the final start of his Hall of Famer career, Scherzer struck out 7 Reds and threw 114 pitches on three days’ notice as he turned back the clock and had an absolutely incredible showing that earned him a standing ovation from the Blue Jays faithful at Rogers Centre.
He also earned praise from the Reds’ manager Francona, who himself will likely be in the Hall of Fame one day.
Terry Francona Praises Max Scherzer
Speaking to the media following the game, Francona had nothing but good things to say about Scherzer, suggesting that he told his young pitchers to watch and learn from the 42-year-old veteran so they can take some of what he did and put it towards their own games.
“I hope our young pitchers watched, because of a couple things. One, I think he threw 21 first-pitch strikes, which is phenomenal. On a different note … He’s got a lot of innings under his belt. He’s coming back on short rest and did what he did. I think that shows the competitor he is. I wish we’d have won. But it’s hard not to tip your hat or clap, because he’s been so much of what’s good in baseball, and you’ve got to respect that,” Francona said.
Terry Francona is a Hall of Fame Manager
What makes Francona’s praise towards Scherzer so notable is that he himself is a likely future Hall of Famer, only as a manager, not as a player.
The 67-year-old manager won the World Series twice with the Boston Red Sox and also had a tremendous run as the Cleveland Guardians’ manager before taking a leave of absence and returning to the dugout for the Reds last season.
Max Scherzer Gets High Praise From Reds’ Terry Francona