During Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. got tossed in the 7th inning. It was over a called third strike, and he got into it with home-plate umpire John Bacon.
Minutes later, he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” which was quickly deleted, but not before it got attention and people asking about discipline. MLB has rules against using electronic devices during games, and players are not allowed to criticize umpires under the MLBPA’s social media policy.
The Incident: What Happened on the Field?
It all started when Rays reliever Mason Montgomery threw a 3-2 fastball that Chisholm thought was below the zone. Bacon called it a strike and ended the at-bat. Chisholm immediately went to Bacon and television cameras caught him mouthing, “That was not close.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone came out of the dugout to try to calm things down but it was too late. As Chisholm walked away still talking he was tossed from the game. Chisholm threw his helmet towards the dugout and then headed to the clubhouse.
Chisholm’s Reaction: A Player Speaks Out
After the 6-3 win Chisholm said he posted on X “right away” from the clubhouse. When asked if he was worried about the consequences he said bluntly: “I don’t care.” He added: “I did what I did. I can live with that.”
Despite his outburst Chisholm said he regretted how he handled the situation. “I feel like a lot of stuff hasn’t been going my way but that doesn’t give me an excuse to go out there and act like that,” he said. “I have emotions. I know I’ve acted like that in the past but that’s what I really worked on to get past now.”
Chisholm said he’s made a lot of progress on controlling his emotions. He pointed out he didn’t get ejected last season—a big change from previous years when he was getting tossed multiple times a year. “Everybody makes mistakes,” he said. “I get emotional when I think I’m right.”
Aaron Boone Weighs In: Managing Emotions in the Heat of the Moment
When asked if Chisholm needed to find a better way to manage his emotions Boone said: “I’d like to be the one going there.” He was referring to stepping in to argue with the umpire himself. “It happens every now and then. Hopefully in the future that’s me.”He’s not too hard on them. “I don’t like our guys going [there] but I get it’s tough to lay off a 3-2 pitch like that. I get there’s going to be emotion there.”
Chisholm’s Struggles at the Plate
Chisholm’s tantrum may have been a one-off, but his season reflects bigger issues. Through 19 games, 6 of his 12 hits have been home runs. But overall: .272 OBP and a concerning trend of swinging and missing. Chisholm is 4th to last in the league in in-zone contact rate (69.4%) behind only Rafael Devers, Gabriel Arias, and Matt Wallner.
Missing in-zone pitches likely contributed to his reaction on the 3-2 count. As Boone said, missing a borderline pitch can be frustrating for any hitter, but especially for one trying to get back in rhythm.
League Investigates: What’s Next for Chisholm?
An MLB spokesperson said the league is looking into it. If Chisholm violated the MLBPA’s social media policy or other conduct guidelines, he could be fined or suspended. Chisholm seems unfazed by the possibility of discipline, but the incident raises questions about how players navigate the line between expressing frustration and following the rules.