‘A super important day’: Marlins’ Chisholm, Nats’ Fox make history for Bahamian baseball
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. gestures at first after his single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Washington. The Marlins won 2-1. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)")
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Lucius Fox didn’t just grow up both dreaming of playing in MLB. Ever since they were children growing up in the Bahamas, they dreamed of playing together.
On Wednesday, they achieved another part of their collective lifelong goal. Although they aren’t teammates, the 24-year-old middle infielders shared a field for the first time at Nationals Park, becoming the first pair of Bahamians to play in the same Major League game since 1961.
“It was a super important day,” said Chisholm, who went 2 of 3 with a walk Wednesday to help the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals, 2-1. “I just can’t wait to see what we have in the future.”
Chisholm and Fox are two of only nine Bahamians to play in the majors, and both have debuted in the past two years.
Chisholm is already a star second baseman, with the third-best slugging percentage in the National League after a dazzling rookie season in 2021. Fox is still searching for his first career hit after going 0 of 4 on Wednesday.
“I was really hoping he got his first hit today, too,” Chisholm said. “It would’ve been even crazier.”
They first met as Little League teammates in the Bahamas and even spent a few years living together when they were teenagers, striving for a shared dream.
They both were members of the 2015 international signing class — Fox netted the class’ biggest signing bonus with a $6 million deal from the San Francisco Giants and Chisholm signed for just $200,000 with the Arizona Diamondbacks — and took divergent paths until they finally met again this week in Washington.
Chisholm was the Marlins’ prize of a trade-deadline deal with the Diamondbacks in 2019 and secured an everyday spot in their lineup as a rookie in 2021. Fox got designated for assignment by the Giants in the offseason and, for a moment, Chisholm really thought the two infielders would get to be teammates as Miami, he said, was interested in the rookie shortstop.
“As kids, we talked about playing together, and I know it almost happened this offseason when he got DFA’ed,” Chisholm said. “That day is going to be one of the sickest days ever for me, is if we get to play together. That’s the day that everything’s going to fall in line like what we talked about a long time ago.”
Until then, this three-game series between the Marlins and Nationals was exciting enough. During batting practice Wednesday, Chisholm sought out Fox and filmed a quick selfie video of the two childhood friends, calling him, “big bro.” Chisholm said the two plan on swapping jerseys Thursday after the series finale.
For Chisholm and Fox, it was just another chance to build up baseball in their homeland.
In the winter, Chisholm went home to the Bahamas for the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby and helped run a kids’ clinic. He noticed children doing a toe-tap swing, emulating Chisholm in the same way he once emulated Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, and it a brought a tear to his eye, he said.
“You see so much superstars, you see so much kids with talent,” Chisholm said, “and it hit me.”
Marlins option Castano, recall Pop
Miami optioned Daniel Castano back to Triple A Jacksonville on Thursday ahead of its series finale in Washington, hoping to keep the starting pitcher fresh in case the Marlins need some rotation depth at some point this season.
Castano, who started four games last season and six in 2020, has only appeared in two games so far this year, closing out two games in non-save situations.
“It’s more than anything to get Danny innings, keep him built up,” manager Don Mattingly said. “If we need starter depth somewhere down the road, we need to keep him alive, keep innings under his belt, pitches under his belt.”
Miami previously optioned Castano to the minors on April 17, then recalled him April 20 after relief pitcher Paul Campbell went on the injured list. Castano did not appear in a game in this most recent Major League stint and has tossed two innings with four hits, no runs and two strikeouts this season.
The Marlins recalled relief pitcher Zach Pop from the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to take Castano’s place. They’ll ask him to fill the same multi-inning relief role they envisioned for Castano, Mattingly said.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 10:14 AM.
