Marcus Stroman has lived in Tampa since 2012, and he has never had his own place in the city. But make no mistake: his Friday start against Toronto will be a home opener in the truest sense.
The Medford native’s first official outing in pinstripes will be thrown before his small circle of friends and family, including his sister, stepmom and father, who still call Long Island home. Stroman’s dad, Earl, is retired following a long career as a Suffolk County police detective.
“Dream come true,” Stroman said, adding that he expected his brother and mom, among others, to attend as well. “Definitely beyond excited to pitch in front of my few family and friends I have there. To grow up in New York watching the Yankees and to be able to pitch a home opener in my career, I’m just very thankful and, honestly, grateful. It’s a moment that I feel like I’ll never forget.”
Stroman, an ex-Blue Jay, isn’t the only one anticipating the start, as Aaron Boone is excited to have a New Yorker on the mound for the season’s first game in the Bronx.
“It’ll be cool,” the manager said. “I know he’s fired up for it. I know it’s something that he’s looked forward to ever since he signed with us, and probably going back many, many years before that.”
A Patchogue-Medford High School Hall of Famer, Stroman grew up going to Mets and Yankees games as a kid. The former Met and his family never really picked sides; they just enjoyed the confines and competition at Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium.
“I was never a hoorah, yelling, we’re going crazy kind of kid at all,” Stroman said, adding that he didn’t attend any of the Yankees’ home openers growing up.
These days, Stroman dresses more like a diehard. His wardrobe is full of vintage Yankees apparel, which he wore while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
He’s looking forward to seeing how real fans react to his start on Friday. He’s already had a successful Yankees debut, allowing zero earned runs over six innings against the Astros in Houston.
“New York’s got a different energy,” Stroman said. “New York overall, and then obviously Yankee Stadium embodies that. But New York is a different animal. Very passionate group of fans that obviously you want to go out there and perform for.”
Stroman said that he’s always tried to relish important moments throughout his career, and Friday will be one of them. But he’s also a guy who likes to pitch with a lower heart rate.
An energized home crowd could make that harder to achieve than usual on Friday, but Stroman isn’t worried.
“I’m good at this man,” he said. “Staying calm is what I do. Been doing this for 10 years. Very dialed in mentally, very dialed in with my breath, very dialed in with my mental coach, therapist — I take care of myself all around. Not even from a sports perspective, but just from a life perspective. So I’m good. There’s nothing that I can’t get through at this point in my life.”
Ever since signing with the Yankees, Stroman has touted himself as a pitcher who will embrace the spotlight of Yankee Stadium. Brian Cashman, once a social media target of Stroman’s, backed that up over the offseason, stating that “this player wanted to be here.”
On Friday, Stroman will get his first chance to prove that he’s built for the Bronx. He’s not shying away from it.
“I’ve always been someone who has performed in moments,” Stroman said. “I’ve always been someone who has wanted to ball. A lot of individuals don’t want the ball. A lot of individuals don’t want to be in the spotlight and want to avoid it. I’ve never been that. I work extremely hard, so at the end of the day, you want to be in pressure-filled moments.
“Those moments make it fun. To be able to look back and to know that you had the confidence in those moments, that’s the type of individual I’m trying to be.”
