New York Yankees star rips baseball, saying it is a 'white sport'

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In the typically buttoned-up sport of baseball, Jazz Chisholm never has been afraid to stand out.

The New York Yankees infielder has made waves in his relatively short career, often wearing jewelry and flashy accessories that some have felt violate the so-called ‘unwritten rules’ of baseball.

While his colourful approach to the game has drawn plenty of criticism, Chisholm says that it’s the colour of his skin that is big issue in a sport where there are fewer Black athletes every year.

“I don’t want to say this. Baseball is a white sport. I feel like white people criticize everything that a Black man does. Black men are outspoken. They say what’s on their minds,” he told The Athletic.

“The unwritten rules of baseball are white. And I always broke the unwritten rules of baseball.”

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After making his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2020, Chisholm wasted no time showing off some of his flair with customized cleats. But veteran Miguel Rojas took exception to them and cut up one pair with scissors while ruining another by pouring milk on them.

“Nobody would ever cut up my cleats or throw my things away if I were white,” Chisholm claimed. “I’ll tell you right now, if this was a white boy’s stuff, you weren’t gonna cut that s*** up because if a white boy goes and complains, now everybody’s f***ed. I go and complain, and it’s not that big of a deal.

“It’s ‘let’s try and find a solution for this.’ But if a white boy goes and complains, nah, f*** that.”

Whether it was a bit of rookie hazing or the veteran trying to send a message, it was no secret that Chisholm and Rojas didn’t get along.

The youngster also didn’t make it a secret that he was happy to be dealt from Miami to New York last season, too.

According to MLB statistics, just 6% of players on opening day rosters last year were Black — the lowest figure since 1991.

The league’s percentage of Black players hasn’t been in double-digits since 2008 while the figure stayed between 17% to 19% from 1973 to 1988.

Chisholm and the AL champion Yankees open their regular season on Thursday afternoon at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.

During his five-year career, Chisholm has hit .249 with 77 home runs and 228 RBIs while stealing 99 bases and scoring 241 runs. He made the NL all-star team with Miami in 2022 and was the cover star of MLB The Show 23.