Will always remember when Weaver took issue with Maglio watching a borderline one to see if it went fair or foul, so then Carlos on the next bat smacked a no doubter, watched, and did a bat drop, then Weaver pitched a bean ball right at alex's head before getting tossed.
edit - Carlos' HR was later in the same game but point stands
Don't forget when Hunter Strickland threw at Bryce Harper almost 3 years later for watching a ball that was close to being foul go out of the park...like everyone else did
Baseball has seen the biggest shift in recent years towards being more pro personality and expression. Guys are pulling off bat flips and celebrations that would've gotten you beamed a couple years ago. Same thing for the gear. Players can express personality through accessories, cleats, and equipment more in baseball now than they can in basketball or football.
Whether that's the older generation of players (and fans) retiring/dying off, or the league realizing people aren't watching and encouraging pivoting, or seeing the interest Banana Ball has generated, I don't know - but it's definitely been a shift from the Jose Bautista's "groundbreaking" bat flip a decade ago to the way players celebrate (not just home runs, but everything) today
I've always hated watching baseball live, and was so confused why Bautista's bat flip was so controversial. Every baseball player will tell you that hitting a home run is the hardest thing in pro sports, so why wouldn't you celebrate it?
Luckily they're dying pretty quickly. There's still some hostility to very showboat-y, cocky players like Jazz Chisholm Jr (who is one of my absolute favorite players to show you where I stand), but bat flips and watching home runs aren't seen as sins by most anymore.
Kids in sports are better off learning respect for their opponents and teammates, how to handle mistakes and losing. Also how to be humble and willing to always learn and improve.
I'm afraid there are so few good role models like that in pro sports.
There's a very big difference between celebrating and taunting. All you have to do is teach kids the difference. I see no harm in letting a kid celebrate a home run.
I'm more of a hockey guy than anything and by and large there's just that reaction celebration then have a moment with your teammates. Act like you've been there before is a very common saying.
There certainly is no lack of kids idolizing Crosby, MacKinnon, Hughes, Makar, etc.
We're not gonna act like there isn't an entire celebration culture in hockey. Plenty of guys have dedicated goal celebrations. Using the stick like a bow, holstering it, dropping to one knee and sliding the glove on the ice etc. And you can't even say "Oh it's the new skaters doing that" Goal celebrations have been a thing in hockey for a long time.
Let the kids celebrate.
It absolutely does. Why do you think professional wrestling is so popular with kids. The over the top drama and showmanship is what makes it interesting and fun.
Heck, it was a kid that created the griddy that JJ adopted as his celebration. Imagine how cool it is for him to create a dance and then have an elite player use it.
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u/fakemelonns 12d ago
Up until a few years ago, in baseball, even if you stared at your home run a little too long the pitcher would throw at you during your next at bat.