

Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer, to Dan Patrick: Pitchers will sneak away to get scores in clubhouse

10:31 AM, Jun. 20, 2013  |  Comments
Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer.
Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer.
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Start a season 10-0 and you get noticed.

Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer got a little time in the national spotlight Wednesday on "The Dan Patrick Show."

Some highlights:

Do players keep track of other sports during games?

"Oh, of course," Scherzer said. "That happens all the time. ? Definitely on Thursday we'll sneak away to get a little shot to see how the Heat and Spurs finish up. ...

"It's really all starting pitchers. We'll find a way to sneak up there to get a bite to eat, just see the score of the game and then head back down to the dugout and give updates to everybody."

Who is his most feared hitter?

"Shin-Soo Choo (the former Indian). That was my favorite thing the whole off-season, when he got traded to the Cincinnati Reds. That just made my year. He looks very good in a Cincinnati uniform."

Does he agree with Greg Maddux, that if you're going to give up a homer, better it be a bomb?

"No! I don't want to give up a bomb. Why would I want to give up a mammo shot? I want one that just trickles over so then I could be mad say, oh, like it's the ballpark's fault for giving it up. If we were playing here, that wouldn't have happened."

Does he expect to be in the World Series?

"Um, I expect to be in the playoffs. And once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. We found out firsthand last year. You can feel like you're on top of the world and, baseball, it's a funny game, you know, you can lose four in a row. I think we realize that, and if we can just get back in the playoffs, anything can happen."

■ But when Patrick asked what it would mean to start the All-Star Game, he didn't like Scherzer's "it would be a great honor, yada, yada, yada" answer.

Patrick said the correct answer is: "Woooo! I deserve this, man! I'm better than Verlander, I should be out there starting!"

How All-Star Game fits Tigers' rotation

Speaking of the All-Star Game, what are the chances AL manager Jim Leyland will be able to start one of his Tigers in the July 16 game at New York's Citi Field?

If the schedule stays as is, barring injuries and/or rainouts, Scherzer's last start before the break would be Saturday, July 13. Justin Verlander would start the next day.

All-Star starters pitch only a few innings at most, so if Leyland wanted to pitch Scherzer, above, he would have to decide if he wanted him to throw more than an inning on just two days of rest.

If the schedule sticks and he's on the team, J.V. likely would not start since he's starting Sunday.

The Tigers' only day off before the All-Star break is Monday. If they have a rainout between then and the break, Scherzer's final start could get pushed to July 14 and knock out his chance to start.

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