The New York Yankees had some fun at Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s expense during their postgame celebration after clinching a spot in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
Following a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 on Thursday, the team gathered in the clubhouse to shower Chisholm with champagne, playfully mimicking the boos he had received from Royals fans during the series. Chisholm, a midseason acquisition, appeared to enjoy the lighthearted ribbing from his teammates.
In a video shared by Major League Baseball, Chisholm could be heard laughing and embracing the moment, saying it was all part of the experience.
Chisholm embraced his role as the series villain after dismissing the Royals’ Game 2 win at Yankee Stadium as luck. His remarks fueled animosity, and he was met with heavy boos from the Kansas City crowd in subsequent games. According to reports, Chisholm told Royals catcher Salvador Perez that he feeds off negative energy, saying it helps him focus.
The hostile reception on Wednesday failed to deter Chisholm. After the Yankees’ 3-2 victory, he embraced the hostile atmosphere, saying jeets energized both him and his team. He added that the crowd’s reaction only reaffirmed his presence in the series.
“I loved every single second of it. I love it. It gets my juices flowing,” the Yankees star said after the win. “I’ve never seen anyone boo a bum. It gets us going. That is the reaction I wanted and it got our juices flowing. Sounded like I got to a lot of people.”
Though Chisholm didn’t get a hit in the series-clinching game, he did reach base with a walk in the sixth inning.
Acquired from the Miami Marlins on July 27, with the Yankees trailing the Orioles by a game in the AL East, Chisholm hit .273 with 11 home runs in 191 regular-season plate appearances, helping New York capture the division crown.
Chisholm makes another attack on Royals
When asked about a heated exchange that resulted in both teams clearing the benches, Chisholm criticized Royals player Maikel Garcia for an aggressive slide into Anthony Volpe. He claimed Garcia’s move was unsportsmanlike and aimed at injuring Volpe, frustrated by Kansas City’s looming elimination. Chisholm, who is known for his online banter, noted that while trash talk on social media is one thing, attempting to hurt a player on the field crosses the line.
“I just felt like he tried to go in and injure Volpe because he was being a sore loser. You know what I mean?” the Yankees third baseman said. “He was talking a ton on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same thing but I’m not going to injure somebody if they’re winning a game. I didn’t like that. I told him we don’t do that on this side and I’m going to stick up for my guys.”
The longstanding rivalry between the Yankees and Royals has deep roots, dating back to the 1970s when fierce competitors like George Brett and Graig Nettles would engage in physical altercations during high-stakes games that often determined the American League’s World Series representative.
Thursday night’s game echoed those bygone eras when the benches cleared. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made light of the situation, suggesting they could defuse tensions by revisiting old footage of Hal McRae and Willie Randolph, implying that such retrospection might bring perspective to current conflicts.
“Yeah, it was like if there was some kind of upset over the slide or whatever, we just go back and show a little Hal McRae and Willie Randolph and we’ll all laugh at ourselves,” he joked.
However, the on-field confrontation was far from amusing in the moment. Chisholm was seen actively engaging with the Royals as he rushed into the fray. Meanwhile, Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, who had delivered a masterful seven-inning performance allowing just one run, required multiple teammates to restrain him as emotions ran high at Kauffman Stadium.
Cole later acknowledged that he had been suppressing his emotions throughout the game, only releasing them as he headed back to the dugout.
It took the intervention of Aaron Judge and others to prevent the situation from escalating into a physical confrontation near second base. Although order was eventually restored and play resumed, an undercurrent of tension persisted for the remainder of the game.
This incident serves as a reminder that the intense rivalry between these two teams continues to simmer, even in modern-day matchups.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
