It was the bottom of the 7th inning of the 2015 American League Division Series. Jose Bautista is up to bat and visibly angry over what had transpired in the top of the 7th inning. Texas Rangers pitcher Sam Dyson is pitching, and the Rangers had already committed two errors that inning to put runners at the corners. I'm going to be the first to admit it...if Elvis Andrus did not commit those errors, the "epic bat flip" would not even be a storyline. There is a time and a place to "showboat" and ultimately be arrogant and honestly, Jose Bautista may be the nicest man on the planet but on that ball field, he becomes just that: arrogant. With all of this being said, here is the question: To flip or not to flip?
Here are some arguments as to why as a ballplayer you should ultimately NOT flip the bat in a rage of showboating. Too many athletes, young and old, are looking up to these players and as they get older, we wonder why they are SO ARROGANT! We as parents and coaches need to get back to the old school of playing and that is good sportsmanship. Tell me what has happened to it? I'll tell you what happened. Too many parents are PUSHING their children to be athletes and the best ones at that. Anything less than that is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Do I want my child to be the best at what he/she does? Absolutely! But I will not as a parent or a coach push them to be something that they are not because when you have done that as a parent or as a coach you have ultimately failed.
In the short scheme of things, I understand that pitchers are arrogant and sometimes they push the hitters' buttons...but in this case, just lay the bat down, and watch the homerun running around the bases. Instead, Jose Bautista whom many in the league call arrogant themselves has to hit the homerun, stare down the pitcher, and then throw the bat in the direction of the opposing team's dugout. Honestly, I don't see this as anything more than showboating. One of my best friend's growing up in the DFW area was an Arlington Martin baseball powerhouse in his days, Marquelle Williams. One of my favorite things to do back in those days was to either watch him play or play against him. He was the best ballplayer that I know and could light up a field, but at no point during the games I played against him or with him did he ever do this. He was a true gentleman to the game and played the game ultimately the way it was supposed to be played.
Now for the arguments as to why you can as a ballplayer can flip the bat. When you make it to the level of play that ballplayers like Jose Bautista have made it to you ultimately DON'T GIVE A FLYING RATS HINEY as to what the masses are saying. Caught up in a moment of adrenaline rush in what could be one of the biggest games of the year Jose Bautista has every right to let his emotions show. Also, like I said at the top of this post had it not been for the errors committed by the Rangers in that bottom of the 7th inning we ultimately would NOT even be discussing this topic. If Elvis Andrus makes those outs and if Sam Dyson comes in and puts up 0'S things would have been different in the short schemes of things. So while I may NOT agree with the "epic bat flip" it was totally just as much on the Texas Rangers errors and Sam Dyson pitching it to Baustista's sweet spot as it was on Jose Bautista and that "annoying" bat flip.
What are your thoughts on the "epic bat flip"? Would you as a coach have a preference? Ultimately, the question is: to flip or not to flip?
Below is a video from YouTube:
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