Attention old school MLB players and those who adhere to the game's unwritten rules: Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Gomez doesn't care what you think.
Gomez, who has been an integral figure in the whole "respecting the game" argument, took it upon himself to flip his bat and dab after his first spring training home run on Monday.
The 29-year-old is hitting just .194/.375/.323 with 13 strikeouts in 31 at-bats this spring, but hey, why not show off following your first spring training blast in the second inning off pitcher Mike Foltynewicz, who owns a 5.64 ERA in 34 career MLB games?
Former MLB pitcher Rob Dibble called out Gomez for his antics on Twitter and Gomez responded ever so graciously.
It's amazing to me a guy like Carlos Gomez talks as much crap as he does with 103 HR's in 3,500 abs in 9 yrs.
— Rob Dibble (@robdibble49) March 29, 2016
@robdibble49 Thx 4 the motivation, I'm still here having fun and #FeelingSexy have a great day and God bless you! https://t.co/A5pUreJO20
— Carlos Gomez (@RealCarlosGomez) March 29, 2016
At some point I'm sure this is bound to cause a stir, especially since Gomez sided with Bryce Harper earlier this offseason when the reigning NL MVP said baseball was a "tired sport" because it prohibits players from expressing themselves. MLB Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Mike Schmidt have criticized the actions of Jose Bautista, who orchestrated the most epic bat flip in the history of the game during the 2015 postseason.
However, as the two sides battle for supremacy and the public only hears the extreme arguments, let's not forget there is a time and place for showboating, trash talking, etc. Is spring training one of those appropriate settings? Probably not, but the games don't count so it doesn't really matter.
Bautista was criticized for his bat flip during the biggest moment in Blue Jays' history since the 1993 season, which is unfair because it was a high-stakes situation and it was the slugger's first-ever postseason appearance. He's also one of the best hitters in the game. If anything, he's allowed to express himself because he's an established All-Star.
On the other hand, as Dibble noted in his tweet, Gomez has just 103 home runs in 1,086 career games and has a .260 career batting average. He's got a point about Gomez's, at times, excessive showboating, but if the league is going to move away from adhering to the game's unwritten rules, every player cannot be criticized for their freedom of expression.
Then again, there is a time and place for it. Celebrating in spring training with a .194 batting average is a bit absurd, but Gomez will be Gomez. He can continue doing that all he wants, but he'll be at risk of facing the consequences each time he steps back into the batter's box.
