Baseball players are known to be a superstitious bunch, and Duke's Marcus Stroman is apparently no different. The rising sophomore has found his own lucky charm during an astounding 23 inning scoreless streak in the Cape Cod Baseball League. It just might not be what you'd expect.
"While I’ve been up here I’ve been wearing these animal bracelets on my wrists," Stroman told The Chronicle. "I’ve been working at a camp up here for six to 12 year olds that we do everyday, and they all have these bracelets, like 20-to-30 on their wrists. So they give them to us, and I kept them on when I pitch, so I guess you can attribute [the streak] to that."
Clearly, though, more than luck must be factoring into Stroman's remarkable summer. After one start in which he went five scoreless innings, Stroman transitioned into the closer's role for the Orleans Firebirds. 18 innings later, Stroman is eight-for-eight in save opportunities, has struck out 28 batters while issuing only three walks and still has yet to give up a run.
And he's currently working on yet another streak: the pitcher has retired the last eleven batters he's faced, striking out seven of them.
All-in-all, it's an astonishing step forward for a pitcher who had a 5.31 ERA in his first season at Duke last year and bounced around between the bullpen and the starting rotation.
But for now, he's working on keeping that streak going—even if he's not exactly focusing on it.
"The best thing is to just go out and pitch everyday. You can’t think about it too much," Stroman said. "I usually come in during the ninth when we’re up by one or two runs, so I just have to give it all I got. You’re playing against the best talent so you’ve got nothing to lose, and if you pitch well you’re going to get seen by a lot of scouts."
Indeed, Stroman's efforts aren't going unnoticed by those in the Cape Cod League and beyond. Last night Stroman participated in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game, pitching, unsurprisingly, a scoreless inning to help the West All-Stars beat the East All-Stars 5-0.
The experience was a special one for Stroman, as the game took place in front of more than 10,000 fans in Boston's Fenway Park, considered one of the most historic venues in baseball.
"That was probably one of the best things in my life," Stroman said. "Pitching on that mound in that ballpark, it was unbelievable."
But as the summer draws to a close, Stroman must start thinking about what his role will be when he returns to Durham and the Blue Devils after such a successful summer. Stroman said he's "not picky" about whether he remains in the bullpen for Duke or works his way into the starting rotation.
Stroman hopes his Cape Cod League prowess will transition back into the college game, regardless of his role. Unfortunately, he knows his bracelets surely won't be making the trip back to Durham.
"Coach McNally wouldn’t allow that," Stroman said. "We’re not allowed to have anything flashy on our wrist, so it’s going to be a summer thing."
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