title: Yeezus

text: On the ARIA Albums Chart, "Yeezus" initially debuted at number two after selling 9,500 copies in three days, entering behind "The Great Country Songbook" by Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey at the summit. However, after a data error was found, a re-count of sales was done. The re-count found that "Yeezus" was actually the number one album of the week. ARIA issued an apology and the chart was fixed. The album stood as West's first chart topper in Australia. "Yeezus" reached number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming West's fifth chart-topping album in Canada. In the United Kingdom, the album experienced a chart-topping performance, with it debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and giving West his first number one on the chart since "Graduation" in 2007, as well as his fourth top ten album in the UK. The following week, "Yeezus" descended five places to number six on the UK Albums Chart. The album was ultimately certified gold in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on February 20, 2015, for sales of 100,000 units. "Yeezus" was also a chart topper in Denmark, New Zealand and Russia. The album was the ninth best-selling cassette album in the US in 2017.


title: Yeezus

text: Public reaction to "Yeezus", including its unorthodox and deliberate lack of promotion as well as its brash and aggressive sound, was mixed. "Yeezus" was noted as one of the most anticipated releases of 2013 by major publications, but the lack of a major radio single was regarded as a risky move. Regardless, radio stations have still played tracks from "Yeezus" on air, despite it being a departure from the normal playlists found on hip-hop stations. "When I listen to radio, that ain't where I wanna be no more", stated West at his headlining June 9, 2013 Governor's Ball performance, where he unveiled several tracks from the record for the first time. "Rolling Stone" summarized the audience's response: "Half the crowd cheered, half almost audibly rolled their eyes". West's June 11 interview with Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" was similarly viewed with a mixed reaction, with many outlets mocking West's seemingly vain statements. In the article, West compares himself to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and refers to himself as "the nucleus of all society".


title: Yeezus

text: Within four days prior to the release, "Yeezus" was leaked online. "The New York Times" wrote that the leak "stirred up a Twitter frenzy" and received widespread media coverage. "The Washington Post" commented on the significance of the leak: "Kanye West’s new album didn’t leak online over the weekend. It gushed out into the pop ecosystem like a million barrels of renegade crude — ominous, mesmerizing and of great consequence". Critics were very kind to "Yeezus" regarding critical reviews, but others viewed the release as "musical and commercial suicide", and "fans live-blogged their own befuddlement on Twitter and Facebook". "The New Yorker"s Sasha Frere-Jones suggests that "Yeezus" may be preferred over any of West's previous works in coming decades by a new generation due to the "lean vibrancy" of the album. "One of the most fascinating aspects of "Yeezus"' arrival is the discursive crisis it's caused, produced by a fast-react culture colliding with a work of art so confounding", wrote "The Atlantic" columnist Jack Hamilton.


title: Yeezus

text: West was criticized by the UK and US Parkinson's disease Associations for controversial lyrics in lead-song "On Sight". Oasis lead member Liam Gallagher criticized "Yeezus" over its title, saying of West: "He's a fucking idiot. You'll never see Jesus banging his head". American rapper Hopsin dissed West over the album within the lyrics of his single "Hop Is Back" in October 2013, while the music video included Hopsin reenacting one of West's numerous encounters with the paparazzi. That same month, Hopsin went on to explain the diss, admitting that he is a fan of West who likes a lot of his older music and viewing "Yeezus" as West "on some straight up [bullshit]".


title: Yeezus

text: Jay-Z described "Yeezus" as "polarizing", though claimed "that's what great art is" and that West "pushes the genre forward" with his experimentation. Expressing his thoughts on the mixed reception of the album in October 2013, fellow rapper Lupe Fiasco viewed himself as not facing the same difficult struggle. Lupe Fiasco continued, assuring that his then-upcoming studio album "Tetsuo & Youth" (2015) wouldn't be as open for interpretation as "Yeezus". In February 2014, English singer Lily Allen announced that she would title her third studio album "Sheezus". In an interview with Australian radio station Nova, Allen stated that she is terrified that West would think it's "a diss rather than a tribute". She said that she thinks West is brilliant and praised him for speaking his mind all the time. That same month, Jack White, a vocal advocate of analog recording, remarked that "Yeezus" "is obviously recorded on Pro Tools but sounds unbelievable, because it is very simple and there aren't a lot of components going on, and this really allows the songs to shine. Plus he mixed using analogue components". West went on to make the claim in October 2015 that despite many people rating "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" as his best album, "Yeezus" is "so much stronger" in comparison.


title: Yeezus

text: In 2013, "Yeezus" was voted as both the year's "Most Overrated Album" and "Most Underrated Album" by "Pitchfork" readers.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: Kung Fu is an American martial arts action-adventure television series that premiered on The CW on April 7, 2021. Set in the present, it is an adaptation of the 1970s series of the same title. It is produced by Warner Bros. Television, as was the original series and "". Executive producers include Christina M. Kim (developer of The CW series), Ed Spielman (creator of the original series), Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero, Robert Berens, and Sarah Schechter. It is one of a few American network dramas to feature a predominantly Asian American cast, including veteran actor Tzi Ma. In May 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on March 9, 2022. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on October 5, 2022.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: Set in the present day, the series follows a young Chinese American woman whose personal issues force her to leave college and make a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. Upon her return to America three years later, she starts using her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community when her hometown of San Francisco is plagued by ongoing crime and corruption, especially those being threatened by the Triad, all while dealing with her estranged family and searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: This version is a re-imagining, rather than a reboot, of the 1972 television series starring David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, the fugitive monk traveling the American Old West.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: In September 2017, it was reported that Greg Berlanti and Wendy Mericle were developing a female-led reboot of the series for Fox. In October 2018, it was announced that "Sleepy Hollow" executive producer Albert Kim was redeveloping the series and that Fox had given the project a put pilot commitment. In November 2019, it was announced that the reboot had moved to The CWwhich is home to the majority of the Arrowverse shows, all of which are produced by Berlantiand would be written by Christina M. Kim and Martin Gero. The series received a pilot order by the network. It was announced on May 12, 2020, that The CW had given "Kung Fu" a series order; a poster featuring Liang and social media accounts was set up the same day.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: This is the third attempt of a "Kung Fu" reboot. According to PrimeTimer, "two different incarnations of this project have been set up in recent years at Fox, both featuring a female protagonist. Mega producers Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television were behind both projects, but neither went to pilot."


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: The first reboot attempt had a main character named Lucy Chang, a Buddhist monk and kung fu master who traveled through America in the 1950s in search of the man who stole her child years before. The second reboot attempt was about a young Chinese-American woman who inherits her father's kung fu studio, only to find out it's a secret center dedicated to helping members of the Chinatown community who have nowhere else to turn. On May 3, 2021, The CW renewed the series for a second season. On March 22, 2022, The CW renewed the series for a third season.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: In January and February 2020, Deadline reported the casting of the reboot with Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan as Jin Shen and Mei-Li, Jon Prasida as Ryan Shen, Shannon Dang as Althea Shen, Eddie Liu as Henry Yan, and Olivia Liang as the character Nicky. In March 2020, Gavin Stenhouse and Gwendoline Yeo were cast as Evan Hartley and Zhilan. Tony Chung was cast as Dennis Soong on October 6, 2020. On November 18, 2020, Yvonne Chapman was cast as Zhilan in a recurring capacity. In February 2021, Ludi Lin and Bradley Gibson were cast as Kerwin and Joe Harper in recurring roles. On August 26, 2021, Chapman was promoted to series regular for the second season. On January 6, 2022, Vanessa Yao, Annie Q. and JB Tadena joined the cast in recurring roles for the second season. On July 7, 2022, it was announced that Chapman is set to return as series regular while Tadena was promoted to a series regular for the third season. On July 27, 2022, Ben Levin and Kim Rhodes were cast in recurring capacities for the third season.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: The main actress Olivia Liang mentioned she avoided martial arts prior to this role due to stereotypes and would only learn when she got paid. She later embraced the sport after being cast and supported bringing depth to Asian characters with a martial arts background.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: Principal photography for the first season began on October 16, 2020 and concluded on April 27, 2021, in Langley, British Columbia. Filming for the second season began on September 20, 2021 and concluded on March 15, 2022. Filming for the third season began on July 18, 2022 and is scheduled to conclude on December 19, 2022.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: "Kung Fu" premiered on April 7, 2021, on The CW. In Canada, the series airs on CTV 2, simulcast with The CW. The second season premiered on March 9, 2022. The third season premiered on October 5, 2022.


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 86% based on 21 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critic consensus states, ""Kung Fu" early episodes could use a little more focus, but beautifully choreographed fight scenes and a likable cast—led by Olivia Liang's star-making performance—inspire hope for a bright future." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100 based on 10 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Kung Fu (2021 TV series)

text: Sam Stone of "Comic Book Resources" reviewed the series and stated that "nuances of each character relationship are explicitly laid out in conversation rather than hinted at or more organically woven into the show as if the characters aren't aware of their own backstories." While the fight choreography was well received, it relied on too much slow motion. CBR saw potential in the show with the cast as long it could overcome "bad habits" as the show progresses. Jennifer Griffin of TV Pulse Magazine was more critical and also agreed that there was too much exposition in the first episode. It relied on the predictable formulaic superhero format that Greg Berlanti has incorporated in previous CW shows. While having a mainly Asian-American cast was praised, the review goes on to say "Like America herself, the series needs to show its characters a little more love, and demonstrate a determination to look beyond formula, cliches, and stereotypes for that which truly connects us, as TV viewers, as superhero fans, but mostly as human beings." Robert Lloyd of "LA Times" wrote that the pilot was very busy with a messy exposition, which also reinforced Asian stereotypes. Max Gao of "Vulture" rated the first episode 4 out of 5 and said, "It wouldn't be a CW show without a classic love triangle—and "Kung Fu" has set up a brilliant one."


title: GameStop

text: GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,573 stores including 3,018 in the United States, 231 in Canada, 417 in Australia and 907 in Europe under the GameStop, EB Games, EB Games Australia, Micromania-Zing, ThinkGeek and Zing Pop Culture brands. The company was founded in Dallas in 1984 as Babbage's, and took on its current name in 1999.


title: GameStop

text: The company's performance declined during the mid-to-late 2010s due to the shift of video game sales to online shopping and failed investments by GameStop in smartphone retail. In 2021, the company's stock price skyrocketed due to a short squeeze orchestrated by users of the Internet forum r/wallstreetbets. The company received significant media attention during January and February 2021 due to the volatility of its stock price and the GameStop short squeeze. The company is now ranked 521st on the Fortune 500. In addition to retail stores, GameStop owns and publishes "Game Informer", a video game magazine.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop traces its roots to Babbage's, a Dallas, Texas-based software retailer founded in 1984 by former Harvard Business School classmates James McCurry and Gary M. Kusin. The company was named after Charles Babbage and opened its first store in Dallas's NorthPark Center with the help of Ross Perot, an early investor in the company. The company quickly began to focus on video game sales for the then-dominant Atari 2600. Babbage's began selling Nintendo games in 1987. Babbage's became a public company via an initial public offering in 1988. By 1991, video games accounted for two-thirds of Babbage's sales.


title: GameStop

text: Babbage's merged with Software Etc., an Edina, Minnesota-based retailer that specialized in personal computing software, to create NeoStar Retail Group in 1994. The merger was structured as a stock swap, where shareholders of Babbage's and Software Etc. received shares of NeoStar, a newly formed holding company. Babbage's and Software Etc. continued to operate as independent subsidiaries of NeoStar and retained their respective senior management teams. Babbage's founder and chairman James McCurry became chairman of NeoStar, while Babbage's president Gary Kusin and Software Etc. President Daniel DeMatteo retained their respective titles. Software Etc. chairman Leonard Riggio became chairman of NeoStar's executive committee.


title: GameStop

text: Gary Kusin resigned as president of Babbage's in February 1995 to start a cosmetics company. Daniel DeMatteo, formerly president of Software Etc., assumed Kusin's duties and was promoted to president and chief operating officer of NeoStar. NeoStar chairman James McCurry was also appointed to the newly created position of NeoStar CEO. The company relocated from its headquarters in Dallas to Grapevine later that year.


title: GameStop

text: NeoStar merged its Babbage's and Software Etc. units into a single organization in May 1996 amid declining sales. Company president Daniel DeMatteo also resigned, and NeoStar chairman and CEO James McCurry assumed the title of president. In September of that year, after NeoStar was unable to secure the credit necessary to purchase inventory necessary for the holiday season, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and appointed Thomas G. Plaskett chairman while James McCurry remained company chief executive and president.


title: GameStop

text: The leadership changes were not enough and in November 1996 the assets of NeoStar were purchased for $58.5 million by Leonard Riggio, a founder of Software Etc. and chairman and principal stockholder of Barnes & Noble. Electronics Boutique had also bid to purchase NeoStar, but the judge presiding over NeoStar's bankruptcy accepted Riggio's bid because it kept open 108 stores more than Electronics Boutique's bid would have. Approximately 200 retail stores were not included in the transaction and were subsequently closed.


title: GameStop

text: Following his purchase of NeoStar's assets, Leonard Riggio dissolved the holding company and created a new holding company named Babbage's Etc. He appointed Richard "Dick" Fontaine, previously Software Etc.'s chief executive during its expansion in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as Babbage Etc.'s chief executive. Daniel DeMatteo, previously the president of both Software Etc. and NeoStar, became company president and COO. Three years later, in 1999, Babbage's Etc. launched its GameStop brand with 30 stores in strip malls. The company also launched gamestop.com, a website that allowed consumers to purchase video games online. GameStop.com was promoted in Babbage's and Software Etc. stores.


title: GameStop

text: In October 1999, Barnes & Noble Booksellers purchased Babbage's Etc. for $215 million. Because Babbage's Etc. was principally owned by Leonard Riggio, who was also Barnes & Noble's chairman and principal shareholder, a special committee of independent directors of Barnes & Noble Booksellers evaluated and signed off on the deal. A few months later, in May 2000, Barnes & Noble acquired Funco, the owner of Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based video game retailer FuncoLand, for $160 million. Babbage's Etc., which had been previously operating as a direct subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Funco. With its acquisition of Funco, Barnes & Noble also acquired Game Informer, a video game magazine that was first published in 1991. Funco was renamed GameStop, Inc. in December 2000 in anticipation of holding an initial public offering for the company.


title: GameStop

text: In February 2002, the company once again became a public company via an initial public offering. Barnes & Noble retained control over the newly public company with 67% of outstanding shares and 95% of voting shares. Barnes & Noble retained control over GameStop until October 2004, when it distributed its 59% stake in GameStop to stakeholders of Barnes & Noble, making it an independent company.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop founded MovieStop in 2004 as a standalone store that focused on new and used movies. More than 42 locations were opened, which typically adjoined or were adjacent to GameStop locations. GameStop spun off MovieStop to private owners in 2012. In November 2014, Draw Another Circle LLC, a company controlled by merchandising executive Joel Weinshanker that also owns Hastings Entertainment, purchased MovieStop. The chain shuttered in 2016.


title: GameStop

text: In October 2012 at Grapevine Mills in Dallas, GameStop introduced GameStop Kids, a pop-up retail concept. The brand, which had 80 locations in shopping malls during the Christmas and holiday season, focused on children's products, and carried only games rated "Everyone" by the ESRB, along with merchandise of popular franchises aimed towards the demographic.


title: GameStop

text: In July 2014, GameStop's Australian Division EB Games Australia introduced ZiNG Pop Culturea pop culture retailer. ZiNG Pop Culture has since expanded to over 50 standalone stores as well as numerous large format hybrid stores, which include both an EB Games and Zing Pop Culture store in a single location with an expanded selection of games merchandise.


title: GameStop

text: Daniel DeMatteo replaced Richard Fontaine as GameStop CEO in August 2008. DeMatteo had served as company COO since 1996. Fontaine, who had been GameStop chairman and CEO since 1996, remained the company's chairman. J. Paul Raines, formerly executive vice president of Home Depot, became company COO in September. J. Paul Raines became GameStop CEO in June 2010. He replaced Daniel DeMatteo who was named executive chairman of the company. Under his leadership, in 2012, GameStop's digital revenue grew from $190 million in 2011 to more than $600 million in 2012.


title: GameStop

text: The market for physical game media has been in a state of decline due to downloadable games on services such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop, and Steam. This has resulted in a decline in sales at GameStop. In 2017, GameStop reported a 16.4% drop in sales for the 2016 holiday season, but expressed optimism in its non-physical gaming businesses.


title: GameStop

text: In February 2017, it was revealed that GameStop enforced, on all of its retail employees, a program known as Circle of Life. The policy itself was made to ensure that each employee would allow a certain percentage of their sales to pre-orders, rewards cards, used games, or have a customer trade in a game. Upon revelation of the policy, many current and former GameStop employees revealed stories of how the policy has led to them lying to customers. Many more claimed that the policy had led to poor working conditions and emotional distress. Later that month, GameStop reformed the program to solely focus on the store as a whole instead of the previous individual employee basis, though still maintaining a heavy emphasis on the individuals' performance to maintain strong store metrics.


title: GameStop

text: Shares of GameStop stock fell 16% in 2016. On February 28, 2017, shares dropped an additional 8% following Microsoft's announcement of its Xbox Game Pass service. Following these reports, GameStop announced it would close over 150 stores in 2017 and expand its non-gaming business. On the same day, however, GameStop said it planned to open 65 new Technology Brand stores and 35 Collectibles stores due to a 44% and 28% increase in sales, respectively. GameStop's total revenue fell 7.6% to $3.06 billion in the quarter ended February 2, 2018.


title: GameStop

text: "Business Insider" described GameStop's investment in Spring Mobile as a failure, with estimates that the company spent $1.5 billion on acquisitions on Spring Mobile and store locations, but only gained $700 million from the sale of Spring Mobile to Prime Communications in 2018, leaving them $800 million in debt.


title: GameStop

text: In late June 2018, GameStop confirmed talks of a possible sale, with Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, the most likely buyer, with a target deal expected by February 2019. However, on January 29, 2019, GameStop reported it had stopped looking for a buyer for the company, due to a "lack of available financing on terms that would be commercially acceptable to a prospective acquirer", and was looking for other actions to help re-establish its financial ground. Shares dropped 27% to a 14-year low immediately following this announcement.


title: GameStop

text: The financial results for 2018 showed the biggest loss in GameStop company history. For the 52-week period ending on February 2, 2019, GameStop reported a record-breaking net loss of $673 million. This was a change from the net profit of $34.7 million in the previous year. The net sales for fiscal year 2018 were down 3% year-on-year to $8.29 billion. The company also eliminated its dividend.


title: GameStop

text: In December 2021, GameStop posted a larger-than-expected loss in the fiscal third quarter, and investors are waiting to hear how the ailing company plans to restructure its operations and entice gamers back. In extended trade, shares plummeted.


title: GameStop

text: After being on medical leave since November 2017 due to reoccurrence of a brain tumor, J. Paul Raines resigned from GameStop on January 31, 2018, and died on March 4, 2018. DeMatteo, GameStop's executive chairman stepped in as interim chief executive officer. On February 6, 2018, the company announced Michael K. Mauler as CEO and member of the board of directors. On May 11, 2018, Mauler resigned due to "personal reasons" and chairman Dan DeMatteo was named interim CEO. Mauler did not take any severance package or separation benefits. On May 31, 2018, GameStop named Shane Kim as interim CEO. Kim was replaced by George Sherman in March 2019. On March 12, 2020, it was announced that a group of shareholders including Hestia Capital Partners LP and Permit Capital Enterprise Fund LP sent a "threat" letter to the Grapevine, Texas, company's board, urging it to appoint a stockholder representative as a director.


title: GameStop

text: All GameStop stores in Puerto Rico were shut at the end of March 2016, citing increased rates of government taxes.


title: GameStop

text: In July 2019, GameStop partnered with an outside design firm, R/GA, to put forth plans to revamp stores to focus on competitive gaming and retrogaming, and to introduce new ways for customers to try games before buying them. Each concept store is expected to be mutually exclusive.


title: GameStop

text: A leaked email revealed on July 31, 2019, indicated that 50 employees, including district and regional managers, would be laid off as a result of reorganization efforts. In August 2019, GameStop laid off over 120 people, including about half of the staff of "Game Informer", as part of its "GameStop Reboot initiative".


title: GameStop

text: In August 2019, Michael Burry's investment firm Scion Asset Management sent a letter to GameStop executives urging the company to engage in a $238 million stock buyback. The letter also revealed that Scion owned approximately 2,750,000 shares, or about 3.05% of GameStop. The stock price of GameStop, which had been in steady decline in share price since late January 2019, spiked roughly 20% after Burry revealed that he was buying the stock in an interview with "Barron's". In the interview, Burry explained that both Sony and Microsoft would enter the next console generation with a physical disc drive and therefore likely extend the longevity of GameStop. He also noted that the company's balance sheet was in good condition. In December 2019, GameStop announced that it spent $178.6 million to buy 34.6 million shares, or 34% of the shares outstanding, at an average price of $5.14 per share. In May 2020, Burry lowered his stake in GameStop.


title: GameStop

text: After reporting that it had missed analysts' expectations during the 2nd quarter of the fiscal year 2019 ending August 2019, as reported in September 2019, GameStop announced that it was planning to close about 180–200 underperforming stores of the 5,700 it had worldwide in the short term, along with developing metrics to evaluate other potential closures over the next two years. In March 2020, four members of GameStop's Board of Directors - Dan DeMatteo, Gerald Szczepanski, Larry Zilavy, and Steve Koonin - stepped down and were replaced by Reggie Fils-Aimé, Bill Simon and J.K. Symancyk as part of the company's effort to turn around the business.


title: GameStop

text: On October 8, 2020, GameStop announced an agreement with Microsoft to migrate backend systems to Microsoft 365 platforms including Dynamics 365, also including in-store usage of Microsoft Surface products by employees. It was later reported that this agreement would also include revenue sharing on all digital game purchases for Xbox Series X and S for each product sold by the retailer, although the exact percentage of this share was not disclosed.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop's Australian division has been focused on increasing higher-margin merchandise and opening more large format hybrid stores which include both an EB Games and Zing Pop Culture store in a single location. These locations have an expanded selection of merchandise based on both games and pop culture. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the diversification into merchandise through the establishment of the Zing Pop Culture brand in 2014 had been vital in keeping the company profitable. The newspaper reported the greater focus on merchandise allowed the company to tap into the lucrative, higher-margin merchandise market of t-shirts, figurines and bobbleheads. The newspaper noted former staff agreed that the Australian divisions’ merchandise pivot has been key to the divisions survival in Australia’s tough retail landscape. However, they also pointed to the pre-owned games segment as a major part of its success. GameStop's Australian division has been the only profitable segment of the global GameStop business for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 fiscal years. The company reported profits of US$9.4 million, US$52.2 million and US$30.6 million for each fiscal year respectively.


title: GameStop

text: Government efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 required GameStop to close the physical operation of all of its 3,500 stores from roughly March to May 2020, though not without some controversy in the early stages. Throughout this time, it continued with online and curbside sales. Sherman and the board of directors took a 50% pay cut while other executives took a 30% cut to offset losses. While digital sales grew by 519%, its retail dropped by more than 30% in the same period from the prior year, and the chain reported a loss in contrast to a for the same quarter in 2019. However, with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 still planned for release in the latter part of 2020, Sherman expected to be able to recover from these losses.


title: GameStop

text: In mid-March 2020, GameStop faced criticism for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, with employees and social media users accusing the company of placing its business ahead of the safety of its staff and customers, in order to capitalize on an influx of video game purchases and related products for entertainment during the pandemic and related lockdowns. GameStop stated that it would suspend in-store events (including midnight launches) and the use of demo stations, perform additional cleaning, and structure lines and limit store capacity to enforce physical distancing. To prevent enlarged crowds for two high-profile video game releases on March 20 — "" and "Doom Eternal", GameStop announced that it would begin selling "Doom Eternal" in its stores a day ahead of its official release date.


title: GameStop

text: "Polygon" reported on March 17 that several stores in the San Francisco area had remained open, seemingly in violation of a stay-at-home order issued by Bay Area counties that restricts non-essential business. Several employees told "Polygon" and "Vice" that they did not receive additional cleaning supplies that were to be provided by corporate, requiring them to purchase them on their own and request reimbursement.


title: GameStop

text: A memo obtained by "Kotaku" on March 19 indicated that GameStop saw itself as an essential business because some of its technology products are relevant to enhancing remote work, required in many cases during the pandemic. GameStop reiterated the safety measures that it had put in place, and also announced that it would reduce store hours and suspend all trade-ins until at least March 29, 2020, and offer curbside pickup. An employee of a GameStop store in Athens, Georgia (which was shut down on March 20 by order of the police to comply with a similar order in Athens-Clark County) disputed the argument, saying that the high-end, gaming-oriented peripherals (such as keyboards and mice) sold at GameStop were not necessarily essential for remote work, and that cheaper alternatives were readily available at stores allowed to remain open, such as Walmart.


title: GameStop

text: California had announced a state-wide stay-at-home order on March 19; while GameStop had originally stated to its stores it was an essential retail business, by March 20 GameStop instead decided to close down its California branches, while keeping most other nationwide stores open. Following similar stay-at-home orders in New York and Illinois over the following days, GameStop announced that it would close all locations effective March 22, with selected locations continuing to offer contact-free curbside pickup (where an employee, wearing either gloves or a bag over their hands, would slip the customer's order through the front door, remaining behind the glass) and home delivery. In early April 2020, a location in Dorchester, Boston received a nuisance citation by local police, who deemed the curbside pickup a violation of the Massachusetts stay-at-home order. GameStop subsequently ceased offering curbside pickup in the state.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop's Canadian subsidiary EB Games faced similar criticism on March 20 as well, as morning lineups for the new "Animal Crossing" and "Doom" games at a Toronto location induced large public gatherings discouraged by officials. The city's public health chief Eileen de Villa stated that the gathering did not "line up with what we expect from those in our community who are interested in protecting and strengthening our community". Mayor John Tory accused the company of "plac[ing] commerce above the public interest", while Premier of Ontario Doug Ford stated that "everyone in this province has a responsibility to make sure we protect each other and I am very, very disappointed in the store owner that would do this". EB Games later announced that it would close all Canadian stores on March 21.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop's Australian subsidiary EB Games Australia was the only arm of the global GameStop business not to report huge COVID-related losses, with sales instead soaring by 30 per cent. In Australia COVID-19 lockdowns were managed by the Australian Federal Government National Cabinet which largely permitted retail stores to remain open with capacity limits in place. This meant, unlike other arms of the GameStop business, the Australian arms stores remained open for the substantial majority of the pandemic. National Cabinet only mandated some brief regionally targeted entire store closures with stores in the Australian state of Victoria being the most heavily impacted. For fiscal year 2020 the Australian arm reported net sales of US$625.3 million and operating earnings of US$52.2 million. This was an increase of US$42.8 million in operating earnings compared to the pre-pandemic Fiscal Year 2019 where the company posted net sales of US$525.4 million and operating earnings of US$9.4 million.


title: GameStop

text: In January 2021, a short squeeze resulted in a 1,500% increase in GameStop's share price over the course of two weeks, reaching an all-time intraday high of US$483.00 , on the New York Stock Exchange. This effect was mainly attributed to a coordinated effort by the Reddit community r/wallstreetbets, a subreddit dedicated to stocks with high market risk. A surge in the stock price in extended-hours trading occurred after Elon Musk made a post on Twitter that included "Gamestonk!" (in reference to r/wallstreetbets) and a link to the community. Matt Levine has compared the situation to the 2012 "short squeeze" that the SEC charged Philip Falcone with.


title: GameStop

text: In February 2021, GameStop announced that its finance chief Jim Bell, appointed in June 2019, would leave the company on March 26, 2021. Though no official reason was given for Bell's departure, the company said that it did not have to do with a disagreement with the company or its operations.


title: GameStop

text: In April 2021, George Sherman announced that he will step down as CEO of GameStop by July 31, 2021. Also in April 2021, Ryan Cohen, founder of Chewy and a large GameStop shareholder, was named chairman, effective in June 2021. On June 9, 2021, GameStop appointed former Amazon executives Matt Furlong and Mike Recupero as CEO and CFO respectively. Furlong took over the position of CEO from Sherman on June 21, 2021.


title: GameStop

text: In July 2022, it was announced that Mike Recupero was fired as CFO. He was replaced by Diana Saadeh-Jajeh, who was the company's chief accounting officer.


title: GameStop

text: On May 26, 2021, GameStop announced that it was working on a non-fungible token (NFT) platform creating a token that is based on blockchain Ethereum technology. "Business Insider" reported that "GameStop is building an NFT platform as part of an ambitious plan to transform itself into the Amazon of gaming."


title: GameStop

text: The Beta version of the platform launched on July 11, 2022. The marketplace is curated, with a vetting process in place for artists; in July 2022 GameStop removed an NFT associated with artwork which referenced the photo "The Falling Man" and removed the ability for the creator's account to mint new NFTs on its platform. In another case, a user sold hundreds of NFTs associated with HTML5 games they did not have a license for. GameStop removed their minting ability and the listings for the NFTs on their marketplace, although the NFTs themselves remain on the blockchain, the games themselves on Gamestop's servers, and can be sold on other marketplaces.


title: GameStop

text: Atrix (formerly @play) is GameStop, Incs. in-house store brand. GameStop sells gaming accessories, Headsets, Mice and Keyboards under the Atrix brand.


title: GameStop

text: "Game Informer" is a magazine owned by GameStop, Inc. and primarily sold through subscriptions which can be purchased at GameStop locations. A subscription to the magazine is included for members of GameStop's PowerUp Rewards Pro loyalty program.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop provides its customers either cash or trade credit in exchange for customers' unwanted video games, accessories, and tech. The used video game trade-ins have twice the gross margins of new video game sales. Some video game developers and publishers have criticized GameStop for its practices, as they receive no share of the revenue from the sale of used games. GameStop responded to these criticisms in 2009 by stating that 70% of store credit generated by game trade ins was used to purchase new rather than used games, generating close to $2 billion in annual revenue.


title: GameStop

text: GameStop TV is the in-store television network run internally by GameStop, with non-endemic sales in partnership with Playwire Media. GameStop TV features programming targeted to consumers shopping in GameStop stores. Each month brings content segments about upcoming video game releases, exclusive developer interviews, and product demonstrations.


title: GameStop

text: Game publishers obtain more pre-orders by including exclusive in-game or physical bonuses, available only if the player pre-ordered the game. Bonuses typically include extras such as exclusive characters, weapons, and maps. For example, GameStop included an additional avatar costume for "" when it was released in November 2010, and a pictorial Art-Folio for "". Soundtracks, artbooks, plushies, figurines, posters, and T-shirts have also been special bonuses.


title: GameStop

text: In January 2016, GameStop announced a partnership with Insomniac Games with its 2016 title "Song of the Deep". GameStop executive Mark Stanley said the concept was to help the chain have more direct communication with players, and would expect to expand out to other similar distribution deals with other developers if this one succeeds. In April 2016, GameStop created the GameTrust Games publishing division to serve as a publisher for mid-sized developers. In April 2016, GameTrust Games announced it was working with Ready At Dawn, Tequila Works, and Frozenbyte to prepare more titles.


title: GameStop

text: , the company operated 4,573 stores including 3,018 in the United States Division, 231 in the Canada Division, 417 in the Australia Division and 907 in the Europe Division.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired a majority interest in Gamesworld Group Limited (“Gamesworld”), an Ireland-based video game retailer operating 10 stores expanding GameStop's operations into Ireland.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. ("EB Games"), a United States-based video games retailer operating approximately 2,300 stores expanding GameStop's operations in/into Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired Game Brands Inc. ("Rhino Video Games"), a United States-based video game retailer operating 72 stores and expanding GameStop's United States operations


title: GameStop

text: Acquired The Gamesman Limited ("The Gamesman"), a New Zealand-based video game retailer operating 8 video game stores expanding GameStop's operations in New Zealand.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired SFMI Micromania ("Micromania"), a France-based video game retailer operating 332 video game stores expanding GameStop's operations into France.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired Free Record Shop Norway AS ("Free Record Shop"), a Norway-based record store retailer operating 49 stores. GameStop converted these record stores into video game stores.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired Spring Communications, Inc. (“Spring Mobile”), a United States-based Apple wireless retailer.


title: GameStop

text: Acquired Geeknet, Inc. ("ThinkGeek"), a United States-based online and wholesale Pop Culture retailer.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. A right-handed starting pitcher, Scherzer is an eight-time MLB All-Star, has won three Cy Young Awards, has pitched two no-hitters, and won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019. Known for his intensity and competitiveness during play, he is nicknamed "Mad Max" after the fictional character of the same name.


title: Max Scherzer

text: The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Scherzer with the 11th overall pick of the 2006 amateur draft. He made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2008. In December 2009, Scherzer was traded to the Detroit Tigers. During his five-year tenure in Detroit, Scherzer made the American League All-Star Team twice and won the 2013 American League Cy Young Award. Scherzer also helped the Tigers win four consecutive American League Central titles from 2011 to 2014.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Before the 2015 season, Scherzer agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals. At the time of its signing, the contract was one of the largest in sports history. In 2015, Scherzer became the sixth pitcher in Major League history to record multiple no-hitters in a single season. On May 11, 2016, he tied the major league nine-inning single-game strikeout record with 20, making him the second player to achieve both a no-hitter and 20 strikeouts over nine innings; in the same game, he became the youngest-ever pitcher to have defeated all 30 MLB teams during his career. Scherzer won the NL Cy Young Award in 2016 and 2017 and made the National League All-Star Team five times with the Nationals. In the 2019 World Series, Scherzer earned a win in Game One and also started the deciding Game Seven, which the Nationals also won (Scherzer received a no-decision). The 2019 World Series championship was the first in the history of the Nationals franchise.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer is the fifth pitcher to start an All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues. He is a four-time wins leader and a winner of three strikeout titles. One of the most consistent hurlers of his era, he made at least 30 starts each season from 2009 to 2018 and struck out at least 230 batters in each season from 2012 to 2019. In 2017, he became the third-fastest hurler to record 2,000 career strikeouts and the fourth to strike out 250 or more in four consecutive seasons. Scherzer recorded more wins (161) and strikeouts (2,452) than any pitcher in the 2010s. He logged his 3,000th strikeout on September 12, 2021. He currently holds the record for the highest average annual value baseball contract ever, earning over $43 million per season.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was born and raised in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri, the son of Jan (Shirck) and Brad Scherzer, and grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan. He attended and played baseball, football, and basketball at Parkway Central High School in his hometown. Whatever he lacked in raw talent, he made up for with the fiercely competitive nature that would distinguish his athletic career. One of his high school coaching influences was basketball coach Rick Kirby, who stressed fundamentals and was defense-oriented. Marty Maier, then the Cardinals' scouting director, selected him in the 43rd round (1,291st overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. However, he did not sign, and instead attended the University of Missouri in Columbia.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Early in his time at Missouri, Scherzer exerted so much effort in his windup that his head whip constantly caused his cap to fall off. One of Scherzer's coaches at Missouri, Tony Vitello, had helped to recruit him, and eventually persuaded him to pitch with more balance and control, and to stop leaping at hitters, which frequently caused him to miss up and in to right-handed batters. He did not pitch the final 50 days of his freshman season, choosing instead focusing on working out and doing long toss, while gaining velocity in the process. Vitello and head coach Tim Jamieson trained him in a drill to balance on his back leg with more coordination and not to fall over his front foot. Scherzer modified his delivery and worked constantly over the following winter, leading to a 1.86 earned run average (ERA) and 131 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched over 16 games during his sophomore season. In 2005, he won the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Award.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On January 9, 2012, it was announced that Scherzer would be one of six new inductees to the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Following his freshman year at the University of Missouri, in 2004, Scherzer made his debut with the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League (NWL), a collegiate summer baseball league. He went 2–1 that summer with a 1.91 ERA with six saves. He also struck out 50 batters in only 33 innings pitched. He was named a mid-season All-Star.


title: Max Scherzer

text: The Arizona Diamondbacks chose Scherzer in the first round with the 11th overall pick of the 2006 MLB draft, making him Mizzou's first-ever MLB first-round draft pick.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Mike Rizzo, the Diamondbacks' scouting director, marveled that Scherzer attacked hitters with a relentlessness that he had never seen. Seven pitchers were selected ahead of him, including Luke Hochevar (first overall pick), Brandon Morrow, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum. Scouting reports criticized Scherzer for too violent of delivery, but Rizzo and other Arizona scouts decided that "the combination of his arm action and his pitching IQ and his attack mode ... we were calling him 'Mad Max' in the draft room. He came at you. He looked angry. He looked mad."


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer and his agent, Scott Boras, at first failed to reach an agreement with the club. Thus, Scherzer began his professional baseball career with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association. After appearing in three games, he signed a four-year, $4.3 million contract with the Diamondbacks.


title: Max Scherzer

text: He began playing in the Diamondbacks organization in 2007 with the Single-A Visalia Oaks. He was promoted to Double-A Mobile BayBears after three impressive starts for the Oaks. During the 2008 offseason, he was named the fourth-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization. After a good start to the 2008 season in Triple-A Tucson he was called up to the Diamondbacks on April 27, 2008.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On April 29, 2008, Scherzer made his MLB debut against the Houston Astros when he came on in relief and struck out the first batter he faced, Jack Cassel. He threw 4 perfect innings while striking out seven. While doing so he set the record for the number of consecutive batters retired (13) for a pitcher making his MLB debut as a reliever. The previous record was 12 set in 1962 by the Los Angeles Dodgers' Pete Richert. The seven strikeouts were one short of the MLB record for most in a debut relief appearance. The Pittsburgh Pirates' Barry Jones had eight on April 20, 1986. On April 30, 2008, the Diamondbacks announced he would be placed into the starting rotation, due to his impressive debut. In his first appearance as a starter for the D-Backs, Scherzer allowed five runs (two earned) in four innings, while striking out five, taking the first loss of his major league career. He returned to the bullpen for much of the 2008 season. For the season, he was 0–4 with a 3.05 ERA in 16 games (seven starts) and struck out 66 batters in 56 innings.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer became a full-time starter in 2009, filling the fifth starter role in the starting rotation. He recorded his first major league victory in a 12–0 win over the Atlanta Braves on May 16, 2009. On May 26, Scherzer recorded the second win of his career. He finished the 2009 season with 30 starts, a 9–11 record, 4.12 ERA, and 174 strikeouts in innings pitched.


title: Max Scherzer

text: After the 2009 season, Scherzer worked out in Fort Collins, Colorado, with the Colorado State University baseball team.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On December 9, 2009, Arizona traded Scherzer along with Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke, and Austin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers as part of a three-team agreement that sent Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks and Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees.


title: Max Scherzer

text: In Detroit, Scherzer grew from a hard thrower with control issues into an ace, teaming with fellow right-hander and future Cy Young Award-winner Justin Verlander to front the Tigers' starting rotation for five seasons. A third-place finish in 2010 left them out of the playoffs, but was followed by four consecutive AL Central division championships. This run culminated in winning the 2012 American League (AL) pennant, only to fall to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Detroit optioned Scherzer to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens on May 16, replacing him with Armando Galarraga. Shortly thereafter, Scherzer was recalled to the major leagues for good, going 6–4 in twelve starts with an ERA of 2.62 and 85 strikeouts in 75 innings.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On May 30 versus the Oakland Athletics, Scherzer accumulated 14 strikeouts in innings pitched. It was the fourth time in his career that he had 10 or more strikeouts in a single game. He allowed two hits, four walks, and hit a batter on his last pitch. That mark was tied for the most strikeouts in Comerica Park history with Jeremy Bonderman, and tied for second in franchise history behind Mickey Lolich, who had 16 strikeouts in one game. On July 26, Scherzer and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza dueled for a no-hitter into the sixth inning. After hitless innings, Scherzer lost the no-hit bid, shutout, and game after serving up a grand slam to Matt Joyce. Meanwhile, Garza opportunely secured the no-hitter in a 5–0 Tampa win. Scherzer struck out eight.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 1 against the Minnesota Twins, Scherzer pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career. He gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out nine on 107 pitches, though he received a no-decision as the Tigers lost the game in the tenth inning.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer finished the 2010 season with a 12–11 record, 3.50 ERA, and 184 strikeouts. Despite spending some time in the minor leagues, his strikeout total was still good for tenth in the American League.


title: Max Scherzer

text: In the 2011 season, Scherzer was the third starter in the rotation, and won six straight starts early in the year, being the first Tiger since Jeremy Bonderman in 2006 to accomplish this feat. Scherzer finished the season with a 15–9 record, and was third in the AL in home runs allowed (29), fourth in wild pitches, fifth in hits by pitch (10), ninth in winning percentage (.625), and tenth in wins.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On May 20, 2012, Scherzer struck out 15 Pittsburgh Pirates in seven innings, falling one strikeout short of tying Lolich's franchise record. Scherzer surpassed the 200-strikeout mark for the first time, totaling 231 during the regular season to place second in the league to teammate Verlander with 239. Scherzer's strikeout rate per nine innings (11.1) both surged into the double-digit range and led the AL for the first time. He finished the regular season with other then-personal bests in wins and winning percentage (16–7, ). In four seasons spanning 2009−12, Scherzer went 52−38, 3.94 ERA, 1.302 WHIP, averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 191 strikeouts per season.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Despite battling a late-season injury, Scherzer pitched successfully for the Tigers in the 2012 postseason, after they had won the AL Central division. He made three starts, going 1–0 with a 2.08 ERA, while striking out 26 batters over 17 innings. The Tigers reached the World Series, for the first of Scherzer's career, and opposed the San Francisco Giants. He started Game 4, yielded three earned runs in 6 innings while striking out eight batters, and received a no-decision as the Tigers lost the game in extra innings, 4−3.


title: Max Scherzer

text: After a win against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 28, 2013, Scherzer became the first Tigers pitcher to ever start a season 12–0, surpassing the 11–0 start from George Mullin in 1909. With a win against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 3, Scherzer also became the first major league starter to begin a season 13–0 since Roger Clemens in 1986. The streak ended with a loss to the Texas Rangers on July 13.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On July 1, Scherzer was selected by player vote to represent the American League in the 2013 All-Star Game, his first major league All-Star selection. On July 15, Jim Leyland, who managed the AL All-Star team this season and was also the Tigers manager, announced that he had chosen Scherzer as the AL's starting pitcher. Entering the All-Star break, Scherzer had a 13–1 record, 3.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 152 strikeouts in innings pitched. He pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the game, including striking out Joey Votto for one of three outs.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On August 8, Scherzer recorded his 1,000th career strikeout when he fanned Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians. With a win over the New York Mets on August 24, Scherzer became the third pitcher in major league history to start a season 19–1, following Clemens in 2001 and Rube Marquard in 1912.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 20, after a 12–5 win over the Chicago White Sox, Scherzer became the first major league pitcher to reach 20 wins. Scherzer became the second Tigers pitcher to reach 20 wins since Bill Gullickson in 1991, following Verlander in 2011, and the 45th in Tigers history. He finished the regular season at 21–3, with a league-leading 0.97 WHIP, 2.90 ERA, and a career-high 240 strikeouts. He was the only 20-game winner in the majors in 2013. Scherzer's stellar season earned him the 2013 AL Cy Young Award, receiving 28 of 30 first-place votes. He also was the winner of the Players Choice Award for AL Outstanding Pitcher, and the "Baseball Digest" Pitcher of the Year—bestowed annually to one pitcher in the major leagues.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer cultivated a dominant performance in Game 1 of the 2013 ALDS versus the Oakland Athletics, recording 11 strikeouts and giving up just one hit through the first six innings, before surrendering a two-run homer to Yoenis Céspedes. He finished with seven innings pitched, giving up three hits, as he and the Tigers won the game, 3–2. He struck out each of Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, and Josh Reddick twice. Scherzer was in line to make a Game 5 start in the same series, but facing elimination in Game 4, manager Jim Leyland chose to bring him in as a reliever in the seventh inning. Scherzer gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the inning, but the Tigers regained the lead in the bottom of the frame. Scherzer then loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth, but wriggled out of trouble by striking out Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt, then getting Alberto Callaspo to line out to the center field. The Tigers won the game, and Scherzer earned the victory to go to 2–0 in the series.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer continued his brilliance into the 2013 ALCS against the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox. In Game 2, he no-hit Boston for innings before surrendering two hits and a run in the bottom of the sixth. He left the game with a 5–1 lead after seven innings, striking out 13. However, a quartet of Tiger relievers blew the lead in the eighth inning on a grand slam by David Ortiz, and Boston won it, 6–5, on a walk-off single in the ninth. Scherzer was the losing pitcher in the Tigers' 5–2 loss in Game 6, the deciding and final game of that series.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On January 17, 2014, Scherzer and the Tigers agreed on a $15.525 million salary for the 2014 season, avoiding arbitration for the third straight year.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On May 5, Scherzer struck out nine Houston Astros batters in eight innings of a 2–0 victory. It was his seventh straight game from the start of the season with at least seven strikeouts, establishing a Detroit Tigers franchise record. The streak ended on May 10 against the Minnesota Twins, when he struck out six batters in six innings. The Major League record for consecutive 7+ strikeout games to start the season is nine, accomplished by Bob Feller in 1946.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On June 12, in his 179th career start, Scherzer consummated both his first career complete game and shutout in a three-hit, 4–0 win versus Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox. Scherzer struck out eight batters and expended 113 pitches in the contest. It was the longest expanse any major league starter had gone without a complete game since 1900. On 18 previous occasions he had endured at least eight innings, including one for nine that eventually required extra innings to finish, precluding credit for a complete game.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On July 6, Scherzer was named to his second AL All-Star team by way of manager John Farrell's selection. He pitched a scoreless fifth inning, surrendered a double to Troy Tulowitzki, and struck out Yasiel Puig and Paul Goldschmidt. Scherzer earned the win for the AL.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer finished the 2014 season with an 18–5 record, 3.19 ERA and 1.175 WHIP. New career bests prevailed, including in innings () and strikeouts (252). His 18 wins tied for the AL lead along with Corey Kluber and Jered Weaver.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Max made his only postseason appearance of 2014 in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles. He was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs (all earned) in innings.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On January 21, 2015, Scherzer agreed to a contract with the Washington Nationals, now led by Rizzo as general manager. The contract was for seven years and $210 million ($ million today), and included a $50 million signing bonus to be paid out over 14 years, the largest deferral in MLB history. At the time, Scherzer owned a 91–50 W–L with a 3.58 ERA in seven seasons with Arizona and Detroit. On January 22, it was reported that the contract also specified for Scherzer's salary to be $10 million in 2015, and $15 million in each of the next three seasons. It then increases to $35 million a year in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the seasons in which his deferrals begin. In addition, his contract includes several award incentives, as well as a no-trade clause.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer made his regular season debut for the Nationals as their Opening Day starting pitcher versus the New York Mets on April 6, 2015. He struck out eight over innings in a 3–1 loss. On June 14, 2015, he pitched his second career complete game, ceding one hit and one walk in a 4–0 shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. He accrued six perfect innings before Carlos Gómez, leading off the seventh inning, fought off a fastball for a bloop single to right field inches past the outstretched glove of second baseman Anthony Rendon. Scherzer's 16 strikeouts established a new personal best and a Nationals team record for one game, surpassing Stephen Strasburg's effort of 14 versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 8, 2010. Rated with a game score of 100, Scherzer's was the 12th time in MLB history such a score or higher had been achieved.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Six days later, Scherzer no-hit the Pirates 6–0 at Nationals Park for his first career no-hitter. After retiring the first 26 batters, he came to within one strike of a perfect game, only to hit the 27th batter, José Tábata, who appeared to lean into the pitch. Scherzer secured the no-hitter by retiring the next batter, Josh Harrison, on a fly ball. This was the 13th time that the 27th and presumably final batter disrupted a perfect game in progress. The game score was 97, the second occasion on the season where Scherzer had achieved a game score of at least 97. It was a feat previously accomplished just twice, first by Nolan Ryan in 1990 and then Pedro Martínez in 2000.


title: Max Scherzer

text: The 100th win of Scherzer's career occurred on June 26 in a 5–2 victory versus the Philadelphia Phillies, where he allowed both runs over eight innings. It was his third consecutive start where he did not allow any baserunners for the first five innings. In June, Scherzer's ERA was 1.79 during which he was named NL Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive month. Spanning his last three starts of June, he registered 24 consecutive scoreless innings, retired 52 consecutive batters without allowing a hit, struck out 33, and completed 26 of a possible 27 innings.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was selected to that year's All-Star Game via players' vote. However, he was unavailable for the game as he had already started on the Sunday before the All-Star break. Prior to that start, his season totals included a 2.12 ERA, 143 strikeouts, and two complete-game shutouts.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Over a win-less streak of seven starts beginning July 30, Scherzer allowed a 6.08 ERA, seven walks, 11 home runs, a .305/.335/.587 line against and struck out 53 in 40 innings pitched. He earned his 12th win of the season versus Miami on September 14 with eight shutouts innings in a 5–0 win.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On October 3, Scherzer achieved his second career no-hitter, and second of the season, versus the Mets, striking out a new career-high 17 batters with no walks. The only base runners permitted were Kevin Plawecki via a throwing error by Yunel Escobar and Daniel Murphy via a force out of Plawecki in the same inning.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Of Scherzer's three most brilliant performances that season, one tweet adduced that he "was a bloop single, an over-sized elbow pad, and a throwing error away from throwing three perfect games." That description was nearly precise; however, in the June 14 game versus Milwaukee, Scherzer also issued a base on balls to Scooter Gennett after allowing Gómez' single and in the October 2 game allowed Daniel Murphy to reach on a force out after Plawecki reached on an error — leaving Scherzer five batters short of three perfect games. Thus, he became the first to assemble three games scores of 97 or higher in one season since at least 1914. Ryan and Walter Johnson (1918) were the only two other pitchers to carry out three-game scores of 95 or more in one season. In a season that also featured mammoth offensive accomplishments from NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bryce Harper, the Nationals were eliminated from the playoff contention with a week remaining.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer finished the 2015 season with a 2.79 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out 276 batters against only 34 walks for an MLB-leading 8.12 K:BB ratio. He also led all major league pitchers in first-strike percentage (73.3%). Despite these exceptional numbers, Scherzer was often the victim of poor hitting support, compiling only a 14–12 record.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On May 11, 2016, Scherzer struck out 20 Detroit Tiger batters, his former team, to tie the record for strikeouts over nine innings in a single game, held by Roger Clemens (twice), Randy Johnson, and Kerry Wood. Scherzer became the first pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a regulation game in the 21st century. He accomplished the feat and earned the win in a matchup with former Nationals teammate Jordan Zimmermann; the final score was 3–2. Scherzer joined Johnson as the only pitchers to have performed both a 20 strikeout game and a no-hitter during their careers. Nine of the strikeouts ended on three-pitch at-bats. Of 119 total pitches discharged, 96 were for strikes; Scherzer did not deliver more than 16 in any inning. It was the first time in history that in any game of 125 or fewer pitches delivered, 96 or more were strikes. It was the third occasion that Tiger manager Brad Ausmus was on the losing side of a 20-strikeout game; the first two were as a player. It was also Scherzer's first career victory versus Detroit, positing him as the 17th hurler to earn a win against all 30 MLB teams.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On July 8, 2016, Scherzer was named to the National League squad at the All-Star Game in San Diego as roster replacement for teammate Stephen Strasburg, who was recently activated from the DL. Scherzer performed in relief in the sixth inning, allowing no baserunners. His aggregate season batting achievements included a career-best 12 RBI, which ranked second among major league pitchers to Adam Wainwright with 18.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was named the National League Cy Young Award winner on November 16, 2016, winning his second Cy Young Award on the strength of a 20–7 record, 2.96 ERA, MLB-leading 284 strikeouts, and an MLB-leading 0.968 WHIP. He became just the sixth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win the award in both the American and the National Leagues. He won two of the 2016 Esurance MLB/This Year in Baseball Awards: for Best Pitcher, and his 20-strikeout game was singled out for Best Performance.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Having sustained a stress fracture in a knuckle of his right ring finger before the 2017 season, Scherzer was unavailable to start Opening Day for the Nationals. He navigated a delayed start to spring training and missed the World Baseball Classic. Nonetheless, he avoided spending any time on the disabled list to start the season. On May 14, 2017, he pitched his first career immaculate inning, striking out César Hernández, Odubel Herrera, and Aaron Altherr on nine pitches in the fourth inning versus Philadelphia. It was the 84th immaculate inning in the major leagues, and second in Nationals' history, following Zimmermann's versus the Florida Marlins in 2011. In a 2–1 win versus the Dodgers on June 6, Scherzer struck out 14. He obtained the first 10 outs of the game via strikeout in spite of his own throwing error on a pickoff attempt, two walks allowed, and a passed ball by Matt Wieters.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On June 11, Scherzer became the third-fastest pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts (after Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw) by striking out Nomar Mazara of the Texas Rangers. Scherzer also reached the 2,000 plateau in the third-fewest innings (1,784), behind Pedro Martínez () and Randy Johnson (). Scherzer attained no-hit innings versus the Marlins on June 21 until A. J. Ellis hit a comebacker that tipped off Scherzer's glove and trickled toward shortstop Trea Turner for Miami's first hit. Scherzer had struck out 11 and allowed one walk to that point in the contest. He won the NL Pitcher of the Month Award for June, allowing 14 hits and four earned runs for a 0.99 ERA over the course of innings through five starts. His record was 3–2 and he struck out 51 for an average of 12.63 per nine innings.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Named to his fifth MLB All-Star Game, Scherzer was NL manager Joe Maddon's selection as the squad's starting pitcher, making him the oldest starter in that lineup. He became the fifth pitcher to start at least one All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues. At the time of his selection, he consolidated a 10–5 record and an NL-leading both of a 2.10 ERA and 173 strikeouts. Played at Marlins Park in Miami, he tossed 15 pitches over one scoreless inning and struck out Aaron Judge and George Springer.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On August 1, Scherzer hit his first career home run, a three-run blast off Chris O'Grady of the Marlins, but left the game shortly thereafter with neck spasms. The neck issues recurred, and the club placed Scherzer on the disabled list for the first time since 2009, retroactive to August 15. He was then removed from his next start on August 18 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park as the neck issue recurred. Scherzer returned to the rotation on August 28, earning a win against the Marlins.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 19, Scherzer recorded 250 strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season, making him the fourth pitcher in major league history to do so, following Ferguson Jenkins, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martínez. Scherzer rebounded from an 8–2 loss with seven runs and six walks allowed to Atlanta in his previous start, to strike out seven and with five hits and one walk allowed over seven innings in a 4–2 win, also against Atlanta.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer finished the 2017 season with a 16–6 record and a 2.51 ERA. He led the National League with 268 strikeouts, a 0.90 WHIP, and a .178 batting average against. Scherzer also became the 3rd starting pitcher in MLB history to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (268) as hits allowed (126) (first accomplished by Pedro Martinez in the 2000 season with 284 strikeouts and 128 hits, followed by Randy Johnson in 2001 with 372 strikeouts and 181 hits, and later also accomplished by both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019). Incredibly, Scherzer barely missed accomplishing this ultra-rare feat in the following 2018 season, where he recorded 300 strikeouts and only 150 hits allowed. In 2017, Scherzer also led the majors in giving up the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls (26.5%).


title: Max Scherzer

text: End of season awards for Scherzer included selection as a starting pitcher on "Baseball America"'s All-MLB Team. Scherzer also won the 2017 National League Cy Young Award—his third—making him the tenth pitcher in history to win at least three. He was the Players Choice Award winner for National League Outstanding Pitcher, the second of his career. He was also elected to the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame in late 2017, along with Mike Trout and David Wright, and had his number 51 jersey retired by the Scottsdale Scorpions. His AFL achievements included a 2.13 ERA in eight games in 2017 and a 3.38 ERA over four starts in 2008.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Before the 2018 season, "Sports Illustrated" graded Scherzer as the top pitcher, and fourth-best overall player in baseball, following Trout, José Altuve, and Kris Bryant. In his first 98 starts with the Nationals from 2015 to 2017, Scherzer accumulated the most innings, strikeouts, and pitching WAR. He initiated a contest with at least five hitless innings 11 times, including successfully concluding two no-hitters. He made his third Opening Day start for Washington and struck out seven consecutive Cincinnati Reds batters on the way to a 2−0 win. His ten batters struck out overall set a club Opening Day record. While playing Atlanta on April 9, he stole his first career base in the seventh inning, versus pitcher Peter Moylan and catcher Kurt Suzuki. On the mound, Scherzer gained a complete game shutout, the fifth of his career. He struck out 10 and allowed two hits and no walks. He earned the NL Pitcher of the Month Award in April while leading the league in strikeouts (57) and wins (4), and ranking fourth in each of ERA (1.62), WHIP (0.82) and opposing batting average (.165).


title: Max Scherzer

text: On May 6, Scherzer emerged as the first pitcher in major league history to produce 15 strikeouts in one game in innings (19 outs) or fewer, doing so versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Twelve consecutive outs occurred vía strikeout, including striking out the side in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. It was the second-longest such streak in major league history, his fifth career 15-strikeout game, and the 69th with at least 10. He made his following start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he struck out 11 batters and hit an RBI double for the go-ahead run in the fourth inning that furnished a 3–1 Nationals victory. In a May 19 start versus the Dodgers, Scherzer struck out 13, including dispatching his 100th of the season in 63 innings. It eclipsed Kerry Wood's record for fewest innings to reach 100 strikeouts with realized in 2001. Still, the Nationals lost the game, 4–5, off a blown save by Sean Doolittle.


title: Max Scherzer

text: With a 2–0 win over Baltimore on May 30, Scherzer procured career win number 150, while striking out 12 over eight shutout innings. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month for the month of May—his second consecutive monthly award—after going 4–0 with a 2.21 ERA and a league-leading 63 strikeouts. Entering as a pinch hitter in the 14th inning on June 2 versus the Braves, Scherzer singled for his first career pinch hit and scored the go-ahead run on a triple by Wilmer Difo in a 5–3 victory. In the June 5 contest versus the Tampa Bay Rays, Scherzer settled his second career immaculate inning, striking out Johnny Field, Christian Arroyo and Daniel Robertson in the sixth inning. He joined Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, and Sandy Koufax as the only (at the time) MLB pitchers to have recorded multiple immaculate innings in a career. Scherzer allowed both runs as earned, five hits, and finished with 13 strikeouts as the Nationals won 4–2, improving his record to 10–1, the first in the major leagues with 10 wins.


title: Max Scherzer

text: In a span of four following starts, Scherzer lost three times as the Nationals' offense was shut out each time. He lost another outing, 4−3, to the Boston Red Sox on July 2 while collecting his 1,000th strikeout since joining Washington. That vested him as the 11th pitcher in major league history to reach 1,000 strikeouts with two different clubs. He was selected as the NL starting pitcher in the All-Star Game, played at Nationals Park, for his third starting assignment. After allowing a home run to Aaron Judge, Scherzer became the third All-Star Game starter within the previous 30 years to strike out at least four batters. He procured his 200th regular season strikeout in 2018 on July 27 versus the Marlins, retiring Justin Bour with a swinging strikeout, to gridlock with Walter Johnson and Roger Clemens with seven consecutive seasons of 200 or more strikeouts. The three trailed Seaver as the all-time leader with nine consecutive seasons.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On August 12, Scherzer pitched 7 strong shutout innings, striking out 11 while giving up just three hits and one walk during a primetime night game at Wrigley Field. Once again, however, he was awarded a no-decision. Up 3–0 in the bottom of the ninth, Nationals pitcher Ryan Madson hit two batters and gave up an infield single before issuing a "golden homer" - a 2 out, 2 strike, walk-off grand slam to Cubs rookie David Bote. After the game Scherzer spoke on the loss, saying "I mean, it's a gut punch".


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 25, Scherzer reached 300 strikeouts on the season, striking out Austin Dean of the Miami Marlins in a 10-pitch at-bat in the seventh inning of a 9–4 Nationals win.


title: Max Scherzer

text: For the 2018 season, Scherzer was 18–7 with a 2.53 ERA. He threw 3,493 pitches, more than any other major league pitcher. He finished second in Cy Young Award voting, behind Jacob deGrom.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer started for the Nationals on Opening Day 2019 against Jacob deGrom of the Mets at Nationals Park.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On April 26, Scherzer became the 35th pitcher in Major League history to record 2,500 career strikeouts, getting Manuel Margot of the San Diego Padres looking on three pitches in the seventh inning. He became the third-fastest to achieve the feat based on innings pitched (), trailing Johnson and Martínez.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On June 18, Scherzer suffered a broken nose after a ball struck him in the face while bunting in batting practice. Nevertheless, he made his scheduled start the next day against the Philadelphia Phillies. With discoloration near his right eye, he threw 117 pitches and struck out 10 Phillies hitters over seven scoreless innings as the Nationals won 2–0. In a start on June 30, he faced his former team, the Detroit Tigers. It was the first time he pitched against Detroit at Comerica Park since joining the Nationals, and first since the 20 strikeout game in 2016. This time, he struck out 14 while allowing four hits over eight innings in a 2–1 win for his 90th career double-digit strikeout game.


title: Max Scherzer

text: En route to a historic performance, Scherzer went 6–0 over six starts and 45 innings in June. He became the fourth pitcher since 1920 to post an ERA of 1.00 or lower while logging at least 68 strikeouts in one calendar month. It was also the first time since 1908 that any pitcher had struck out at least 68 batters while issuing five or fewer walks in one calendar month. After producing two more games with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks issued, Scherzer had authored 24 such contests, third-most in history. He was named NL Pitcher of the Month for the sixth time.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was named to the National League team at the All-Star Game in Cleveland, his seventh consecutive all-star selection. He spent time on the injured list starting in July due to bursitis in his right scapula and a strain on the right rhomboid muscle in his upper back.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Over 27 total starts and IP, Scherzer concluded 2019 with an 11–7 record, 2.92 ERA, 144 hits allowed, 1.027 WHIP, and 243 strikeouts. He led all major league pitchers in strikeouts/walks ratio, at 7.364, and Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), at 2.45. He also led the NL in SO/9, at 12.7. He finished third in the league in strikeouts and fifth in adjusted ERA+


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer started the NL Wild Card Game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched five innings and gave up home runs to Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames. The Nationals later came back to defeat the Brewers, 4–3. That win allowed them to advance to the NLDS to face the Dodgers. Scherzer was the winning pitcher in Game 4 in a 6–1 outcome, and the Nationals won the series in five games.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Following the NLDS, the Nationals advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to face the St. Louis Cardinals, where Scherzer received the starting assignment for Game 2. In Game 1, starter Aníbal Sánchez lost a bid for a no-hitter with two outs in the eighth. In Game 2, Scherzer took his own no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing a leadoff single to Paul Goldschmidt. These performances mirrored a feat Sánchez and Scherzer had achieved as teammates while playing in Detroit in Games 1 and 2 of the 2013 ALCS versus the Boston Red Sox. Both pitchers started their respective games with five hitless innings. No other pair of starting pitchers had ever taken no-hitters into the sixth inning against the same team in consecutive postseason games.


title: Max Scherzer

text: The Nationals advanced to the World Series to face the American League pennant-winning Houston Astros. This championship quest aligned Scherzer against old rotation mate Justin Verlander, that year's AL Cy Young winner. However, the pair did not face each other directly in any starts. Scherzer started Game 1 in Houston, giving up two runs over five innings and earning the win. He was scheduled to start Game 5 at Nationals Park but was scratched due to severe neck spasms, for which he received a cortisone shot. Scherzer instead started the decisive Game 7 in Houston, again giving up two runs over five innings. He got a no decision as the Nationals came back to win the game and the Series. It was the first championship in franchise history and first for Scherzer.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Other end-of-season recognition for Scherzer included selection to the first team of the inaugural All-MLB Team as one of five starting pitchers. He finished third to deGrom and Hyun-jin Ryu in the NL Cy Young Award voting.


title: Max Scherzer

text: In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Scherzer posted a 5–4 record with a 3.74 ERA, his highest since 2011, and 92 strikeouts over innings in 12 starts. His 1.38 WHIP was also the highest of his career.


title: Max Scherzer

text: During a May 2, 2021, contest versus the Marlins, Scherzer pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing one run – on a home run to Isan Díaz in the ninth inning – while striking out nine and allowing no bases on balls. On May 8, Scherzer faced the New York Yankees, striking out 14 over innings, allowing two hits, one run and one walk. It was the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, making him just the fifth pitcher to reach the milestone, following Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martínez. The 14 strikeouts established a record by an opposing pitcher of the then-current iteration of Yankee Stadium, opened in 2009.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 16, after he had been traded, Scherzer was named by his former club as their nominee for the season's Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing character, community involvement and philanthropy for his family's contributions to the Washington, DC, area.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On July 30, 2021—the day of the MLB trade deadline—with the Nationals under .500 and Scherzer in the final year of his contract, Scherzer was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers along with Trea Turner in exchange for Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, Donovan Casey, and Gerardo Carrillo. Scherzer made his Dodgers debut on August 4 in Los Angeles against the Houston Astros, pitching seven innings and giving up two runs and striking out 10 batters, and earned the win.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On September 12 at Dodger Stadium, Scherzer struck out Eric Hosmer in the fifth inning in a contest versus the San Diego Padres to become the 19th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts. In the second inning of the same game, Scherzer achieved his third immaculate inning, tying Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale for the most immaculate innings thrown in a major-league career. Additionally, Scherzer had taken a perfect game into the eighth inning, until Hosmer doubled to deep right field with one out. On September 13, Scherzer was named NL Player of the Week. It was the sixth time in his career that he earned Player of the Week honors. In his first nine starts with the Dodgers, Scherzer allowed five earned runs in 58 innings for a 0.78 ERA. He finished the 2021 season with a 15–4 record and led all qualified pitchers with a 0.86 WHIP and a .185 batting average against. He started for the Dodgers in the Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching innings, while allowing one run on three hits in a game the Dodgers eventually won 3–1 on a walk-off homer.


title: Max Scherzer

text: As the starting pitcher in Game 3 of the NLDS versus the San Francisco Giants, Scherzer completed seven innings in a 1–0 losing effort, allowing only Evan Longoria's solo home run in the fifth inning. It was the Dodgers' first loss with Scherzer on the mound. Pitching on two days' rest, he earned his first major league save on October 14 in Game 5 of the NLDS, to seal a 2–1 series clinching victory. He started in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, pitching innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven. He remarked after the game that he felt like his arm was dead in the game and was unable to properly get loose. He was scheduled to start again in Game 6 but was scratched from the game because he was still dealing with arm soreness. As his contract signed with the Dodgers expired, Scherzer became a free agent following the World Series.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was named the "Sporting News" NL Starting Pitcher of the Year, and Players Choice Award winner for NL Outstanding Pitcher. He placed third in the NL Cy Young Award balloting, receiving six first-place votes.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On December 1, Scherzer agreed to a three-year, $130 million contract with the New York Mets. The contract has an average annual value (AAV) of $43.3 million, which is the largest AAV in MLB history, breaking the previous record held by Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees who had an AAV of $36 million.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On April 8, 2022, Scherzer earned the win in his Mets debut against his former team, the Washington Nationals. The start was Scherzer’s first ever start as a visitor at Nationals Park and his first time facing the Nationals in nearly 12 years.


title: Max Scherzer

text: On April 19, 2022, Scherzer made his home debut for the Mets, striking out 10 and allowing a hit and a run in seven innings of work, for this effort he earned his third win of the 2022 season and his first win with the Mets at Citi Field. Scherzer recorded his 3,155th strikeout during a Subway Series game against the New York Yankees on August 22. He passed Pedro Martínez for 13th place on the all-time strikeout list. Scherzer earned the 200th win of his career on September 19, 2022 after pitching six perfect innings at American Family Field in his return from the injured list. In the same game, the Mets clinched their first playoff appearance since 2016. He joined Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke as the only active pitchers with 200 wins.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer was going to play for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. However, in early January 2017 it was reported that he would not play in the tournament after suffering a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. He was replaced by teammate Tanner Roark.


title: Max Scherzer

text: With a low three-quarters delivery (nearly sidearm), but with an overarm starting stretch when nobody is on base, Scherzer throws five pitches: a four-seam fastball with good movement averaging 92–96 mph (topping out at 99 mph), a slider at 85–86 mph, a changeup at 84–85 mph, a cutter at 88–89 mph and a curveball at 78–79 mph. He primarily uses a fastball-slider combination against right-handed hitters and a fastball-changeup-cutter combination against left-handed hitters. Occasionally, he also throws a curveball for the first strike in an at-bat.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer has been nicknamed "Mad Max" due in part to a perceived higher-than-normal intensity during gameplay, and unusual and extensive preparation techniques. He also prepares intently on other aspects of the game, including hitting and baserunning. According to Nationals manager Dave Martinez, Scherzer differentiated himself from other major league pitchers because of his focus on hitting in addition to the work on his pitching. As of August 6, 2018, his batting average as a pitcher (.283) on the season was second-best at his position in the National League to Germán Márquez (.350).


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer has heterochromia iridum; his right eye is blue and his left eye is brown. On June 12, 2011, the Detroit Tigers distributed a bobblehead doll depicting Scherzer, with the condition correctly portrayed. In the spring of 2017, the Nationals unveiled a "delightfully creepy" crop of Scherzer's eyes, correctly portrayed as blue and brown, with backward and forward Ks edited into the pupils.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer met his future wife, Erica May, at the University of Missouri, where they both were pitchers. May pitched for the Mizzou softball team before a heart condition forced her to stop playing. After more than eight years of dating, the couple married in November 2013, and have two daughters and a son. They welcomed their first daughter on November 29, 2017. On July 4, 2019, his second daughter was born. Their third child, a son, was born on May 2, 2021; Scherzer pitched a full game before leaving for the hospital that afternoon. The family resides in McLean, a suburb of Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia, but listed the home for sale in 2020. That same year, he purchased a home in Jupiter, Florida. The family owned four rescue dogs and two cats .


title: Max Scherzer

text: The Scherzers are socially active. In 2013, they partnered with the Detroit Tigers Foundation on a program called "Scherzer's Superstars", in which groups from the Metropolitan Detroit chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America were invited to Comerica Park every Tuesday home game to meet Scherzer and some of his Detroit teammates and go down to the field for batting practice. In 2015, after her husband signed with the Washington Nationals and inspired by the actions of his future teammate Sean Doolittle and Doolittle's future wife, activist and sports journalist Eireann Dolan, Erica May-Scherzer partnered with organizers of the Nationals' annual "Night Out" event for LGBT fans and led an effort by Nationals' spouses to promote the event. May-Scherzer is an ambassador for the Polaris Project, which aims to stop human trafficking; Scherzer started a fundraiser during the Nationals' 2016 season called "Strike Out Modern Slavery" in which the couple matched donations to Polaris for every strikeout Scherzer threw that season. Both Max and Erica are involved with the Humane Rescue Alliance, announcing after Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 that they would personally cover all pet adoption fees from the Washington, D.C.-based group's shelters for four days. In June 2022, the Scherzer's again agreed to cover the adoption fee for any dog over 30lbs adopted between June 6th and 12th from St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ. Adoption fees range from $350 to $375. During that time, over 270 animals were adopted, largely due to the Scherzer's social media presence.


title: Max Scherzer

text: Scherzer's younger and only brother, Alex, died by suicide early in the summer of 2012. Alex had a passion for analyzing advanced baseball statistics (sabermetrics). Scherzer learned the value of sabermetrics from his brother, and he implements this as a tool to improve his game. Since Alex's death, Scherzer dedicates every start to his late brother.


title: The Last Emperor

text: The Last Emperor () is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted from Puyi's 1964 autobiography, and independently produced by Jeremy Thomas.


title: The Last Emperor

text: The film depicts Puyi's life from his ascent to the throne as a small boy to his imprisonment and “political rehabilitation” by the Chinese Communist Party. It stars John Lone in the eponymous role, with Peter O'Toole, Joan Chen, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Vivian Wu, Lisa Lu, and Ryuichi Sakamoto; who also composed the film score with David Byrne and Cong Su. It was the first Western feature film authorized by the People's Republic of China to film in the Forbidden City in Beijing.


title: The Last Emperor

text: "The Last Emperor" premiered at the 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival, and was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures on November 18. It earned widespread positive reviews from critics and was also a commercial success. At the 60th Academy Awards, it won nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won several other accolades, including three BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, nine David di Donatello Awards, and a Grammy Award for its musical score. The film was converted into 3D and shown in the Cannes Classics section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.


title: The Last Emperor

text: By 1950, the 44-year old Puyi, former Emperor of China, has been in custody for five years since his capture by the Red Army during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. In the recently established People's Republic of China, Puyi arrives as a political prisoner and war criminal at the Fushun Prison. Soon after his arrival, Puyi attempts suicide, but is quickly rescued and told he must stand trial.


title: The Last Emperor

text: 42 years earlier, in 1908, a toddler Puyi is summoned to the Forbidden City by the dying Empress Dowager Cixi. After telling him that the previous emperor had died earlier that day, Cixi tells Puyi that he is to be the next emperor. After his coronation, Puyi, frightened by his new surroundings, repeatedly expresses his wish to go home, but is denied. Despite having scores of palace eunuchs and maids to wait on him, his only real friend is his wet nurse, Ar Mo.


title: The Last Emperor

text: As he grows up, his upbringing is confined entirely to the imperial palace and he is prohibited from leaving. One day, he is visited by his younger brother, Pujie, who tells him he is no longer Emperor and that China has become a republic; that same day, Ar Mo is forced to leave. In 1919, the kindly Reginald Johnston is appointed as Puyi's tutor and gives him a Western-style education, and Puyi becomes increasingly desirous to leave the Forbidden City. Johnston, wary of the courtiers' expensive lifestyle, convinces Puyi that the best way of achieving this is through marriage; Puyi subsequently weds Wanrong, with Wenxiu as a secondary consort.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Puyi then sets about reforming the Forbidden City, including expelling the thieving palace eunuchs. However, in 1924, he himself is expelled from the palace and exiled to Tientsin following the Beijing Coup. He leads a decadent life as a playboy and Anglophile, and sides with Japan after the Mukden Incident. During this time, Wenxiu divorces him, but Wanrong remains and eventually succumbs to opium addiction. In 1934, the Japanese crown him "Emperor" of their puppet state of Manchukuo, though his supposed political supremacy is undermined at every turn. Wanrong gives birth to a child, but the baby is murdered at birth by the Japanese and proclaimed stillborn. He remains the nominal ruler of the region until his capture by the Red Army.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Under the Communist re-education program for political prisoners, Puyi is coerced by his interrogators to formally renounce his forced collaboration with the Japanese invaders during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After heated discussions with Jin Yuan, the warden of the Fushun Prison, and watching a film detailing the wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese, Puyi eventually recants and is considered rehabilitated by the government; he is subsequently released in 1959.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Several years later in 1967, Puyi has become a simple gardener who lives a peasant proletarian existence following the rise of Mao Zedong's cult of personality and the Cultural Revolution. On his way home from work, he happens upon a Red Guard parade, celebrating the rejection of landlordism by the communists. He sees Jin Yuan, now one of the political prisoners punished as an anti-revolutionary in the parade, forced to wear a dunce cap and a sandwich board bearing punitive slogans.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Puyi later visits the Forbidden City where he meets an assertive young boy wearing the red scarf of the Pioneer Movement. The boy orders Puyi to step away from the throne, but Puyi proves that he was indeed the Son of Heaven before approaching the throne. Behind it, Puyi finds a 60-year-old pet cricket that he was given by palace official Chen Baochen on his coronation day and gives it to the child. Amazed by the gift, the boy turns to talk to Puyi, but finds that he has disappeared.


title: The Last Emperor

text: In 1987, a tour guide leads a group through the palace. Stopping in front of the throne, the guide sums up Puyi's life in a few, brief sentences, before concluding that he died in 1967.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Other cast members include Chen Kaige as the Captain of the Imperial Guard, Hideo Takamatsu as General Takashi Hishikari, Hajime Tachibana as the General's translator, Zhang Liangbin as the eunuch Big Foot, Huang Wenjie as the eunuch Hunchback, Chen Shu as Zhang Jinghui, Cheng Shuyan as Hiro Saga, Li Fusheng as Xie Jieshi, and Constantine Gregory as the Emperor's oculist.


title: The Last Emperor

text: Bernardo Bertolucci proposed the film to the Chinese government as one of two possible projects – the other was an adaptation of "La Condition humaine" ("Man's Fate") by André Malraux. The Chinese preferred "The Last Emperor". Producer Jeremy Thomas managed to raise the $25 million budget for his ambitious independent production single-handedly. At one stage, he scoured the phone book for potential financiers. Bertolucci was given complete freedom by the authorities to shoot in The Forbidden City, which had never before been opened up for use in a Western film. For the first ninety minutes of the film, Bertolucci and Storaro made full use of its visual splendour.


title: The Last Emperor

text: 19,000 extras were needed over the course of the film. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was drafted in to accommodate.


title: The Last Emperor

text: In a 2010 interview with Bilge Ebiri for Vulture.com, Bertolucci recounted the shooting of the Cultural Revolution scene: