A former Yankee has expressed support for Jazz Chisholm, suggesting that he has valid reasons to be upset with his manager.
Cameron Maybin, a former outfielder and analyst for Yes Network, remarked after the Yankees’ 3-1 loss to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the wildcard series that Chisholm was justified in his frustration. He noted that Chisholm had an impressive 30-30 season but was treated as if he were merely a platoon player.
“I’m not even mad at Jazz… he should be mad,” Maybin tweeted late Tuesday. “The guy puts up a 30-30 season and then gets treated like that.” Chisholm, now among only three Yankees in history to achieve this feat, alongside Bobby Bonds and Alfonso Soriano, certainly earned recognition.
In the game, the Yankees opted to leave Chisholm on the bench and brought in another player at second base, despite Chisholm having a solid season with an OPS of .733 against left-handed pitchers.
Chisholm was later brought in as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning, yet the Yankees seemed hesitant to let him face Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, a lefty known for tough matchups.
Interestingly, another left-handed player, Ben Rice, also didn’t start and didn’t see any action during the game, unlike Chisholm.
Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained his decision by stating that Chapman had a much tougher time against left-handers. He mentioned wanting to field a right-handed bat based on Amed Rosario’s past experiences against Chapman.
However, Boone’s strategy did not pan out; both Caballero and Rosario went 0-5 against Chapman in that game. With the bases loaded and the Red Sox leading 3-1, Chisholm’s opportunity ended in a weak fly ball that failed to advance the runners, leading to Trent Grisham being hit by a pitch to close out the game.
Afterwards, Chisholm addressed the media in a tense mood while sorting through his belongings. When queried about the decision to bench him, he admitted, “Yeah, it was a bit surprising. We don’t usually talk about it. But you move on.”
Chisholm is expected to be back in the lineup for Game 2 against right-hander Brayan Bello, though former Yankee Joba Chamberlain humorously suggested that the lineup might be unpredictable.
