# baseball fans: opinions on bat flips **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 5, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285 "2015-07-05T00:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/81 "2015-07-10T23:26:34Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Not a bat flip, but the first example that comes to mind is when Dock Ellis beaned Reggie Jackson in 1976 because Reggie showed him up in the 1971 All-Star Game by taking him deep, hitting the light tower at Tiger Stadium, and celebrating all the way around the bases. I think you might want to read his question again. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/82 "2015-07-10T23:31:02Z")
You know what? I misunderstood the question. I’m sure someone somewhere has been directly hurt by someone flipping or tossing a bat, but I can’t think of any examples right now. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/83 "2015-07-11T13:19:39Z")
I cannot understand the controversy. Kids are taught as early as T-ball and Coach-Pitch to let go of the bat before leaving the batter’s box. If the batter wants to delay their trip to first by extending their arm, who cares? The ball has been hit, and it is in play. It is either a home run or walk-off hit, or the batter does not have the luxury of delay. If the bat-flip is considered a form of disrespect, why is it ok for the catcher to quickly throw the strike-out ball to third, and they whip it around the infield (when there is no runner on base). Isn’t this a form of disrespect to the hitter? ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/84 "2015-07-12T02:50:05Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > I cannot understand the controversy. Kids are taught as early as T-ball and Coach-Pitch to let go of the bat before leaving the batter’s box. If the batter wants to delay their trip to first by extending their arm, who cares? > > The ball has been hit, and it is in play. It is either a home run or walk-off hit, or the batter does not have the luxury of delay. > > If the bat-flip is considered a form of disrespect, why is it ok for the catcher to quickly throw the strike-out ball to third, and they whip it around the infield (when there is no runner on base). Isn’t this a form of disrespect to the hitter? I was taught that the reason for the tosses around the infield after a strikeout was to keep the infielders loose. They’ve been standing around for at least one hitter, so whipping the ball around gets you ready for the next hitter. Nothing celebratory about it. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/85 "2015-07-12T07:56:22Z")
Lets keep it simple: you don’t deliberately try to further embarrass a guy who can, if they choose, to throw a 100 mph hardball at your head. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/86 "2015-07-12T16:00:44Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Lets keep it simple: you don’t deliberately try to further embarrass a guy who can, if they choose, to throw a 100 mph hardball at your head. Let’s keep it even simpler. If you can’t be trusted not to try to hurt people, you belong in jail, not a baseball stadium. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/87 "2015-07-12T18:50:10Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Let’s keep it even simpler. If you can’t be trusted not to try to hurt people, you belong in jail, not a baseball stadium. Only in baseball. If it’s the NFL, there’s always Dallas. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/88 "2015-07-13T05:46:21Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Let’s keep it even simpler. If you can’t be trusted not to try to hurt people, you belong in jail, not a baseball stadium. And you would prove to the jury the pitcher deliberately threw the ball at the batter standing inches from the plate . . . . how?:dubious: If you think baseball is bad, if my understanding is correct in cricket you can throw directly at the batter, and its up to the batsman to protect himself. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/89 "2015-07-13T10:15:29Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > And you would prove to the jury the pitcher deliberately threw the ball at the batter standing inches from the plate . . . . how?:dubious: > > If you think baseball is bad, if my understanding is correct in cricket you can throw directly at the batter, and its up to the batsman to protect himself. That’s something I don’t get about cricket. I’ve seen clips of bowlers throwing short so the ball bounces right up in the batsman’s face. You can’t really hit the wicket that way so I don’t know the reason. It’s a good thing they have face protection, though. If you grew up playing baseball, learning to hold onto the bat is impossible at first. I played in high school and every time I hit the ball the bat would immediately disappear from my hands (in cricket you hold onto the bat when you run.) Took ages and a lot of getting laughed at to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285/90 "2015-07-24T14:08:37Z")
Prepare to watch the best baseball player in the universe. Is he a batter? Is he a samurai? Is he a backup dancer for Beyonce? The answer, of course, is [yes.](http://thechive.com/2015/07/24/japanese-player-lets-loose-on-the-baseball-diamond-video/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-fans-opinions-on-bat-flips/724285.md?page=4)