Fans go wild as Jose Bautista's 2015 bat flip is crowned as legendary in MLB history: "UNREAL moment!!"
MLB writers ranked Jose Bautista's bat flip against the Texas Rangers in 2015 as the greatest in history, sparking reactions through the internet.
Twitter was ablaze in reaction to Bautista's iconic homer and bat flip against the Rangers in the 2015 American League division series. Many baseball fans and analysts hailed the moment as one of the greatest in MLB history.
@MLB LEGEND 🐐 https://t.co/ZLAIP57QLv
With the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jose Bautista stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third. After taking the pitch low and outside, he launched a three-run homer to give the Toronto Blue Jays the lead. It led to a series win for them and was the first time they went into the postseason since 1993.
The moment proved to be an iconic one that marked the revival of the team after going 21 years without reaching the postseason.
@JoeyBats19 for life! Wall of Excellence! twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
🐐👑 @JoeyBats19 for life! Wall of Excellence! twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
100% agree. This bat flip was an exclamation point for not only Bautista and the Jays organization, but for an entire country. twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
swag n’ surf twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
🥶 twitter.com/MLB/status/161…TBH the crowd went crazy and made this moment even better. 😮💨🥶 twitter.com/MLB/status/161…
MLB giving the #bluejays their flowers here twitter.com/MLB/status/161…
Canadian Heritage Moment. twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
The bat flip also set off a chain of events that saw the Blue Jays win the series and advance to the American League Division Series, where they eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals. It will always be remembered as the turning point of the series, and it cemented Jose Bautista's place in the Blue Jays' history.
Gotta be in my top 5 sports moments of all time twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
Rare MLB W twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
To this day, still gives me chills. UNREAL moment!! #BlueJays twitter.com/MLB/status/161…
"To this day, still gives me chills. UNREAL moment!!"- Brad Baranowski on Twitter.
Joey Bats was a stud. twitter.com/mlb/status/161…This was electric 🔥 Joey Bats was a stud. twitter.com/mlb/status/161…
"This was electric. Joey Bats was a stud"- Jack Roller reacts to Jose Bautista on Twitter
The moment was not just a game-winning homer, it was also a statement, a declaration of the Toronto Blue Jays' revival and a symbol of Bautista's own power. The bat flip was pure emotion and it sent the crowd at the Rogers Center into a frenzy.
The Texas Rangers, however, were not impressed and felt that it was a show of disrespect. The tension between the two teams escalated the following season when Bautista was hit by a pitch during a game against the Rangers, leading to a bench-clearing brawl.
Despite the backlash from the Rangers and some critics, Bautista's bat flip will always be remembered as one of the most iconic moments in MLB history. It felt surreal to everyone watching and truly captured the essence of what makes baseball such a beloved sport.
The bat flip has also been referenced in countless memes, gifs, and even in a commercial for a video game. With it, Jose Bautista became an icon in the MLB and beyond.