Jazz Has Taken On New Beat With Yankees

 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third base during the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Photo by Jason Schott.

When fans come to Yankee Stadium now, they can see a familiar sight, a player wearing 13 at third base for the home team.

That player of, surprisingly now years gone by, is of course Alex Rodriguez, who was a Yankee from 2004 to 2016, and barely played over there his final two seasons in The Bronx.

The only other player to wear the number since A-Rod retired is Joey Gallo, an outfielder who did not exactly have a heralded run in pinstripes.

The Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm from the Miami Marlins, where he wore number 2, on Saturday, July 27.

Obviously, that number is unavailable since it was retired for Derek Jeter, so when Chisholm made his Yankee debut the next night, at Fenway Park, he revealed he chose 13.

Instantly, one couldn’t help but think he took A-Rod’s number, which some want retired by the Yankees since he win two MVPs here, but he is an acknowledged PED user.

Soon after, it was reported that the Yankees wanted Chisholm to play third base, Rodriguez’s old position. 

The even more similar point is that Rodriguez never played third base before coming to The Bronx, moving there with Jeter, of course, anchored at shortstop.

Chisholm played the early part of his career at second base before primarily becoming a center fielder the past couple seasons, so where it looked like he would provide versatility at two positions, he took over third base.

One thing that makes Chisholm’s move all the more remarkable is he is doing it in August on a new team, one in the thick of a pennant race.

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone was asked about that in his pregame press conference on Wednesday afternoon, and he said, “Yeah, I mean, just, in a vacuum looking at him over there, since he’s gotten here, if you didn’t know better, the way I put it, he looks like one of the best defenders in our league over there - it’s been that good. So, that’s surprising to me. 

“I still expect along the way we might get some growing pains over there, but his athleticism has allowed him to make some really good plays, but what’s impressed me is kind of the calm and the clock over there, you know, because that’s where the lack of experience, just having that clock is such an important thing for an infielder, and he’s done that part of it really well…

“I mean, athletically, obviously he is very gifted. You know, not a big guy, but really a lot of power in there. Obviously, runs incredibly well. You know, has the arm strength, but has that kind of infielder, where he doesn’t have to let it go, it’s very under control stroke that he has over there that’s been impressive.

“I think what Oswaldo Cabrera did a couple years ago coming up here, and we just threw him in the outfield, he looked the part right away. Oswaldo has that kind of versatility, like wherever you put him on the field, he seems comfortable, but Jazz going over there and playing at the level he’s playing at has been impressive.”

Through Sunday, the last game the Yankees played before Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Angels, Chisholm was hitting .300, with four home runs and eight RBI, and a .364 on-base percentage, in seven games with the Bonbers. Since the trade, the Yankees have won seven of their last eight games.