In case you missed Game 5 of the ALDS on Wednesday between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers and/or have been living under a rock, Blue Jays' slugger Jose Bautista had a bat flip for the ages after his go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning.
It has sparked a bit of controversy, although not as much as some other bat flips have. Bautista's home run was one of the biggest moments in Blue Jays history - and perhaps MLB history - and he had every right to celebrate within the parameters of propriety. At no point did Bautista taunt his opponent or show any disrespect to the game or anybody on the field.
Check out the historic moment below:
Rangers' right-hander Sam Dyson was the victim of Bautista's game-deciding home run and he wasn't too happy with the slugger's actions after the hit. He approached Edwin Encarnacion (the next batter) after the incident as the game stopped momentarily because fans were throwing objects on the field in excitement.
"I told him Jose needs to calm that down," Dyson said, via ESPN.com. "Just kind of respect the game a little more."
"He's a huge role model for the younger generation that's coming up and playing this game. He's doing stuff that kids do in whiffle ball games and backyard baseball.
"It shouldn't be done."
It's understandable Dyson is upset. He solidified the Rangers' collapse in the ALDS and that'll be weighing on his mind throughout the offseason. However, Bautista's actions have nothing to do with disrespecting the game. If this incident happened in the middle of June it would be a totally different story, but this was a hit that sent Toronto to their first ALCS since 1993. This is Bautista's first postseason in his 12 MLB seasons and it was easily the biggest moment of his career. He's allowed to have a few seconds to celebrate, as countless others have in similar situations.
Check out these classic bat flips in similar situations, then and now:
Cardinals' infielder Tom Lawless in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series:
Mets' outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in Game 3 of the 2015 NLDS:
Athletics' outfielder Rickey Henderson, probably just on a random Wednesday:
Rickey Henderson would literally make current pitchers cry. pic.twitter.com/DBK5ozq7HN
— Complex Sports (@Complex_Sports) October 15, 2015
Nationals' outfielder Jayson Werth in Game 4 of 2012 NLDS:
And here are some tweets from those praising the act of emotion:
Don't like the Jose Bautista Great Bat Flip? Get over it. It was fantastic Performance Art.
— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) October 15, 2015
Best bat flip ever. @JoeyBats19
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo6) October 15, 2015
Our buddy Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) does his best @JoeyBats19 bat flip impression on @SportsCenter. https://t.co/Rq8nMBR4uE
— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) October 15, 2015
It's the MLB playoffs. Let's have some fun. After all, emotions are expected to run even higher because this year's World Series champion is bound to snap a long drought. The Blue Jays are the most recent of the remaining teams to win a championship, and their last one came in 1993.