If Jose Bautista wants to flip his bat, Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta is cool with it.
Arrieta was on ESPN 1000 with David Kaplan and Jesse Rogers, when he weighed in on the contentious baseball issue of player showmanship – specifically the bat flip.
“If it’s a guy like Bautista, then you got to tip your cap. Certain guys have earned the right to do that. It’s something that I think the fans enjoy,” said Arrieta. “It just shows some enthusiasm. In big spots like that, there’s so much on the line and sometimes it’s nice to see guys lay loose and let that excitement really show.”
Bautista’s swagger has rubbed quite a few people the wrong way since the slugger burst onto the scene with 54 home runs in 2010.
His signature moment as an MLBer came against the Texas Rangers in the 2015 ALDS, when he hit a three-run shot in Game 5 of the series to give Toronto the lead, which it held. You can watch the play in question in the video above.
The bad blood from the Rangers’ eventual loss spilled over into the following season when second baseman Rougned Odor punched Bautista in the face, resulting in a seven-game suspension for Odor.
For Arrieta, the right to flip your bat is earned. The 31-year-old warned baseball’s fresher faces about the consequences of being too showy.
“If it’s a young guy, he might not have earned that right yet,” said Arrieta. “Somebody might wear the next one in the ribs. …
“One thing that can be negative is when you see kids in Little League doing it. Obviously, they all look up to us and we’re their idols, role models. I think there’s a fine line, but it really doesn’t bother me that much either.”