Toronto Blue Jay pitcher Marcus Stroman loves Toronto.
In a column written for The Players’ Tribune, an online site where athletes write to their fans, Stroman makes it clear that his heart is in “the Six.” And he tells the world that Toronto isn’t just about hockey: it’s also about baseball.
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“I’m going to tell you something you probably didn’t know. Toronto is a baseball city,” he begins. “No, I’m serious. I know you probably don’t know this — especially if you don’t live here. You have to really experience it to know what I’m talking about. But just trust me.”
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Stroman, who will start in Friday’s home opener, penned the piece, titled “The 6ix.” He provided ample evidence that Toronto isn’t just about hockey.
In one example, he recalled the night before Game 1 of the American League Division Series last year when the Jays were to take on the Texas Rangers. He and some of his teammates attended a Leafs game. Before the game began, the arena went dark. All eyes turned towards the screens above centre ice for a Jays tribute video provided by the Leafs.
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Even after the pucked dropped, the love for the team didn’t end: the arena broke out in a Blue Jays chant.
Stroman admitted that his heart wasn’t always in Toronto: when he was first drafted, he was unhappy. He knew nothing about Canada, let alone Toronto. But he quickly discovered that Toronto fans were passionate about baseball.
“That’s why Toronto is my favorite city.”
Stroman acknowledged that the Jays are in a tough league, but that the Jays are playing to win.
“Toronto will never be the biggest city. We’re not New York. We’re not Boston. We’re not Chicago,” he wrote. “We’re Toronto. And we’re out to show everybody what that means.”
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