Rays starter Nick Martinez was once booted from Yankee Stadium

Rays pitcher Nick Martinez, who took the mound at Yankee Stadium in the series opener on Friday, is no stranger to the ballpark.

Playing college baseball at Fordham University, he was a frequent visitor. The last game he attended with some college teammates was against the Red Sox, and he got kicked out.

"Obviously, I went to school just right down the road, so I went to a lot of Yankee games when I was in college," Martinez said. "It's a real fun atmosphere. I expect it to be pretty rowdy this week.

"I went to a few games. The last time I went there as a student, we had practice get canceled, and so me and my roommate, we went out pretty early. They played the Red Sox. We might have had a few too many adult beverages and got kicked out. It was rowdy. We were kind of rowdy.

"Next time I was at Yankee Stadium," the ninth-year MLB veteran continued, "I was pitching."

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 8:53 PM.