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When you've been in the Major Leagues for as long as Max Scherzer has, you're bound to have connections to rookies who idolized you growing up. The newest addition to the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen Spencer Miles might have the most Canadian-esque connection to Scherzer possible, through tobogganing. With Scherzer and Miles having both played for the University of Missouri, Blue Jays play-by-play broadcaster Dan Schulman asked Miles if he had met Scherzer before they became teammates. Miles responded, "Well, we went sledding together once." According to Shulman, when Scherzer was pitching for the Missouri Tigers in 2006, he went sledding with his then teammate Danny Hill at a steep location behind Miles' family home. Miles, whose youth team was coached by Hill at the time, was invited out sledding with him and Scherzer. Shulman says he discovered this fun fact after speaking with Miles during Spring Training, having found out they both played for the Missouri Tigers. At first, Shulman said the story confused him, considering the 16-year age gap between the two pitchers. Until he verified it with Scherzer himself, who said it was true, then went on to describe how the hill had a giant jump. Now, 19 years later, the two right handers are teammates on a Toronto Blue Jays roster with World Series expectations. Spencer Miles made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays on Saturday (Kevin Sousa/Imagn Images) The Blue Jays acquired Miles through the MLB's Rule 5 Draft last December from the San Francisco Giants. The draft allows teams with open 40-man roster spots to claim unprotected minor league players from other organizations. Miles, 25, was the last pitcher named to the Opening Day roster and made his Blue Jays debut on Saturday afternoon in extra innings against the Athletics. He picked off the extra-innings runner on second before recording his first Major League strikeout on Max Muncy. The Blue Jays rallied in the bottom half of the inning, when an Ernie Clement walk-off single scored Nathan Lukes, earning Miles his first career win. After the game, Miles was given the three game balls from his first three career outs. "It's surreal," he said on the win."This is a moment I've dreamed of since I was a kid." Miles said he will display the game balls in his dad’s office, crediting him for reaching this point in his career.
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