Texas Rangers Not Happy with the Jose Bautista Bat-Flip

Jose Bautista hit the game-winning, series-clinching 3-run home run Wednesday night in Toronto, propelling the Blue Jays to their first ALCS in over 20 years. It was an incredible sports moment, bedlam erupted, and Bautista pulled off one of the best bat flips of all-time.

We’ve been railing against this old school/new school baseball junk for years – let them flip bats. Sports are entertainment. They’re fun. Baseball takes itself far too seriously, which ultimately hurts the product.

As you can imagine … Sam Dyson, the pitcher who gave up the home run, was not pleased.

Sam Dyson on The Flip: (1/2): “Jose needs to calm that down, just kind of respect the game a little more. He’s a huge role model for ..."
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) October 15, 2015

Dyson (2/3): "the younger generation that’s coming up playing this game, and I mean he’s doing stuff that kids do in Wiffle ball games ...
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) October 15, 2015

Dyson (3/3): " ... and backyard baseball. It shouldn’t be done.”
— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) October 15, 2015

Dyson couldn’t be more wrong. It is human nature that when you do something extraordinary like that, hitting a home run that will be replayed forever in Canada, and in commercials everywhere, and 50,000 people are losing their minds … do your thing, Joey Bats.

Texas manager Jeff Banister to the Star Telegram: “My perspective on that is we play the game the right way, hard, all 27 outs. We respect everybody.”

Who says a bat flip is the “wrong way?” When were the “right way” rules written? It’s 2015. That bat flip was not remotely disrespectful. Who said it was?

Bautista had his mic-drop moment with one word:

Here's @JoeyBats19 dropping the greatest one word answer OF ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/IAD4qNEGqO
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) October 15, 2015