New York Yankees player Jazz Chisholm Jr. proved cleats are not a necessity to score in baseball, earning himself the nickname Shoeless Jazz, like Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 20th century in a remarkable second inning run on Sunday. The 27-year-old athlete lost both of his shoes when he scored from second base in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, which the Yankees ultimately won 4-2.
Chisholm Jr.’s wore a pair of Travis Scott Jordan 1 cleats — the left he lost while running between third and home base, and the right he lost after a collision with Orioles catcher Maverick Handley.
He wore an iteration of Scott’s cleats that featured a dark Swoosh against a white and cream backdrop, a colorway of the shoe that’s also been showcased by Aaron Judge. Chisholm Jr. has worn Travis Scott’s cleats in the past, previously donning a Reverse Mocha colorway, which garnered an acknowledgment from the rapper on social media. His fashion has also included a KidSuper look for opening day in 2024 with the help of stylist Melanie Boppel.
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In an interview with Yes Network following the win, a reporter asked Chisholm Jr., “When you scored the first run, we could see the first shoe came off before the impact with the catcher. When did the second shoe come off?”
Chisolm Jr. explained, “The second shoe came off with the impact. I’ve never had that happen. I’ve never had someone knock my shoes off. It was actually a surprise. I watched it a couple times and laughed at it, too.”
In addition to the collision, the Bahamian player attributed the unique situation to sweat.
Asked if he’d ever ran out of his shoes before, Chisholm Jr. said, “I think I have one time, but this time I think it’s cause I was so sweaty. My socks were wet, everything just slipped straight out. I’ve never had that happen in that way. Not both at least. Ran out of one, but not both, never had both.”
He was also asked, “Are we supposed to call you Shoeless Jazz Chisholm now?” to which the player asked, “Is that how Shoeless Joe got his name? He ran out of his shoes?”
Told it was the 1910s, Chisholm Jr. joked, “Oh, so he wasn’t wearing shoes.”
The story goes that Shoeless Joe earned his name in 1908 because he took off a pair of new cleats which blistered his feet before he went to bat in a semipro game. The baseball legend has a prominent place in sports and pop culture — he shows up as a ghost played by Ray Liotta, in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.”
The next Yankees game, against the Cincinnati Reds, is scheduled for this evening at 7:10 p.m. in Ohio.