‘That was the fastest bat flip I’ve ever seen,’ says the groundskeeper.
He’s thrilled to come up to bat and hit his first career home run. Throwing the bat, or “paddling,” as it’s sometimes called, is double the fun this season 메이저놀이터.
Reporter.
[Reporter]
[Man-roo home run! Man-roo home run!]
< Samsung 5:10 Hanwha|Daejeon Stadium (Yesterday) >
Trailing Samsung by one run in the bottom of the fifth inning, Hanwha fans’ hopes were realized.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Lee Jin-young came to the plate and launched a 125-meter home run over the left field fence.
It was Lee’s first home run in seven years, and the one that broke the losing streak, but as exciting as the home run was, the aftermath was even more exciting for the sold-out crowd.
Without even looking at the pitch, he threw his bat high and raised a fiery fist.
[Lee Jin-young/Hanhwa: I couldn’t feel it in my hand, it was a really good hit, but I was thinking, what if it doesn’t go over…]
Throwing the bat after a big hit, known as a “sucker punch,” adds to the thrill of a home run.
Sometimes it’s thrown high into the air, sometimes it’s let go nonchalantly, and cheers erupt.
Sometimes, in the midst of the celebration, the ball is caught in front of the fence for an out, and you find yourself racing to second base in a panic.
Though it’s becoming more common, bat flips in the major leagues are still seen as a way to provoke the pitcher, and foreign players are boldly throwing their bats at the ball, even if they’re clumsy at home.