To flip or not to flip....

[urout17]

I'm working a varsity HS game at the Toronto Blue Jays spring training home in Dunedin, Florida.  Close game vs two pretty good teams.  LF batter comes up and hits a monstrous HR to RF which hits a pedestrian walkway roof and bounces out of the stadium. Had to be one of the farthest balls I've seen hit in the last five years.  The batter is jogging up the 1B line admiring and of course, here comes the bat flip.  After he crossed HP I casually make my way over to his HC and tell him of the warning I gave the kid (kid?...he was about 6-3).  He understood and didn't have any problem. Just about then the home team called for a pitching conference at which time I made my way over to their head coach.  I proceeded to tell him of the warning I placed on the other player and he says to me..."That's fine, no problem, but did you see how far that ball went?!"

[wolfe_man]

51 minutes ago, urout17 said:

."That's fine, no problem, but did you see how far that ball went?!"

If you can hit it over 450 feet, then a bat flip should be allowed!

[udbrky]

I love bat flips, as long as he's not showing up the other team, I wouldn't hate it.

[urout17]

12 minutes ago, udbrky said:

I love bat flips, as long as he's not showing up the other team, I wouldn't hate it.

Oh, I didn't hate it. It was pretty good actually but just a little preventive maintenance. 

[MadMax]

On 3/30/2021 at 12:05 PM, urout17 said:

I'm working a varsity HS game at the Toronto Blue Jays spring training home in Dunedin, Florida.

We need more of this in HS / amateur baseball. We’re spoiled in Phoenix because we have 15 MLB franchises spread amongst 10 top-notch facilities, plus ASU’s home facility, plus Chase Field (home of the Diamondbacks). Many of the small colleges here have partnered with a MLB franchise to use their spring training facility for games, and it’s always fun to see these college players’ eyes bug out on the field dimensions and conditions. 

Then, at the HS level (pre-COVID), we’d have Chase Field inviting in 2 HS teams to play once every 2-3 weeks. Once into the quarterfinals, our postseason games are played at these ten facilities, too, and it’s a real treat for all involved. 

The single greatest shame in sports is looking upon a well-maintained baseball park... with no one on it. 

[SeeingEyeDog]

Once again, I find myself the Lone Ranger...

Obviously, as an umpire, I'm going to adjudicate a bat flip according to the rules of the game in question.

As a baseball fan, I love bat flips. Even when they happen against the team I am rooting for. I know some purists would say that baseball's team first culture and reduced exposure of the individual is part of its charm. Hitting a HR, especially at the MLB level in a big moment, is one of sports' most difficult achievements. There have been many great power hitters who have come through the game, maybe won a World Series or two and got elected to the Hall of Fame, who never went yard in a big moment. Let 'em flip the bats I say. It's good for the game.

~Dawg