This is the worst thing to happen to the 2015 Blue Jays since that goddamn strike two call to Ben Revere.
MLB Network put together a Greatest Bat Flips countdown because they’re in the hell days of the offseason and no free agents are signing anywhere, but, for some reason, they didn’t put the greatest bat flip of all time at the top of the list.
Jose Bautista was snubbed.
Coming in at No. 1 is Tom Lawless.
#1. Tom Lawless
We personally would have had Joey Bats at number one, but...
1.) This was in the WS
2.) It's essentially the 1st bat flip
3.) Lawless waits 6.31 seconds before flipping
4.) His name is literally Lawless #GreatestBatFlips pic.twitter.com/q8RjBgN68l
The main argument for Lawless’ bat flip being superior to Jose’s flip was the fact it happened in the World Series. But there are a couple caveats.
This happened in the bottom of the fourth inning in a game tied 1-1. It was a three-run homer and St. Louis won the game 7-2. The Cardinals were down 2-1 to the Twins in the best-of-seven game series. They ended up losing in seven games.
Nothing but respect for MY best bat flip ever. pic.twitter.com/XDdHWpkCjU
— Zombie-P Toronto (@BProToronto) January 22, 2018MLB network, we wouldn't even have a batflip countdown show if Bautista hadn't done that in the 7th inning. pic.twitter.com/ElJUiCR979
— Greg Wisniewski (@coolhead2010) January 22, 2018Bautista’s bat flip, as Greg said, is quite literally the reason this is even a point of conversation. It’s known as THE BAT FLIP for a reason, for fucks sakes. Earlier this winter, ESPN did a “The Year That…” list, in which they picked the top moment from each year. Bautista’s flip was the thing for 2015, because let’s be honest, in a few years, nobody other than that bearded dipshit kid is going to remember who ended up winning the World Series that year, but everyone is going to remember when Jose hit a ball into orbit in one of the most heated and emotional baseball games we’ll ever witness in our lives. What was the moment from 1987? Well, uh, it surely isn’t Lawless, who smacked a homer in the third game of the World Series his team eventually lost.
Beyond the flawed reasoning for Lawless’ flip being better, Bautista’s is an objectively nicer, and more bad ass flip. Lawless looked like he didn’t know what to do because he was a scrub, whereas Bautista immediately realized he had fulfilled his destiny as a Blue Jays GOAT and gave himself, the team, the fans, the city, and the country the exclamation point they craved for two decades.
Eat my ass, MLB network.
Tom Lawless with the #1 batflip. pic.twitter.com/DsrbdTjzcT
— Quad-A Player (@QuadAplayer) January 22, 2018