Neverending Footage of Jose Bautista’s Bat Flip

Because Homer provides little in the way of psychological commentary and also because Achilles isn’t a real person, it’s hard to know precisely how the latter feels during Book XXI of the Iliad while avenging the death of Patroclus by filling the River Scamander with so many Trojan dead that the river itself is compelled to assume human form and reprimand the hero, as follows:

“Achilles… My fair waters are now filled with corpses, nor can I find any channel by which I may pour myself into the sea for I am choked with dead, and yet you go on mercilessly slaying. I am in despair… trouble me no further.”

As I say, it’s difficult to understand precisely what sort of redemptive pleasure Achilles experiences during that episode — but also less difficult, now, for those of us who have witnessed Jose Bautista (first) homering and (then) hurling his bat into whatever lays beyond the eternal mise en scene.

Footage robbed without shame from Gregor Chisholm of the Internet.





Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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ashlandateam
8 years ago

If you can’t appreciate how wonderful this is, then you just don’t like fun, happiness, or anything good in the world. Or, you might be a Rangers fan. But seriously – baseball players showing emotion and having a great time should be the norm, because baseball is the greatest game on earth and it’s always awesome when things like this happen.

Keith
8 years ago
Reply to  ashlandateam

If this were most players, such as Carlos Gomez or Bryce Harper or Yasiel Puig, I’d agree. Since it’s Jose Bautista, the tool who (partially) hurt his shoulder trying to throw out Delmon Young at 1B in a fit of irrational anger, I disagree.

slm
8 years ago
Reply to  Keith

Au contraire, the fact that it is Bautista makes it even cooler to me. He’s building quite a portfolio of revenge homers. Only now that the Jays are contenders they’ve gone from after brushbacks to after falling behind in playoff games.

radivel
8 years ago
Reply to  slm

The Rangers never asked Darren O’Day about this, apparently.

Pete Mustard
8 years ago
Reply to  slm

Joey Bats has the record for revenge homers (home runs right after brushed back, or else homerun in the next at bat after being hit).

Joey Bats, you wouldn’t like him if you got him angry…

Mike
8 years ago
Reply to  slm

What was this revenge for? That’s what I don’t get. Revenge for the umpires making the right call the half inning before?

Why does he give Dyson the stink eye? Because he’s trying to get him out? Seems like the point of the game of baseball to me.

I think there’s a difference between celebrating what just happened and trying to shove it in someone’s face like revenge for some perceived slight that never actually happened. You’re playing baseball dude, they are trying to beat your team. Not to mention that this was only the 7th inning and the game wasn’t over yet. It wasn’t a walk off – at that point he hadn’t won the game he just gave them a 3 run lead.

Whatever though, he’s a hero I guess.

lewish
8 years ago
Reply to  slm

The revenge of course is for the audacity to enter onto the field of battle, the stadium, the home of the conqueror, as if these people are even worthy of a game 5. Dude, there is a beauty in it, just don’t think so hard. It’s ok to not agree with it. Just try to see what Carson is saying.

Walter
8 years ago
Reply to  slm

Its just revenge for having made him angry, Mike. It doesn’t matter WHY you made him angry, just know that you did and that it causes him to launch baseballs 450 ft.

durn
8 years ago
Reply to  Keith

Why do you have to give a bad name to Underoath fans?

BIP
8 years ago
Reply to  ashlandateam

The only thing I honestly don’t understand is how the players yell and shout and jump up and down after nearly every play of any consequence in the postseason despite basically never doing these things in the regular season. I can’t think of another sport that has this massive contrast in player demeanor.

RL Jameson
8 years ago
Reply to  BIP

Well, considering Baseball is such a different sport than most others, it shouldn’t be so hard to understand.

Captain Obvious
8 years ago
Reply to  BIP

I guess you’ve never watched football.

BIP
8 years ago

Players always celebrate stuff in football (and soccer, and other sports). Sure, they celebrate more when the game or situation is more important, but baseball is the only sport I know of where players are basically discouraged from showing emotion during the regular season only to have that go out the window in the postseason.

The Uncool
8 years ago
Reply to  BIP

Probably has at least a little to do w/ the 162-game regular season sched (on top of the way the game plays).

Stuck in a Slump
8 years ago
Reply to  ashlandateam

“…you just don’t like fun, happiness, or anything good in the world. Or, you might be a Rangers fan.”

Seems a little redundant as Rangers fans don’t seem to like much of any of those things