To bat flip or not to bat flip? Who cares... make it fun again.

[RunN1st]

To bat flip or to not bat flip! I coach 7-9 year olds in Little League and we try every practice/game to make baseball fun.

We added a little twist to practice - We had a bat flip contest yesterday afternoon and the kids loved it. Not only that, our practices now include a mock commentary by one of the coaches and we use it to coach situational baseball. (I'm sure folks in their late 30s-40s would remember imitating Mel Allen or Vin Scully.) Needless to say, we (coaches) try to put ourselves in our kids shoes whenever we are out there. With one goal in mind, make it fun.

In my younger days, adults were inside the house, not out monitoring every swing/throw/catch their kid was making. We had fun with baseball... whether it was with a tennis ball/stick, a wiffle ball/bat, 1-on-1 (playing strikeout) or a street game. Now it’s coached to a severe level of boredom. In fact, around here, if you want to play baseball, you better sign up. No more pick-up baseball games at the local park.

Specifically here in CA - There are a litter of kids at the skate park (lighting included) which is located right next to the empty, yet carefully manicured little league field. Oh and there’s a big sign on the pitchers mound telling kids to stay off the field.



I hope we see pick up games like this in the US one day again.


Baseball is awesome, it's a freakin' blast when it's done for fun there's no better sport (IMO).

[end of rant]

Kudos to to Greg Eno on some good info. re: Sandlot baseball - http://www.baseballplayamerica.com/page8.html

[Master Live 013]

I don't care for the bat flip. I do think in Bautista's case the whole pose, look at the pitcher + bat flip was a bit too much. But that's just me. And I have taken into account the circumstances in which the homer took place.

[daflyboys]

Not at lower levels. I equate bat flips with TD spikes. Bat flips at lower ages is not a prudent thing. They should be focusing on fundamentals and improving. Next thing you know, kids are gonna be on the mound posing with a bow and arrow or whatever other **** they pick up. I think it was last year's LL where the batter was pointing the bat at the pitcher and waggling it, like "I dare you". It's not good for the yoots.

Next thing you know then crowds are gonna act like jackasses more than they already are at youth/HS events. You'll have fans yelling "SWING" to the other team's 8 year old, scrawny 2B at the plate. Bottom line is don't open the door to this garbage.

Bat flips in MLB --- I don't give a flip.

Bat flips elsewhere --- no.

Bat flips in slow pitch softball --- most are probably too drunk to give a ****.

[kehlis]

Baseball is fun without bat flips. You need to teach them why it's fun, not give them artificial reasons to think its fun. Teaching this at a youth level is just not a good look at all....

[Amoo316]

I could care less about the bat flip, I thought it was pretty hilarious in fact. What I didn't like was the "need" to even look at the pitcher at all. I realize it was only like half a second, but still, just not necessary. I played baseball growing up and through high school. Never once did I feel the need to look, glance, mumble, point...etc in the direction of the pitcher assuming he didn't just brush me back off the plate.

I hit leadoff and stole tons of bases. No need to look or glare or even glance at the pitcher/catcher...etc when stealing a base. It's just not necessary. He'll get plunked in their first game next year, and his reaction will determine how things play out from there. Hopefully he does the right thing and puts his head down and trots to 1st base, because honestly he earned that one. Again, not for the bat flip, for me it was the glance.

[ImTellinTim]

At least it wasn't a wall scraper and his 2nd career home run.



My opinion? Who cares? Be better at pitching if you don't want it to happen.

I agree that you shouldn't necessarily be teaching kids that kind of stuff, but you're damn right we bat-flipped, taunted, and laughed at each other in pickup games. That was part of the fun.

[daflyboys]

I don't even like the stick ball scene in some baseball promotion commericial with the street kid saying something like "bye bye... see you later!"

Somebody smack that kid.

[fatleg3]

I didnt play baseball past high school but i hit my share of home runs. In the moment of watching the ball, i didnt realize what i was doing with the bat. And watching the ball fly past the fence was a natural reaction.

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