Yasiel Puig has become one of baseball’s most beloved players not only due to his extremely impressive skill set, but also because of his showmanship and the emotional theatrics he brings to the game. The Dodgers outfielder is known for the audacious bat flips that often follow his big hits, but that’s something that he wants to change.
Puig told the Los Angeles Times that he’s aiming to cut back on his trademark bat flips this season because he’s afraid that people will view them as disrespectful to the game or to the Dodgers’ opponents.
“I want to show American baseball that I’m not disrespecting the game.”
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“I don’t do that because I lack respect,” he said. “I do that because of the emotions that I have.”
Puig couldn’t promise that the flips will go away completely – he says they’ll probably make an appearance when he snaps out of a slump or drives in important runs – but he’s making an effort to cut down on the fireworks. After a home run against the Mariners on Monday night, Puig celebrated with a pretty subdued toss of the lumber.
While this probably pleases the gray-haired, tighty-whitey wearing lame-o baseball fans, it’s certainly disappointing for the fans who love a good show and the extra spark of excitement a great bat flip can bring to a game. Fear not, we’ll always have this amazing bat flip compilation to reflect back on.
