Moar Bat Flips

Yasiel Puig has now bat flipped his way on to the national scene. To the ire of many Cardinals, Giants, and other opposing team’s fans, Yasiel snapped his NLCS hitless streak during the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium Monday night. Puig flipped his bat on a RBI triple off of St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright, which by the way is a stylistic move that he does on the most routine fly balls during the regular season as well, and the internet exploded with hate. I thought for sure the well hit ball was gone, and so did just about everyone at Dodger Stadium and those watching at home. Puig momentarily stood and watched while the ball stayed in the park, barely, and bounced off the right field wall. Puig then turned on the afterburners and made it all the way to third base. Some were suggesting that he could have stretched the hit in to an inside the park homerun, but did we really want to see another out at home on a collision, but this time between Yadier and Yasiel?

Viva Puig! Photo: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The world seems to be against Yasiel, and every move he makes his criticized and scrutinized to the nth degree. Up until that thrilling triple, Puig had been shut down by St. Louis pitching in the series. Cardinals fans and Giants fans were not shy in gloating and relishing in the fact that Puig’s inexperience was showing. Every Dodger failure seems to bring them joy right now. They think that somehow the Dodgers ownership group used some of their billions of dollars to create this Frankenstein-like baseball player in Puig in order to wreak havoc on the classy fans of St. Louis and beyond. They bought him, they didn’t grow him from the seeds planted in the sacred ground of St. Louis like the Wachas and the Adams of the Cardinal team. The hate just spews from them, and they forget to realize that Puig will be tormenting them with his talents for many years to come.

(I’m not even going to acknowledge the racist or ignorant tweets which I read.)

I already wrote about Puig’s style and bravado in a July post, and looking back on some of the hateful comments is sure entertaining. The negativity is astounding and disheartening. I’m not one to hate on another team’s players (unless it’s Shane Victorino, Carlos Quentin, or Gerardo Parra). Puig can’t possibly be as unlikeable as that trio. Yet Puig’s bat flips overshadow his amazing baseball talents which is a shame. The young rookie plays with flare and confidence, and I for one really enjoy his wild and exciting style which is rare to find nowadays in the MLB. Sure, he’s cocky. Yes, he needs to learn how to hit the cut-off man from the outfield and listen when his center fielder calls him off a fly ball. The mistakes he made this season are glaringly apparent, but the spark he has given this team has been invaluable.

Michael Wacha and Yadier Molina celebrated like they had just won the World Series

Oct 12, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha reacts after retiring the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in game two of the National League Championship Series baseball game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

after Wacha struck out both Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe in top of the sixth inning of Game 2 of the NLCS back at Busch Stadium. How is that blatant fête okay, but Puig’s bat flip a disrespectful act? No one says anything when Adrian Gonzalez uses his hands to gesture an explosion after collecting a hit, and no one reacts angrily when Hanley Ramirez puts his hands to his face and says I See You. Yet something about Yasiel Puig’s bat flip sends people in to a tizzy.

He’s not going to stop hitting, and he’s not going to stop bat flipping. I’m hoping that Yasiel bat flips all the way to a World Championship, and then slides into home at Busch Stadium just for fun.