Veteran leadership in the locker room is an important aspect of any organization across the spectrum of all athletics. Miguel Rojas has emerged as one of the leaders in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse over the years, but former teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. has often not had positive things to say about their time together on the Miami Marlins.
In the past, Chisholm has spoken out about the unwelcoming environment for rookies in the Marlins clubhouse that he believes was created Rojas and other veterans.
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In the latest development, Chisholm accused Rojas of further punitive actions, including destruction of his cleats. This poor treatment was confirmed by someone who was present in the Marlins clubhouse at the time Chisholm claimed Rojas took scissors to and poured milk in his cleats.
While there are two sides to every story, it is hard to make a determination as Rojas does not wish to discuss the situation around him and Chisholm further, according to Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic:
“I mean, it’s more of the same,” Rojas said before the Dodgers’ home opener Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. “There’s people who are going to air out what’s happening in a clubhouse and I’m not really going to talk about it. I have my own opinions on what transpired, but I’m going to be professional and keep it in-house.”
“As much as I want to talk and I want to say something, I know who I am and people who really know me, they know who I am. I don’t need to defend myself because of my trajectory in baseball. The only thing I can say is the people who know me, they know what kind of person I am and I’m not going to be living in 2018 anymore, or 2019, 2020, whatever it was.”
Whether or not what Chisholm said is fully accurate, Rojas has found his place with the Dodgers and his new teammates have nothing but positive things to say about his presence in the clubhouse.
While it would be disappointing if what Chisholm alleges is true, people are allowed to learn and grow from their past mistakes. The Dodgers could simply be a better environment for Rojas to thrive in because it is mostly filled with established veterans and a strong culture.
Miguel Rojas gifts No. 11 to Roki Sasaki
As part of the Dodgers’ pursuit of Roki Sasaki in the offseason, Rojas very selflessly gave up his No. 11 jersey to the young phenom without looking for anything in return.
The gesture meant a lot to Sasaki, who was moving to a new country and joining a new team, all at the at the age of 23 years old, and he thanked Rojas anyway with a custom gift.
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