Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes explains why he loves the bat flip

La Potencia has finally weighed in on one of the most controversial topics in baseball: the bat flip.

We love it when it’s our players doing it, but we hate it when we see someone else do it to us. We’re, of course, talking about the bat flip. The spontaneous discarding of the tool used to demolish that spherical piece of cork and rubber we know as a baseball. It’s in the moment, it’s fun, but for many years, it has gone against the unwritten rules of baseball because according to some, it’s a way to show up the pitcher. That seems to be changing though, and in the last couple of years it’s started to become more and more accepted.

Here in New York we happen to have one of the best home run hitters and bat flippers in Major League Baseball in Yoenis Cespedes, so maybe it’d be a good idea to hear what he has to say about it. Thankfully, we now know what La Potencia thinks after he recorded a video with We are mitu on Facebook.

Cespedes is 100% right. The cultural differences that the game of baseball is being exposed to will only help it grow. This isn’t a knock on any player that doesn’t like to bat flip, but it should show everyone that different players will show their passion in all sorts of ways. A bat flip is not meant to be disrespectful or mean, but it’s meant to be entertaining. And after all, that’s what baseball really is all about, entertainment.

Besides, if as a pitcher, you don’t like hitters flipping their bats after crushing home runs, then make your pitch, and don’t let them do it.

Now, in terms of his prowess as a bat flipper, Cespedes ranks at or near the top so he’s definitely an authority on this subject. One of his best bat flips ever was arguably the one he did after hitting a three-run bomb against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2015 NLCS.

That bat flip had all the necessary ingredients. It was an absolute blast, it got enough height as it actually flipped, it came in a high stress situation (in the playoffs), it happened in front of the home crowd, and it was classy as hell. It hasn’t been his only bat flip with the Mets, but it’s definitely the one that always stands out.

His Mets teammate Asdrubal Cabrera also knows a thing or two about bat flips. His September 22nd flip is my personal favorite of all-time for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it won the game for the Mets, who at the time were down by two runs. It was in extra innings which made it that much sweeter. It also helped keep the Mets in the Wild Card race at a time when it wasn’t certain they’d be getting in. But most importantly of all, that bat flip was incredible because it was a pure reaction of happiness, and joy. No one could get mad at Cabrera for it afterwards because that’s the reaction every single one of us would have probably had.

Next: How will the Mets fare against the Braves this season?

Bat flips are the equivalent of a pitcher getting pumped up after a strikeout or a big play is made to get out of a jam. They are the manifestation of joy that you came through when it mattered.

Also, don’t lie to yourself, if you had the ability to hit the ball as hard and as far as some of these guys do, you’d probably stare at it for a few seconds and flip a bat or two in response. Baseball is fun, and bat flips only make an already great game even better.