Get ready for the 50 greatest bat flips of all time
Ah yes, the bat flip. Throughout baseball's glorious history, we have witnessed some truly epic tosses of the lumber.
MLB Network aired "The Top 50 Bat Flips of All Time" on Sunday, and we rounded up some of our favorite bat flips of all time.
When All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson was sporting the green and gold in Oakland, he was behind a masterful walk-off win against the Phillies that resulted in a memorable flip of the bat.
On Sept. 21, 2014, the A's and the Phillies were all tied up, 6-6 … until the bottom of the 10th inning. That's when the All-Star third baseman, Donaldson blasted a game-winning, two-run homer and effortlessly flipped his bat:
He's a natural.
Barry Bonds' 70th home run
Barry Bonds is synonymous with hitting balls over the fence. But maybe his name belongs in the bat flip conversation, too. When he hit his 70th home run of the 2001 season (tying Mark McGwire's 1998 season record), he didn't leave us disappointed:
Textbook.
During the bottom of the 7th inning of 2015's American League Division Series Game 5, the Blue Jays and Rangers were tied, 3-3. Then, this happened:
Jose Bautista gifted us with a bat flip we will never forget. And "MLB Tonight" even had a Statcast segment on it, because why not?
We all know Bryce Harper is talented on the field, and we all know he also has luscious locks he can work with to add a little extra "something" to his outings.
During Game 2 of the National League Division Series in 2017, Harper hammered a two-run bomb into the atmosphere (or right-field upper deck) against the Cubs. And, well:
We got a bat flip and a hair flip.
Last season, Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig, of course, gave us bat flips aplenty.
But during last season's Game 2 of the NLDS against the D-backs, he gave us one on A SINGLE:
That's one way to protect on a 1-2 pitch.
Remember the whirlwind of the World Baseball Classic? It was the perfect primer to get us prepared for 2017, especially due to the performance of Wladimir Balentien.
The outfielder, representing The Netherlands, launched a monster homer against Puerto Rico during the WBC Semifinals. Then, he presented us with a bat flip that had a lot of emotion and chest bumping behind it:
That'll pump you up.
Tom Lawless, Game 4 walk off
Let's take a trip down memory lane.
The Twins and the Cardinals were battling it out in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series. During the bottom of the fourth, Tom Lawless stepped up to the plate and launched a three-run homer to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead … and us an epic bat flip:
The Cardinals went on to win 7-2.
Back in July of 2016, then-Oakland A Billy Butler launched an enormous home run against the Indians. It was his fourth bomb of the season, and he made this one count:
Butler knew this baby was gone the moment he made contact: The line drive cleared the wall (by a lot) and tied the game.
Pitchers who rake (with bonus Vin Scully)
This bat flip had every element a true baseball fan could crave. Not only did Dodgers pitcher
That was his only career home run, and he certainly made it count.
Back in April of 2013, Cody Ross hit a sacrifice fly against the Rockies in the bottom of the 10th inning. A.J. Pollock tagged up from third to get the 3-2 win, and then … well, Ross' bat flip will make you react out loud:
Beautiful.
Let us know your favorite bat flips of all time in the comments below, or on Twitter.
