Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm floats like a butterfly, stings like a … ‘winky dink’!
· Yahoo Sports
KANSAS CITY — Yankees fans who are old enough to remember the real House that Ruth Built — the original Yankee Stadium, not the refurbished cookie-cutter version — will recall when boxing rivaled baseball in popularity, especially when Muhammad Ali was in the ring.
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The strategy that The Greatest famously used in his fight with George Foreman on Oct. 30, 1974 in Zaire — “The Rumble in the Jungle” — came up Monday after the Yankees rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Royals 4-3 in a Memorial Day matinee.
Manager Aaron Boone mentioned the legendary heavyweight championship bout after watching Jazz Chisholm come up limping following a ninth-inning, stand-up double that put two runners in scoring position for Anthony Volpe, whose single scored both baserunners for a Yankees lead that held up.
What happened with Chisholm at second base?
“I think he was rope-a-doping,” Boone quipped.
Immediately realizing much of his office and TV-viewing audience were out of the loop, he said, “For those of you … that’s Muhammad Ali."
Getting serious, Boone added, “No, I think he tweaked his ankle a little bit, but I think he’s OK.”
In Africa 52 years ago, Ali’s rope-a-dope tactics involved leaning on the ropes and covering his head with his gloves while Foreman tired himself out throwing punches that were blocked. By round eight, Ali won by knockout.
The Chisholm connection?
Boone was just poking fun at Chisholm, a flashy player who usually makes a big deal out of everything he does.
Chisholm’s ankle tweak sure didn’t stop him from celebrating with a little showboating on the bag … or from staying in the game and moments later running full speed to score from second on a headfirst dive home after Volpe followed the double with a single to left.
Chisholm often provides the most entertaining quotes in the Yankees clubhouse, so NJ.com went to him following Boone’s post-game interview, hoping for a colorful take.
A 28-year-old from The Bahamas, Chisholm was asked if he ever heard of rope-a-dope.
“Rope-a-dope?” Chisholm said with a confused look and a smile. “Like winky dink?”
Chisholm then was accused by his manager of rope-a-doping.
“Is that when you pretend like you’re hurt, then you go do something?” Chisholm asked.
That wasn’t a bad guess.
“Just like a winky dink,” Chisholm added.
Did Chisholm make that up?
Probably, but ...
“Winky Dink and You” was a Saturday morning children’s TV show on CBS from 1953-57 that featured an animated little boy named Winky Dink.
Anyway, Chisholm said he turned an ankle rounding first base on his double and needed a minute to walk it off while Boone and a Yankees trainer were out at second base checking on him.
“I still can feel it right now, I’ll tell you that,” Chisholm said about the game. “I’m good. Got to stay in there and score a run. Play the game.”
Some ankle pain didn’t sour Chisholm’s mood. The Yankees have won two in a row after dropping 10 of 14 and Chisholm’s slow start has turned into a hot streak. He was hitting .200 through May 12, but has climbed to .247 after hitting .425 with two homers and five RBI over his last 11 games.
On Monday, Chisholm was on base twice with a walk and a double in four plate appearances.
Chisholm’s hit was just as big as Volpe’s.
The Yankees had a runner on first base with one out in the ninth with the Royals leading 3-2 when Chisholm hit a hard grounder past first baseman Salvador Perez into right field.
For most players, the hit would have been a single, advancing pinch-hitter Max Schuemann from first to third — but the speedy Chisholm turned it into a hustling double that put the go-ahead run into scoring position for Volpe.
“Good at-bat by Jazz there to sneak it past the first baseman, and to get to second base was not a given by any means,” Boone said.
By the way, Chisholm’s double-play partner on Monday was a little familiar with rope-a-dope.
“I heard of it, but I didn’t make the Ali connection,” Volpe said.
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