DETROIT – Everyone knows Max Scherzer loves fantasy football.
"When you win the league twice, and you have that kind of hardware, it lets everyone know I'm better than you," Scherzer said.
Clearly, he talks a big game when it comes to taking on his Detroit Tigers teammates in fantasy football. This season, he's putting his skills on the line against fans as well. He's calling it the Scherzer's Motown Showdown. Proceeds benefit the Detroit Police Athletic League, the Detroit Zoo and the Detroit Tigers Foundation.
"It started last year in St Louis with Adam Wainright," Scherzer said. "He put a great event together there and called me and said why don't you try to start this in Detroit?"
The buy-in is $3,000 and with that fans get a spot in the league, a tour of the clubhouse and a chance to meet and play against their favorite Tigers such as Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Torii Hunter, Joba Chamberlan and Alex Avila, just to name a few.
But just because they may look up to those players on the field, these fans fully expect to be looking down on them in the fantasy standings.
"We're going to try to make sure he's in last place," said Gary Bartle, of Farmington Hills. "We want to beat everyone."
"We're not going to be intimidated, that's for sure," said Chuck VanRobays. "We're going to go right after him, try not to be star struck and stick to the game plan."
Half the battle in fantasy is coming up with a good name.
"My team name is Rich Mahogony," Charlie Licari said.
"Mine is Jank the Tank, like Frank the Tank," another participant said.
"I'm in a wheel chair and we're nice, I thought we could be the Wheelie Nice Guys," Bartle said.
The next step is drafting a solid team, which was done Friday at Comerica Park. Finally, the trash talking can commence.
After Torii Hunter drafted Tom Brady to his team, Joba Chamberlain gave him a hard time.
"Don't know if you watch football, are you drunk? What are doing?" Joba said with a smile.
"There's a lot of trash talk in the clubhouse over fantasy football, it's nice to do it as well as raise some money for charity," Scherzer said.