MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Bat flips good for the game

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes bat flips are “good for the game.”

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike that he believes bat flips are “good for the game.” 

Manfred’s response referred to Jose Bautista’s emphatic bat flip after hitting the go-ahead home run in Game 5 of the American League division series, which sent the Blue Jays to the American League Championship Series.

“It was a very, very exciting moment at a point in time of great excitement for that particular franchise when they hadn’t been a great team for a long time,” Manfred said. “It’s one of those moments that happens, and it was exciting, people liked it and its probably good for the game.”

In the interview, Manfred also addressed Bryce Harper’s comments about baseball being “a tired sport because you can’t express yourself.”

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“I think it’s an interesting topic,” Manfred said. “With respect to what happens on the field, not the rules, but the way that players conduct themselves, that each generation of players defines what’s acceptable behaviors. It’s not always been exactly the same, and I kind of line up with Bryce Harper on this. I think that a great generation of young stars is coming into the game.”

The 2016 MLB season begins on Sunday.