[JD159]

Until now, the subject of bat flips has generally left little room for a middle ground. People love them or hate them — there is an unmistakable generational divide — and they feel compelled to air their stance either way.

To some, the maneuver symbolizes a break from the gentlemanly principles that have supposedly steered the game across generations. “You play so many games and fail so many times, so the game has a way of humbling you,” said Kelly Johnson, 33, a Mets utility player, who guessed players mostly object when a young or unaccomplished player behaves arrogantly. “That’s the message veteran players sometimes try to pass on to rookies, that their actions should try to reflect that.”

To others, bat flips represent a breath of fresh air in a stuffy sport and reflect the game’s increasingly diverse clubhouses, which feature more and more players from the Latin America and Asia, where such celebrations tend to be more common. “In my opinion, after being in Asia and the United States and also seeing Latin American players for so many years, it seems like Americans need to lighten up,” said Ryan Sadowski, a former major league player who works now as an international scout for the Lotte Giants of Korea. “The fans clearly enjoy it.”

The debate will continue, but bat flips are unambiguously on the upswing. Some players are lightening up. Others are merely acquiescing.