Turning an Acronym into Apparel: How Marcus Stroman Used a Slogan to Create #HDMH Clothing Brand

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: haters are Marcus Stroman’s motivators.

At 5 feet, 8 inches tall, Stroman is probably the shortest pitcher in the MLB, and he’s fueled by the doubters that believe height is synonymous with talent.

The proof is in his wardrobe. Yes, his wardrobe. 

 

 

For years the Mets’ pitcher lived by the saying “Height Doesn’t Measure Heart,” or “HDMH.” Initially, Stroman was told that he would be too short to be a starting pitcher at Duke. He proved the doubters wrong. Not only did Stroman play three seasons at Duke, but he also currently holds the sixth-lowest career ERA in Duke history.

 

 

 

 

After Stroman became the starting pitcher at Duke, the haters changed their tune. He wasn’t too short to pitch at Duke, but he would definitely be too short to get drafted in the first round of the MLB draft. 

He proved the doubters wrong again. In 2012, Stroman was the 22nd pick in the MLB draft. However, getting drafted was one thing. With his height, there couldn’t possibly be any way for him to become a starting pitcher. 

As it stands today, Stroman has started 148 games since launching his MLB career in 2014. He has a winning record of 54-51. And this season he returned home to the Mets and is sporting a career-low 2.70 ERA as part of a pitching staff that has given up the least earned runs in baseball as of Tuesday (108). 

 

 

 

Angry and inspired by the outside noise, Stroman tattooed “Height Doesn’t Measure Heart” on his chest.

 

 

The slogan had inspired him through college and all the way to the MLB.  Nowadays, he also wears the acronym on his clothes.

His apparel brand, HDMH, was born of an idea to inspire and encourage others, while also reminding them to block out the outside noise.

According to the HDMH mission statement, the clothing company came to be after Stroman had been motivated by all the talk and opinions from others. He wanted to start a movement to remind others that outside opinions are irrelevant. Now, thanks to Stroman’s clothing site, anyone can wear his mantra with pride.

The Heart Doesn’t Measure Height brand currently has 30,900 followers across its Twitter and Instagram accounts. Stroman also promotes the brand on his personal social media accounts, which have a combined follower count of over 1 million people.

The brand offers clothing options for men, women, children and adults. The overall vibe of the inventory offered is casual and athletic.

The site offers a wide variety of athletic wear including HDMH baseball jerseys, jumpsuits and socks. For baseball players of all ages, the site also sells HDMH gloves, backpacks and hats.

 

HDMH’s clientele is diverse. Mets’ catcher Tomas Nido is the latest MLB player to rep the brand. He was seen in an HDMH hat during his press conference on May 17. 

The brand is also popular amongst kids. The HDMH Twitter page is loaded with tweets of parents who proudly show off their kids wearing HDMH gear.

 

 

 

In a world now dominated by COVID-19, the latest addition to Stroman’s apparel brand is face masks. Fans have taken the time to promote the masks across social media platforms as well.

 

 

HDMH’s social media presence has grown along with the hashtag #HDMH. What started as a simple trend to motivate Stroman, has now become a community of people of all ages who are determined to block out the outside noise.