Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson flips his bat without apologies after hitting big home runs, a habit which can frustrate some more traditional fans.
Anderson won’t be backing down, however, feeling that bat flips liven up the game and win him fans.
“I like to go out and play with a lot of passion, because that’s fun and I think that draws attention to the fans and the kids,” Anderson told ESPN’s The Dan Le Batard Show on Wednesday. “You know the kids love it. I’m on deck now, I get from the fans, ‘Hey, do the bat flip.’ So it’s cool stuff and it’s all fun stuff. It’s nothing to disrespect anybody but I think it’s a part of the game, or it should be.”
Anderson’s bat-flipping started a bench-clearing brawl earlier this season, and he’s taken on critics about it as well. None of this has convinced him not to do it, and frankly, he’s probably right that it does more to entertain fans than turn them off.
