Former New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman is ready to shed light n his treatment in Queens, New York, and it is a scathing examination of fan culture and the indifference of the front office.
Stroman took to Twitter this week to provide a little glimpse into his experience as a Mets player.
Endless death threats, being called a nigger often, hearing black lives don’t matter, and playing for a front office who didn’t care about any of that. I will speak on this topic on my time and on my podcast at some point. Still dealt on the mound through all of that! 🗣🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/TA4jr41dGB
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) February 23, 2022
Stroman Speaks
“Endless death threats, being called a nigger often, hearing black lives don’t matter, and playing for a front office who didn’t care about any of that. I will speak on this topic on my time and on my podcast at some point. Still dealt on the mound through all of that!”
Last December, the free agent Stroman announced he was signing with the Chicago Cubs through a succession of tweets a mere few hours before the labor contract expired.
The Chicago Cubs announced their agreement with the pitcher for a three-year contract beginning with the 2022 season. The deal, reportedly worth $71 million, included an op-out after two years at $50 million.
Marcus Stroman decided to take his business to Twitter, again.
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion of course, especially on this website I suppose. But its never a good idea to rip a boss in public, among other things which have transpired over the last few months here. https://t.co/r9KlATlprx
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) February 23, 2022
Stroman’s New Deal
Formerly, Stroman was traded to the Mets in a three-player deal after starting the 2019 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was also named to the American League All-Star Team.
The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher posted a 3.02 ERA (60 E.R./179.0 IP) with a 10-13 record in 33 starts (tied for the most in the majors) for the Mets in 2021, walking 44 with 158 strikeouts.
Marcus Stroman Du-Rag Diss & Brad Stevens Promotion Is That Same Old Stale Systemic Racism
The Stro Show
He combined to post a 3.22 ERA (66 E.R./184.1 IP) with a 10-13 record in 32 starts that year before he elected to opt out of the 2020 season. From 2019 through last season Stroman’s aggregate 3.12 ERA (126 ER/363.1 IP) ranked seventh in the majors among pitchers with at least 60 starts.
Ironically, Major League Baseball is currently locked out over player and owner issues as talks on a new collective bargaining agreement continue. However, the MLB has had a sordid history with racial issues.
According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, “when baseball first became organized in the 1860s, a small handful of Black players took the diamond alongside their white teammates.”
MLB’s Sordid History On Race
However, the ills of Reconstruction and its derivative Jim Crow laws tanked the careers of talented Black players. Eventually, the game shut down the idea of the Black ballplayer on the MLB level.
The Negro National Leagues were subsequently created by 1920.
Fast-forward and in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Major League Baseball was notably the last major U.S. professional sports organization to release a statement on the global focus on police brutality.
The MLB Stance
We want to be better, we need to be better, and this is our promise to do the work. pic.twitter.com/2cI6pCBdVb
— MLB (@MLB) June 3, 2020
“To be clear, our game has zero tolerance for racism and racial injustice,” the MLB wrote in a statement. “The reality that the Black community lives in fear and axiety over racial discrimintaion, prejudice, or violence in unacceptable.
“Addressing this issue requires action both within our sport and society. MLB is committed to engaging our communities to invoke change. We will take the necessary time, effort and collaboration to address symptoms of systemic racism, prejudice and injustice, but will be equally as focused on the root of the problem.”
The caption of the tweeted statement also said:
“We want to be better, we need to be better, and this is our promise to do the work.”
It seems that the league now has the opportunity to prove its words by holding the Mets and itself accountable.
I’m gon’ be here dealing for however long I please. Can’t wait to get back out there on the field! 🗣 https://t.co/kkHRrs9fSq
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) February 24, 2022
While social media argues the validity of Stroman’s claims and MLB’s labor dispute between the owners and players continue, the cocky kid from Long Island will continue to prepare himself for the moment when he can go out and prove to the Windy City that he’s one of the best Black Knights in the game.
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