A heartfelt plea from a child might have played a small, adorable role in a star athlete's return to a beloved team! You won't believe the 'cutest thing imaginable' that emerged from a simple Christmas letter tradition.
When Max Scherzer, the renowned three-time Cy Young Award winner, recently inked a $3 million, one-year contract to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays, it wasn't just business decisions at play. His wife, Erica May-Scherzer, shared a heartwarming snapshot on Instagram: a handwritten note from their 8-year-old daughter, Brooke. This wasn't just any letter; it was a direct appeal to the Blue Jays, penned during the magical season of writing letters to Santa Claus back in December.
Scherzer himself described the note as the "cutest thing you can possibly imagine," explaining how much it meant to his daughter to be a part of the Toronto experience. "When you read that, how much it meant to her to be in Toronto," he told reporters after his deal was official. He recounted how his children were busy drafting their wish lists to Santa when Brooke approached him and his wife. With a request for a stamp, she sealed an envelope and handed it to her parents. Later that evening, after Brooke had gone to bed, her parents discovered the contents of her special delivery.
But here's where it gets truly touching: Brooke's letter to the Blue Jays read: "Dear Blue Jays, I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, the (CN) Tower and of course the stadium. I am looking forward to come back next season. Love, Max Scherzer daughter."
Scherzer humorously pointed out that he and his wife did not actually send the letter, quipping, "That’s a bad negotiating tactic."
And this is the part most people miss: Scherzer, at 41 years old, expressed a strong desire to return to Toronto. The team's near-victory in the World Series last season, where they narrowly lost in extra innings, left a significant impact. "Obviously we came as close as you possibly can to winning the whole thing - something you can never get over, forget or anything of that nature," Scherzer shared. This lingering feeling, coupled with the team's potential, was a primary motivator for his return. "That was a huge reason why I wanted to come back. This team can win. I wanted to be a part of it."
He also confirmed he's on track for the season's start, recovering well from a thumb injury that hampered him last year. Last season, Scherzer posted a 5-5 record with a 5.19 ERA in 17 regular-season starts, also contributing with wins in the AL Championship Series and making two starts in the World Series.
Navigating free agency, Scherzer acknowledged its unpredictable nature. "Free agency is a weird animal," he stated. "I’ve been through it many times. You think it’s going to go one way and it goes another way. I kind of knew not to get my hopes up, but like I said, I was going to be picky about where I went. I wasn’t just going to sign with anybody. There was only a couple of teams I’d sign with at this point in time, and obviously Toronto was one of them." His new deal with the Jays includes $10 million in potential performance bonuses tied to innings pitched.
Now, let's talk about that letter. While Scherzer laughed it off as a bad negotiating tactic, could a child's genuine desire and a family's happiness in a city genuinely influence a player's decision, even subtly? What do you think – are these personal touches more important than we realize in the world of professional sports? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
