Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s teammates spent part of Thursday’s champagne celebration booing him.
But it was much more from a place of love than the boos rained down on Chisholm by the Kauffman Stadium crowd after he had called the Royals “lucky” for winning Game 2.
And after the series victory was complete, with the Yankees headed to the ALCS, Chisholm gushed about how he has been welcomed in his first two and a half months with his new team.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (r.) celebrates with his Yankees teammates after their Game 4 win on Oct. 10.Charles Wenzelberg
Jazz Chisholm celebrates after hitting a home run during Game 2 of the ALDS against the Royals.Charles Wenzelberg
“I’d go to war with these guys any day,” Chisholm said Thursday night.
“They introduced me like I’m the f–king little brother they always wanted and I feel like I’m the little brother they always wanted. To be here right now, I know I didn’t produce much in the series, but these guys made me feel like I did the world. So to be here with these guys is everything.”
Chisholm went 2-for-15 with a home run in the four-game series and had a pair of defensive miscues in the Game 2 loss.
While he is still adjusting to third base on the fly, he has brought an energy from the start that his teammates have appreciated, which included standing up for Anthony Volpe in the sixth inning of Game 4 after Maikel Garcia’s late slide into second base led to the benches clearing.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. exchanges words with the Royals’ Maikel Garcia on Oct. 10.Charles Wenzelberg
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees celebrate their ALDS win on Oct. 10.Charles Wenzelberg
In turn, Chisholm’s teammates have helped him focus on what matters most.
“I feel like everybody supports each other,” Chisholm said. “Baseball is a team sport but a lot of guys get locked up in the individual side to what they do. But this team don’t give a hell whatever they do. They go out there and they’re going to get a win. How we get it, nobody cares. Nobody cares what their numbers are. They just want to win.”
Chisholm brought up his at-bat in the second inning Thursday night, when he thought he had walked, only for a 3-0 pitch to be called a strike.
He then whiffed badly at the next two pitches for the strikeout, but got a reminder from Gerrit Cole when he returned to the dugout.
“He came to me and said, ‘Stay the f–k locked in. We’re going to win this s–t,’ ” Chisholm said. “I can’t thank him enough for that.”
The Yankees used 21 of the 26 players on their roster during the ALDS, with Luis Gil, Ben Rice, Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Jose Trevino not getting into any action.
And it was nearly only 20 before Duke Ellis pinch ran for Giancarlo Stanton late in Game 4.
Gil is expected to enter the rotation for the ALCS, with the Yankees needing four starters, but one of the position players could be on the chopping block if the Yankees decide to carry an extra (12th) pitcher — which could be Mark Leiter Jr. or Marcus Stroman — with fewer off days in this series.
Source : nypost.com
