I Hate It

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I'm sorry.

I was really aggravated with Jose Bautista when he stared down the pitcher and then flipped his bat in the direction of the Rangers dugout.

It was exciting...I'm sure...for Blue Jays fans.

(By the way...baseball is by far and away the best game ever invented. Seriously...the edge of your seat excitement with every single pitch was unreal and has been in each and every playoff game).

But this topic gets me hot.

Imagine, if you will, kids all over the country now flipping their bat and staring at the pitchers.

It's against everything that I know about sportsmanship...

...Sorry!

I don't mind the players who celebrate with their teammates...in the dugout.

I don't mind the players who shake hands or high-five their teammates when something good happens.

I don't mind the gathering at home plate when a walk-off hit occurs.

I don't even mind the Gatorade baths or the shaving cream in the face during the interview.

Celebrating is just fine...

...showing up the other team...

...in the middle of the game...

...and daring the other team to react to your grandstanding...

...just isn't.

And I took a lot of heat for protesting Bautista's aggravating bat flip.

I had a 20-something kid call me a tired, old man.

I heard from others about how baseball needs to be more exciting to the causal fan.

Well...

...I am a tired old man.

Also, I watch about 120 baseball games a year.

They are all exciting to me.

I don't need to see bat flips or dancing.

I think that showing up your opponent speaks to how people live their lives.

I tell you what I am really, really waiting for...

...Bautista in Texas in April or May.

I want him to get one in the back...between the numbers.

Awful.

I know.

I just think he earned it.

A lot of real, not casual baseball fans think so too.

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