I Respect The Hell Out Of Yasiel Puig Bat-Flipping Homers In Spring Training
How long do we have to wait before we hear Goose Gossage’s rant about how bat-flipping in spring training is an embarrassment to the game? I give it until Wednesday. If we haven’t heard from him by Wednesday, then that just means he hasn’t seen the video yet. In which case, I’m gonna need somebody to show it to him, because Goose Gossage rants are a blogger’s best friend.
Anyway, love this move by Yasiel Puig. What’s that old expression? You play how you practice? This is how Puig plays the game, and you’re a crusty old cranky fuck if this rubs you the wrong way. Has Puig displayed some character flaws over the years? He sure has, and it remains to be seen whether or not they’re still ongoing.
However, one of his strongest attributes, from the fan perspective, is how much fun you can tell he’s having when he plays the game. That, and I respect the hell out of the fact that he refuses to quit the bat-flip life, no matter how many times Madison Bumgarner throws at him for it. Those two guys are like Peter Griffin and the chicken. They will just fight each other every single time that they see each other from now until the end of time. Sixty years from now, there will be a Dodgers/Giants rivalry panel that will feature those two as guest speakers, and MadBum will still try to beat the shit out of Puig with his walker with the tennis balls on the bottom. All because of videos like this.
Fuck it, though. I love a great bat-flip, spring training or not. You know what else I love? A great comeback story. I think that Puig had his wakeup call last year when the Dodgers sent his ass to the minors. Not only that, but hearing his name in trade rumors, realizing that he had acted up and slacked off so much to the point where the Dodgers concluded that they were a better team without him on their major league roster — I think that was the dope slap that he needed. If he can stay healthy, I smell a big year for Puig in what will be just his age-26 season.