The first day pitcher Max Scherzer walked into Mizzou’s locker room, he found No. 31 on his jersey. When he signed with the Washington Nationals in 2015 — over a decade later — he asked to wear his college number once again.
The right-hander said he made a name for himself at Missouri, and he could carry that time with him by claiming 31.
No Missouri player will ever wear it again. The Tigers retired Scherzer’s 31 at their First Pitch Banquet on Friday evening, giving the pitcher an honor he never envisioned growing up.
“You don’t wake up as a kid and say this is what you want, but when you get to this point and the recognition comes, you have to take a step back and be appreciative of all the people that have had an impact on you,” he said ahead of the banquet.