Max Scherzer developed into an elite pitcher during his five-season stint with the Detroit Tigers.
He gives credit to Jim Leyland, his former manager, for cultivating his bulldog mentality and confidence to compete deep into games.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, is one of the best pitchers of his generation, but he didn't earn his first All-Star appearance until his age-28 season in 2013, his fourth of five seasons in Detroit. Leyland, touched by the way Scherzer spoke about him, didn't want to accept any credit.
"I really didn't do anything to help him, to be honest with you, other than the fact that I believed in him," Leyland told the Free Press on Wednesday, before Scherzer pitched for the New York Mets against the Tigers at Comerica Park.