The ‘greatest in the world’ with an Olympic dream for Team GBImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jazz Chisholm Jr is a household name in New York, but could he be about to make it big in Great Britain?ByAlex UnderwoodBBC Sport Assistant ProducerPublished49 minutes agoHe’s a Major League Baseball star who could be in line to represent Team GB at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.And Jazz Chisholm Jr’s New York Yankees team-mates tell him regularly just how good he is.”Sometimes they’ve seen me dragging a little bit lately,” he stated in a post-match interview last month. “So they’ve been saying: ‘Let’s not forget who you are. You’re the greatest in the world… you are Jazz Chisholm.'”Chisholm exudes a self-confidence that has endeared him to Yankees fans well versed in big personalities and supportive of those who embrace their huge expectations.Just this week he made headlines for a video in which he was asked to stay silent until he heard the name of a better player than himself.He didn’t say a word – even when the reporter mentioned team-mate Aaron Judge, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Yankees ever.But behind the sometimes brash front, there is a humble side to Chisholm.From the Bahamas…Born in Nassau – the capital city of the Bahamas – Chisholm was raised mainly by his grandparents.His maternal grandmother – Patricia Coakley – had been the star player of the nation’s softball team. She began teaching her grandson how to hit a baseball from the age of two, and encouraged him to play with swagger and flair.His paternal grandmother – Judy Chisholm – also played a vital role in keeping his baseball ambitions on track.When Jazz was 12, he moved to Wichita in Kansas to attend boarding school – the best route to give himself a chance of becoming a professional athlete.He soon became severely homesick and wanted to go home but Judy convinced him to tough it out.After graduating and returning to the Bahamas, he was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks through the international scouting process….to Team GB?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Chisholm wore a Union flag-inspired glove for the World Baseball ClassicBahamians are eligible to play for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic – an international competition that is the closest thing the sport has to a World Cup.Chisholm was part of the squad for this year’s tournament in March – just weeks before the MLB season – and did not disappoint, captaining the team and batting in three runs in an 8-1 defeat of Brazil.He has made no secret of his desire to represent Britain at the Olympics, but there are several hurdles to overcome.First, the team have to qualify.Only one European nation can book their spot in LA when qualifying takes place next year. The competition is open, but GB would probably have to go further than Italy, who unexpectedly beat the USA in reaching the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic.Then there are the eligibility criteria. Only athletes who are legally British citizens can compete for Team GB at the Olympics, so Chisholm would have to apply for a British passport.The final sticking point is the Olympics fall right in the middle of the MLB season, so an agreement still needs to be reached to release players.An 11-day mid-season break is the recent proposal that may suit all sides as the MLB aims to minimise disruption to its season and the International Olympic Committee looks to ensure it is able to showcase the game’s best players.”I think when you see an Olympic competition, you expect to see best on best,” IOC sports director Pierre Ducrey told the BBC.”That’s what we delivered, for example, in ice hockey in Milan-Cortina with the return of the National Hockey League, and we hope we can see that materialising in LA.
“Baseball is a sport proposed by LA28, so they are leading those conversations but we, of course, support as much as we can with the hope that come 2028, we’re going to see the best of the best going at it in the Dodgers Stadium.”
