"even as that career took him out of Detroit. He would leave in free agency for the Nationals. A 2014 playoff blowout at the hands of the Orioles and an ensuing three-game sweep would be the final playoff series for the Tigers for a decade. The last time I saw him, and the last time my hometown team was good, were tied together in my brain."
"Eleven years later, I watched Game 7 by myself. I was emotionally exhausted for all sorts of reasons, but the game had a gravity that made my whole weekend revolve around it. I put some blankets and a pillow down on the floor a few feet in front of my bedroom TV, and I stayed there for hours and hours. Max Scherzer was starting. Both of us had a come a very long way."
At college, a spontaneous drive to Detroit brought a group to Max Scherzer's final home start as a Tiger, creating a lasting fan attachment. Scherzer left in free agency for the Nationals. A 2014 playoff blowout by the Orioles and a subsequent three-game sweep marked the Tigers' last playoff series for a decade. Years later, Game 7 was watched alone, with blankets and a pillow on the bedroom floor and Scherzer starting, tying personal milestones to the pitcher's career. Scherzer built the 'Mad Max' persona in Washington, achieving no-hitters, 20-strikeout games, and intense competitiveness that seemed controlled off the field.
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