As Jazz Chisholm Jr. leaned on the Yankees’ dugout railing during an April 14 game against the Royals, he sized up the prey sitting next to him.
Ever so slightly, the second baseman leaned toward Pat Roessler. The assistant hitting coach flinched, but held his ground. That’s when Chisholm went for the kill, sinking his teeth into Roessler’s shoulder.
#PIM New York Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr and Pat Roessler bite April 14, 2025 pic.twitter.com/WXioj4ClYH
— judgtanier (@vo11pe) April 15, 2025
OK, so the incident wasn’t actually violent. Far from it, in fact.
However, Chisholm has been celebrating home runs by affectionately biting Roessler since spring training.
What’s up with that?
“I don’t know!” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson told the Daily News. “I wish I could give you an answer to that one.”
“He’s nuts,” added a laughing Roessler, who goes by the nickname “Six.”
Chisholm is not trying to be baseball’s version of Mike Tyson, though. He had an entirely different explanation for his nibbles.
“It’s just my love, man,” Chisholm told The News. “I’m just showing love.”
Jazz is having some fun with hitting coach Pat Roessler 😆#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/ROohOSc6BF
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 30, 2025
The 27-year-old, ultra-colorful Chisholm and the 65-year-old, reserved Roessler may make for an unlikely pair. Yet the two grew close after the Yankees acquired the former from the Marlins last summer.
“He works with me every day, talks to me every day,” Chisholm said. “He treats all of us like his sons, and you can’t ask for better from a hitting coach. To always be there for you no matter what you’re going through, nothing changes. He stays by your side.”
Chisholm went on to say that Roessler encouraged him throughout a recent 0-for-24 skid. Chisholm, hindered by his distaste for cold weather, broke out of that funk with a home run on April 13. That called for an attack on Roessler.
The YES Network captured the infielder, who entered Wednesday’s game with six home runs this season, chomping on the coach again the very next night.
While Chisholm and Roessler are just beginning their first full season together, Rowson coached Chisholm in Miami from 2020-2022. But Rowson has never been bitten by Chisholm.
“Which is good!” Rowson said. “You know what, though? You never know man. I love it because he’s having fun. That’s the main thing. He’s having fun, and Six has got some bite marks, apparently, on different places.”
Asked about those markings, Roessler lightheartedly waved off the question and said he’s all good.
“He’s very playful,” the coach said of Chisholm. “That’s all.”
