The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Miami Marlins celebrated rising star Jazz Chisholm Jr and “Bahamian Heritage Night” at Loan Depot Park with a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Chisholm scored the game’s first run on Jesus Aguilar’s sac fly in the first inning but the celebration from the pregame festivities, to the final out centred around Jazz and franchise’s connection to The Bahamas.

Scores of Bahamian supporters, both local and based in the United States, were on hand at Loan Depot Park. Julien Believe performed the Bahamian national anthem and fans were treated to a Junkanoo rush out on the stadium’s West Plaza. Ticket packages also included an exclusive Bahamian Heritage t-shirt.

Chisholm has taken the Miami, Florida area by storm with his bright blue coloured hair and his spectacular performance as a starting infielder at shortstop and second base.

The Marlins also currently have three Bahamians at various levels of their farm system - Ian Lewis, Andre Arthur and Steven Adderley.

Chisholm’s grandmother, Patricia Coakley, told Bally Sports that his love for the game and natural instincts were apparent from an early age.

“Jazz is a special child, and he was born with that. That was a gift God gave him. It didn’t matter whether I was good or not, he wanted to be good, so I helped him to become good at it. I just gave him the love and basics of the game and he ran with it. At the age of three he first asked ‘Grammy can I bat’ and I gave him the bat, he asked what to do with it and I told him - hit the ball - and he did. So he was born with this, it’s nothing new to him,” she said.

“He’s aggressive, he’s talented, he’s gifted. He has everything that God has placed in him so I tell him to give God back something. In all his life playing, even as a young boy playing with the guys 15, 16 years old, I was afraid, but I trusted God. He wanted to do this and he did it.”

In Sunday’s series finale, Chisholm went 1-5 and scored a run in the Braves’ 6-4 win. Chisholm doubled to centrefield in the seventh inning before he was eventually plated on a Starling Marte single.

“Looking at him today and watching him in person I don’t know how to describe how I feel. I always tell him to stop worrying about me because the credit goes to God for what you have accomplished. From a child to know he is that same Jazz, he hasn’t changed. He likes to play around, he likes to laugh and joke and so we knew he was going to be something great so we just keep praying for him,” Coakley said.

“When I heard he was chosen by the Marlins I was so grateful. When I heard he was called up, what joy I had, but it wasn’t because of what I did, it was because of what God did for him and what motivation he has for this game, he loves this game. This is Jazz, he lives this everyday, he eats it he sleeps it, he walks it, he talks it.”

After suffering a left hamstring strain on April 17, Chisholm was placed on the 10-day disabled list. During his rehab stint with Triple-A Jacksonville, he hit .444, slugged .500 with an .889 OPS, a home run and four RBIs in three games and nine at-bats.

Since his return, he has homered twice and continues to lead the Marlins in several statistical categories.

In 41 games this season, Chisholm is hitting .281 with an .841 OPS, slugging .490 with 43 hits, 75 total bases, 23 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 22 RBI, and a team leading nine stolen bases.

Chisholm, 23, is the seventh Bahamian to reach the Major Leagues.

He follows in the footsteps of 37-year-old Antoan Richardson, who played with the Braves in 2011 and the New York Yankees in 2014, but upon retirement, is now the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants.

They joined five other Bahamians, all deceased, who played in the Majors. They were Andre Rodgers, Tony Curry, Ed Armbrister, Wenty Ford and Wilfred Culmer. Armbrister, known for his controversial bunt, went on to win two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds.

Chisholm signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in July, 2015. On July 31, 2019, the Diamondbacks traded Chisholm to the Marlins for pitcher Zac Gallen.