ATLANTA – Standing at third base during a sixth-inning mound visit on Saturday evening, the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. stared toward the Braves' dugout at Truist Park. He appeared to make a crying gesture with his right hand, then waved dismissively.
Chisholm’s target was bench coach Eddie Pérez, who stood on the steps of the home dugout, jawing across the field at the infielder. Chisholm’s ire grew when Pérez pointed toward his own head – a gesture Chisholm and the Yankees interpreted as a threat.
Pérez said that was not the intent. Speaking to MLB.com after the Yankees’ 12-9 victory, Pérez said the Braves took issue with Chisholm’s antics at second base, where he danced off the bag and appeared to relay signs or locations to batter Anthony Volpe – actions that are legal within the rules.
"I was just saying, ‘Be smart,’” Pérez said. “I like that guy. He’s one of my favorites. And he got mad about it. I don’t know why he got mad about it. So I was like, ‘Take it easy,’ and he started doing some [stuff].”
Yankees third-base coach Luis Rojas attempted to defuse the situation in real time, but Chisholm remained heated after returning to the dugout. Still wearing his batting helmet, Chisholm pointed repeatedly to his head as he vented to Aaron Judge and others, mimicking Pérez’s motion.
Chisholm declined to elaborate postgame.
“No comment,” he said Saturday, a stance he reiterated Sunday morning: “If you’re going to ask about yesterday, I have nothing to say.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone suggested after Saturday’s game that Major League Baseball could investigate the exchange.
"I know they were saying some things that will probably be looked at, and should be,” Boone said.
Boone said Sunday he had not spoken with Pérez or Braves manager Brian Snitker about the issue, nor anyone at the league office.
Informed that Pérez said it had nothing to do with threatening Chisholm, Boone replied: “I hope it didn’t, because obviously there’s no place for that. And that’s certainly something that would not be OK. So I hope he didn’t mean anything like that by it, because that would deserve some looking into.”
It is the second time in the past two weeks that the Yankees have made exaggerated hand motions from second base. On July 10 at Yankee Stadium, Cody Bellinger and others acted similarly when Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz was tipping pitches.
“Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet,” Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh said after the Yanks’ 6-5, 10-inning win. “It’s part of the game. It’s our job. We should have known about that going into the series. They made it really hard there at the end.”
Boone said that relaying signs and locations has long been an accepted part of the sport.
“Look, every team now, from the start of the year to the end, you’re trying to find little advantages out there,” Boone said. “You’re trying to find little ways to help you win a ballgame. So that’s all within the parameters of the rules.
“Every team we play against is no different, and we’re not, either. You’re constantly trying to find advantages where you can and where they present themselves in a certain game, and that’s all good.”