Nobody puts Mad Max on the Bench.

Nobody puts Mad Max on the bench.

I couldn’t resist. I’m part of the Dirty Dancing generation, so this moment gave me serious “nobody puts Baby in a corner” energy -except Max Scherzer did not need Patrick Swayze to rescue him.

He was Patrick Swayze.

He stood there, stared down the moment, and made one thing clear: I’m staying right here.

That was not ego. That was ownership of self. And that is the part I love about elite performance.

The great ones do not wait for momentum. They take it.

I felt the same thing watching José Bautista in 2015. He did not step into that box hoping. He stepped in knowing.

There is a difference.

People still debate the Bautista bat flip. Was it too much? Disrespectful? Crossing a line?

No. It drew one. That was not just celebration. It was declaration:

I showed up for this moment.
I earned it.
I’m owning it.

That is competitive identity.

The world sees swagger. Competitors see certainty.

And that is what I saw again with Scherzer.

Not just mechanics. Not just intensity. Not just “Mad Max” being Mad Max. I saw preparation become identity.

That shooter McGavin Motion.. on repeat during warm up, the game….

Same motion. Same rhythm. Same breathing. Same internal anchor.

That is not showmanship. That is a mental trigger built over years, a repeatable action that helps him access confidence, aggression, and flow when the stakes are highest.

Elite performers rehearse precision, emotion, and outcome until belief is no longer something they are chasing.

It is something they step into.

Can’t wait for Game 6 tonight.

The passion of excellence has pulled me right back into the game I grew up loving.