TAMPA — Jazz Chisholm Jr. has made a point of trying to do a better job of keeping his emotions in check.
But a serving of Bacon on Thursday night got him going again.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a called third strike by home plate umpire John Bacon on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to be below the zone.
The Yankees’ second baseman argued his case for a few seconds before losing his cool and getting tossed, having to be held back by manager Aaron Boone in the 6-3 win over the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.
Minutes later, Chisholm returned to the clubhouse and fired off a post on X: “Not even f–king close!!!!!”
“I’m out here trying to win a game,” Chisholm said afterward. “I’m out here battling the best and working my butt off every at-bat. I’m trying to be the best player I can be. So when I feel like something’s messed up, I lost my emotions, I lost my cool.
“At the same time, I still gotta be able to stay out there and go out and play defense for my team. That’s why I’m here, to be able to stay out there, hit in the middle of the lineup and play defense. On me, I gotta be better in that aspect for helping my team.”
Boone tried to run out onto the field to de-escalate the situation before Chisholm got ejected — or to get tossed instead of him — but he was too late.
“I’d like to be the one going there,” Boone said. “It happens every now and then. Hopefully in the future, that’s me. I don’t love our players going, but I also understand how difficult that is to lay off a tough 3-2 pitch, so I understand there’s going to be some emotion there.”
Chisholm could be subject to some sort of discipline from the league, likely a fine, for his post on X.
The 27-year-old indicated that Bacon said something to him that got him going but declined to get into specifics.
“Whatever he said, I didn’t like, and that’s what got me into that,” Chisholm said. “It doesn’t matter. I was in the heat of the moment. I was upset. We’re past it now.”
Chisholm finished Thursday batting .169 on the season with a .723 OPS through 19 games.
Six of his 12 hits have been home runs, but he said the frustration of the early going at the plate may have played a part in his anger.
“I feel like a lot of stuff hasn’t been going my way, but that doesn’t give me the excuse to go out there and act like that,” Chisholm said. “I’m a ballplayer. I have emotions. I know I’ve acted like that in the past, but that’s what I’ve really worked on to the present now. … Everybody makes mistakes, but at the same time, I get emotional. I get emotional about a game, especially when I think I’m right.
“I’m still mad it was a ball, but I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool. I feel like I’ve matured over the last couple years.”
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