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Come Fan with UsSunday, June 21, 2026

An illustrated United States history lesson about the bat flip

The bat flip is one of the most controversial topics in sports today. On one side, you have baseball traditionalists who think it’s disrespectful to the game. They argue players need to play the game “the right way.”

On the other side, you have people who like “fun.” You have inspiration for America’s youth.

What most people don’t know is that the bat flip isn’t a recent phenomenon. It dates back to before the founding of this great nation. The bat flip is woven into the fabric of who we are.

Every significant event in American history saw a bat flip. Let’s revisit some of them.

1773 - Boston Tea Party
1776 - Signing of the Declaration of Independence
1805 - Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean
1863 - Emancipation Proclamation
1886 - Dedication of the Statue of Liberty
1903 - Wright Brothers’ first flight
1920 - Women’s suffrage
1945 - World War II victory
1969 - Apollo 11 lands on the moon
1990 - Yasiel Puig is born (Yeah, he’s Cuban. Whatever)
1997 - Ginuwine releases “Pony”
2011 - United States special forces kill Osama bin Laden
2015 - Kid bat flips in the Little League World Series

2015 - Kid inspires nation with gunshot bat flip

Check out this 4 year old's swing! (oh...and bat flip)

Posted by United Baseball Parents of America on Friday, August 21, 2015

2015 - Jose Bautista MLB playoffs style

(Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Let’s keep America great!

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SB Nation video archives: Baseball’s unwritten rules (2013)

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