Go see the volcanos, go see the rainforests
I hope that you're still trying to have a killer time
Two things, one of which I’ve said before.
First: whoever decided to put these “cinematic” cameras in the dugout camera wells deserves a raise. They produce some very cool looking stuff for a sport in need of cool stuff.
Second, I can’t help but notice the degree to which Vlad Jr pimped this home run. It’s a little bit of a departure for the Blue Jays’ first baseman. And when I saw the below quote from a story about the moribund Yankees, it got my gears turning.
While Kenny’s inclusion of Randy Arozarena (who is bad and old, it should be noted) and the exclusion of an titanic offensive force playing in the same division of said listless Yanks might catch your attention off the top, it’s the differences between Acuña, Tatís Jr., Juan Soto1 and Guererro that stood out to me as I thought about their personas and their stature within the game.
Nobody in baseball likes to flip their bat more than Big Ron and Nando makes up any differences in frequency with distance and emphasis. I don’t know Soto to be a big bat flipper but his famous shuffle and general energy level/outright ownership in the batter’s box is well established.
But Vlad Jr is built different. Nobody seems to have more fun in the dugout, engaging his teammates in excited banter and his interplay with Chief Vibes Officer Teoscar Hernández is the wave we all need to ride in 2021. On the field is a different story. Having fun with Jordan Romano is one thing but his actions don’t draw a great deal of attention.
Which is fine, really.
The biggest change between the current generation of young stars and those who came before is the ability to express themselves on the field. If you want to flip your bat, flip it! Toss it to the moon. José Bautista walked so you could run. And the game is better for it.
Bad time for this photo? Next time will be the first - Fred Lum, The Globe & Mail
Improving the game and the fan experience by injecting some fun is important. Freeing players to express themselves doesn’t mean bat flips are required. It’s not about the bat flips and chirps, it’s the freedom to be who you are. Vlad Jr gets to be who he wants to be and, at this point, giving his homers an extra glance or leaning allllll the way back after feasting on a José Urquidy cookie is how he expresses himself. Nothing more, nothing less. The way it should be.
Maybe if he takes some faceless Rays orc to I-95 in a playoff game after an hour-long inning full of beer showers and beef on weck sandwiches pelting the playing surface we’ll see Vladito heave his lumber into the lower stratosphere but, for now, it doesn’t seem like his thing.
Vlad Jr is content to rake and rake and rake some more. Content to become one of the best players in baseball at the tender age of 22. That’s plenty. He doesn’t need to flip his bat and talk big shit. He needs to be free to do that as his discretion. And he is exercising that discretion more than any one else in baseball.
I included Juan Soto because it would be criminal to not