Baseball season is finally kicking back into high gear. This brings the wonderful crack of the bat as the ball soars out of the park, and the subsequent toss of a bat, as the batter begins his trot around the bases. It’s all good fun, as we’ve seen the tweets of MLB’s “BatCast” – a nice parody of their StatCast. However, the bat flip causes some backlash, but is it truly warranted?
Unfortunately, these fun moments to excite a crowd often anger opposing players and fans. The above bat flip caused one of these such moments between division rivals.
As you can see, Keller intentionally drills Anderson. The White Sox SS walks to first base, shouting at Keller. He doesn’t charge the mound, and he doesn’t push the catcher away. The benches clear, both managers get chippy with each other, and by the end of it, Tim Anderson, Brad Keller, and White Sox Manager Rick Renteria were ejected.
Almost immediately, there was controversy regarding Anderson’s ejection. But, on April 19, it was announced that Tim Anderson was going to be suspended a game for using “racially charged language” during the bench-clearing (Keller was suspended five games for intentionally throwing at Anderson).
Since then, analysts, players, and fans alike have defended the White Sox shortstop. There’s also been a lot of hate directed at Anderson for being “unsportsmanlike” – something that he’s perhaps unfairly faced during his tenure with the White Sox.
Controversy Starts With A Bat flip
This whole incident started with that bat flip (well, bat toss, but we’ll stay with the more common term for now) following Tim Anderson’s HR to give the White Sox an early two-run lead. Of course, opinions over bat flips have been conflicting for the past few years. Jose Bautista’s bat flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS is one of the most iconic baseball photos in recent years. In an electric playoff atmosphere, this bat flip ignited the crowd and served as an exclamation mark on the series victory.
The following year, when the Blue Jays and Rangers faced off against each other, Bautista was hit with a pitch, then punched in the face by Rangers 2B Rougned Odor after a risky slide by Bautista. The grudge harbored by the Rangers after Bautista’s moonshot and subsequent bat flip became apparent.
Odubel Herrera, Yasiel Puig, and Bryce Harper are all famous for their bat flips. The trend has become more and more common, with most players joining in on the celebration after a HR.
Of course, players are often the biggest critics of bat flips. Brad Keller was obviously not a fan of Anderson’s. Former San Francisco Giant Aubrey Huff didn’t like the White Sox’s shortstops bat flip either, tossing some shade at Anderson in a tweet. The Rangers took offense to Bautista’s bat flip. A bat flip by then Houston Astro Carlos Gomez caused some anger from the Yankees as well.
With All This Controversy, Who Likes Bat Flips Then?
Simple. The bat flip benefits the people that the game is being played for: the fans. There are some traditionalists who’ll vehemently oppose any sort of action that “changes the game.” However, the bat flip causes excitement. It gives fans a signal to cheer. It excites the crowd, gives the fans a good time, and motivates the home team. Conversely, a bat flip gives a visiting player a chance to quiet down a raucous crowd.
Scoring celebrations have become common across all sports. Hockey players have distinct celebrations after their goals, as do soccer players. Recently, the NFL has allowed TD celebrations (which has led to some excellently-choreographed celebrations). And, of course, NBA players have a multitude of celebrations.
From Michael Jordan’s iconic shrug, to Dikembe Mutombo’s finger wag, to Stephen Curry’s shimmies, to LeBron James’ “silencer,” to Russell Westbrook’s “rock the baby,” basketball players really have no shortage of celebrations (unless we’re talking about Kawhi Leonard). It’s normal for these athletes/entertainers to celebrate after creating a highlight. Their fans love them for these celebrations (and opposing fans sometimes hate them for the same reason).
The Bat Flip Is Good For Baseball
Baseball has often been criticized for being slow and unexciting, especially in comparison to the hyper-athletic modern NBA and NFL. The bat flip allows baseball to appeal to fans who want to be excited along with their favorite players.
In short: if seeing opposing players celebrate after scoring on your team makes you angry, you should get more excited when your team creates a highlight as well. Baseball is entertainment, and its players are still entertainers. Let them show passion for the game they play if they so choose. And, for the players themselves: don’t drill them. Use the celebration as motivation to get that player out next time. So, I look forward to seeing more bat flips in baseball throughout the season. It’s still good for baseball.