Short on hair, Stroman won't copy fan who shaved Jays logo into chest
Instead, Stroman shaved 'HDMH' -- Height Doesn't Measure Heart -- into his hairline above his neck in the back.
By
Dave Brown
•
2 min read
Somewhere out there, a Blue Jays fan recently shaved the team's logo into his hairy chest. The fan appeared at the recent ALDS Game 5 at Rogers Centre and caused a stir on social media with his furry commitment to the Jays, who have advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 1993.
Game 3 starter Marcus Stroman saw the body art, found the fan's chest-shaving amusing, and said he appreciated his commitment. But he won't be following suit (or is it hirsute?).
"Hahaha -- that's nuts, it's crazy," Stroman told CBS Sports. "I don't even get chest hair, so I'm not qualified to try. It does show a kind of love for the team, though. It's the first time we've made the playoffs in 22 years, so everyone has been extremely excited, as are we. We're feeding off the fans' excitement and energy and dedication."
Stroman attended a press conference Sunday afternoon to preview Game 3 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre, and he brought with him an extra cap. The message embroidered on the front reads:
"HDMH," for "Height Doesn't Measure Heart." It's his trademark, Stroman said. He also shaved "HDMH" into the hairline on the back of his neck.
So he will use his hair for billboards! For the right message, anyway.
Stroman is listed at 5-foot-8 inches, short for a major league player and especially a pitcher, and says he's had to overcome "stereotypes" and assumptions made through the years that "short" pitchers are a bad gamble.
"It's kind of being the small guy in the room," Stroman said. "All growing up and being able to overcome stereotypes, and being able to just kind of get the message out there to every undersized athlete in the world: You don't have to be 6-foot-2, 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5, to do anything in the world.
"A lot of times I see young kids get discouraged solely based off their height or physical stature. And it's unfortunate, because you have a bunch of baseball analysts and all these people who preach '6-foot-4' for pitchers. I'm just here to show them that you don't have to be 6-foot-5 to go out there and be an awesome pitcher in the big leagues. Height doesn't measure heart, something I always live by."
Stroman might be short on physical stature and chest hair, but not ability, work ethic and competitive drive. He rehabbed from a torn ACL in March to being one of the Jays top pitchers from September onward. Speaking of competitive drive, does anyone else in the Jays clubhouse have the gumption to shave logos into his chest?
"I don't think anyone on this team has enough chest hair to do it," Stroman said with another laugh. "We're just going to have to live through the fans on this one."
CBS Sports wink of the Eye: @jnoTHEbaptise
