With that being said... it's not perfect. I probably should shed a few pounds. I'd love to own a bigger home. I have report cards due next week. I still need to build and ship out a boatload of care packages. And I often worry about my future. My family's future. Our country's future.
One of my biggest concerns is the direction our awesome country is headed. It feels like with each passing year, we're moving towards a Cupcake Society. What's that? It's a world where everyone receives a trophy. It's a world where we can't raise our voices or hands to misbehaving children. It's a world where you can't tell a joke without offending at least one person in the room. And it's a world where athletes can't celebrate without offending the opposing team.
C'mon man! Let the man flip his bat.
It was the biggest hit of his career. The crowd was going wild. His teammates were going wild. He just broke the game open. Of course he flipped his bat! If I hit that ball, I would have done the exact same thing. And no... not to disrespect the Texas Rangers and their fans. It would have been the same way I threw up my cap at graduation... out of excitement.
Don't get the wrong idea. I'm all about respect. Heck... I even empathize with Mr. Dyson. If I threw the pitch that led to a three-run home run, I'd be pretty bummed out too. I might even shed a tear.
2013 Topps Five Star Autographs #FSBA-JB
The one thing I wouldn't do is tell Joey Bats to "calm that down" and "respect the game a little more" after doing nothing more than throwing his bat in the air in celebration.
Will little kids imitate Batista? I hope so. Baseball is suppose to be entertaining. I understand that players should respect the game, but he never went out of his way to disrespect the Rangers. He didn't point at the pitcher. He didn't spit at the feet of an infielder. He didn't blow raspberries at their dugout.
He celebrated.
The day we remove player celebrations from the game will be the day a huge part of the game dies. Well... that's my opinion... and I'm sticking to it.
What are your thoughts?
Please feel free to deposit your 2¢ off down below in the comment section. Happy Thursday and sayonara!
What are your thoughts?
Was Bautista being disrespectful? Is bat flipping a sign of disrespect? Are you for or against respectful player celebrations?
Please feel free to deposit your 2¢ off down below in the comment section. Happy Thursday and sayonara!
I qualify as an old school, throwback get-off-my-lawn old fart but....I thought the Bautista bat toss was beyond awesome...in the context of that moment. Hey, if it happened in the third inning of a May game on a Thursday afternoon game in Arizona that opinion might change but given the way that whole thing played out, the emotions, the crowd, what was on the line......I am glad I was watching. I still can't believe how crazy fun that was.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. Loved the whole moment. Dyson should be pissed at himself.
DeleteI LOVED IT!
ReplyDeleteI also used to be adamantly against the whole Generation Cupcake idea...and I still dislike the term...but I totally agree today's kids are very soft.
Amen Fuji! I agree with you (andCommishbob & SpastikMooss) 100%. The bat flip was epic and society is getting too soft. I may even start a small Joey Bats collection in honor of the bat flip.
ReplyDeleteHey, the term Cupcake Society is disrespectful to cupcakes, I'm offended for cupcakes! Lol ;).
ReplyDeleteI'm all for players celebrating. Emotions bring out the best (and worst) in people, and baseball players are still technically people.
That said, this whole entire bat flip/play the game the right way garbage just seems like a cover for the real issue, Whites vs Latinos.
In the heat of the moment, it was a fun and great reaction to an epic blast.
ReplyDeleteThat being said - he will get drilled with a fastball his first at bat against Texas in 2016. Those are the unwritten rules of the game. As much as I support Joey Bats and the flip, I support Texas plunking him for showing them up.
I support j bats. Biggest hit for Toronto in twenty plus years. Celebrate!
ReplyDeleteThe whole issue is a crock and shows what a mess MLB is. That wasn't even a proper bat flip. It wasn't part of the swing, he just tossed it after the fact. Go watch some Hideki Matsui or Norihiro Nakamura home run videos from Japan to see proper bat flippery.
ReplyDeletePitchers batting is dumb.
ReplyDeleteOh sorry that wasn't the question. No issue with the bat flip. You big a ball that far, you can do what you want.
*hit a ball that far.
DeleteHe was in the moment and didn't mean any disrespect. It was totally ok. I'm scared of what my kids are going to have to deal with in the future. Selig screwed up the game already, and if some of these Cupcake Generation people get ahold of the game we may be watching the San Diego Care Bears playing the Dallas Ponies with no DH, no celebrating, and nobody will be able to make an out because somebody's feelings will get hurt. Discipline your kids and say what you feel as long as you are respectful about it, and don't be afraid to celebrate like Bautista in a big moment.
ReplyDeletePlaying Soccer as a kid, Once we were told by the referee to celebrate a little more, As we were a successful team. We always respected the opponents & the game. We would always offer our hand in victory or defeat. But the most important thing we did was train, We would train Twice a week & played for love of the game. When we lost we would focus our training on the mistakes we made, & we played to our strength, from age 8-13 we had 90% the same team as day 1. If I was a substitute you wouldn't find me sat down uninterested, but relaying information from the sideline.
ReplyDeleteIf you never lose, you never learn. Lerarning is the evolution of oneself.
You live by the sword, you die by the sword.
ReplyDeleteFor those who do not like Bautista's 'theatrics,' I think this the generation of kids being raised with all this cupcake / participation trophy backlash / whining - let kids be kids and if they are too soft, maybe they aren't meant to play sports anyway.
Instead of being taught to have a good time, these kids who are taught to look down at participation trophies and just being a kid - for those lucky enough to grow up to be professional athletes, they turn into bat flipping monsters whose antics piss off the 'play the game the right way' crowd.
How many times do we have to see a pitcher fist pump or yell at the umpire? The bat flip was more than warranted. It wasn't like this was some ho hum game in May. Enjoy the moment. I think it would be impossible not to have some time of reaction the way the stadium exploded.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Zippy that there is some subtle racism against the flashiness of the latin players.
commish - agree. context plays a role in many situations... including this one.
ReplyDeletearpsmith - funny you mention that... i'm considering a tribute post to the game's finest flippers
zippy & mr. scott - 100% on your emotions statement. as for whites vs. latin players... if that's true, it's a shame. society evolves. sports do too. we're suppose to be the great melting pot... let the matins bring their swagger.
jedi - i'm sure that will happen. the part i don't agree with is bautista showing them up. but that's just me.
jason - exactly. bautista just threw the bat in the air. i'll definitely be on the lookout for Nakamura and Matsui bat flipping videos.
jeremya1um - amen. my thoughts exactly.
mj - i always tell my students that we learn from our mistakes. as for respecting your opponents and the game, i'm 100% for that. with that being said... i didn't think bautista's bat flip was disrespectful to either.
laurens - lol... can't please everyone, right?
Flip that bat! If you're a pitcher batting, flip it farther -- for all those people who say pitchers shouldn't bat!
ReplyDeleteThe Cupcake Society is a real thing -- the number of whiny emails that I have received from high school athlete parents who were offended by the WORD CHOICE in a game story is at an all-time high.
Bat flips are awesome. Favorite all-time bat flip has to be Tom Lawless in the 1987 World Series.
ReplyDeletenight owl - lol... i can totally see that. part of the lunch routine is my co-workers sharing interesting parent emails.
ReplyDeletesnorting bull - iconic bat flip. just watched it again on youtube.