For the New York sports media, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a gift from Heaven. For the fans, not so much.
An endless source of tabloid back-page copy, Chisholm again provided material for the headline writers after his New York Yankees were swept out of the American League Division Series by the Tampa Bay Rays. After the Yankees dropped a 4-3 decision in Game 3 on Wednesday and were booed off the field at Yankee Stadium, the always-quotable Chisholm was asked if hearing the boos "hurt" him.
Chisholm's response? The boos didn't hurt him, but his actual reaction might have been even worse.
"It doesn't hurt," Chisholm told reporters, as seen in a video post to X by SNY Yankees. "It's just confusing because it's the playoffs and we're trying to win games. So you're booing a guy that's playing, trying to help the team win."
There are a lot of emotions a player can feel when he's booed. In the Yankees' case, confusion shouldn't have been one of them.
The Yankees threw the ball around the yard throughout the series, to the extent that poor defensive decision-making and execution was one of the hallmark reasons they lost. The boneheaded defensive miscues -- combined with some maddening baserunning -- were series-altering in light of two of the three contests being one-run games.
Chisholm's season was a disaster compared to what was expected out of him. He mustered only a .711 OPS and 19 home runs, which are paltry numbers for a left-handed hitter who is supposed to be All-Star caliber. He finished the ALDS 0-for-8 with one walk in three games.
Chisholm, 28, is a free agent. He picked a terrible time to have a down season after 1 1/2 strong seasons in New York, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Yankees decide not to bring him back. If he returns in an opponent's uniform, hopefully Chisholm isn't as confused by the boos.