Mizzou in the Majors: Max in the middle

■ Q&A: Max Scherzer & Rick Knapp (fangraphs.com)

Max Scherzer: For me, the next day is one of the hardest-working days to get my body right. I’ll do a total body lift, lifting every major area. I’ll exercise my legs, back, chest, arms — kind of the whole nine yards. Then I’ll go out and run for awhile, trying to get as tired as I can. Throwing is very minimal. I just kind of loosen up, getting the arm moving to get ready for my pen the next day.
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Scherzer: I don’t think it’s so much about psychology. It is, but it’s also using the right words. He’s getting to see how I work from a different angle. I don’t get to see everything, so he might be able to relate some words about what I should be thinking to keep myself in the right position. He’ll mention something like, “focus on this,” and all of a sudden, once I get that train of thought, that’s what I’m focusing on. That’s what’s big about having a pitching coach who communicates with you well.
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