DETROIT – It’s not exactly a Lollipopapalooza, but sucking on a lollipop on the field has created a bit of a stir for the pinstripers.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a green lollipop in his mouth during Monday night’s 5-3 loss against the Tigers. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday morning on Jomboy Media’s “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast: “That pisses me off.”
Boone was asked about it Tuesday afternoon in his pregame media interview in the dugout at Comerica Park and said, “I talked to him about it, and it should be over with. I mean, let’s face it. I was annoyed by it. I addressed it. And at the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal.”
After Tuesday's 4-3 win, Chisholm picked up another green apple pop from his locker and said, “I’m about to crush that.”
Then he explained that Boone said he simply wanted him “to be safe” in case a screaming liner came his way with a lollipop in his mouth.
The manager’s message: “Keep having fun, but be safe.”
What prompted him to take the field with the lollipop?
“The reason why it took so long was because I was trying to bite through it,” said Chisholm. “My teeth were not letting me get through it. It was like a brand new lollipop. So, I was trying to bite, bite, bite. By the time I got to bite it off, it was too late. It was already on TV.
“I normally cut off the stem [stick]. I need something to distract me a bit.”
He concluded, “I’m playing a kids game and having fun. So, I don’t think it’s a bad look. It’s a safety issue.”
The manager makes a point of getting to know his players, and was asked if that makes conversations like that easier.
“Maybe,” said Boone. “But, I mean, I didn’t know about it during the game until after I was made aware of it. So, it just bothered me, and it was addressed. I don’t think that should be a part of what we’re doing.”
There weren’t any balls hit to the infield during the fifth inning, when Chisholm was sucking on the lollipop, and so nothing happened near Chisholm during the frame.
Chisholm went 1-for-4 in the game against the Tigers, and is batting .226 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. His 23 stolen bases are third in the American League and fourth in the Majors. He’s the first Yankee with at least 23 steals in the club’s first 77 games since Brett Gardner in 2010.