Sean Doolittle Has an Idea to Promote Bat Flips and Help Charities

Sean Doolittle really wants players to celebrate, even if it’s at his expense.

Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle likes to have fun, even on the baseball field. A lot of his fellow major leaguers seem to think the diamond is a place for serious business only, but Doolittle likes when guys enjoy themselves. 

“A lot of these guys come to America and baseball was their ticket to give their family a better life,” Doolittle told Expanded Roster. “They come from less privileged situations than most American players come from. Don’t talk about disrespecting to game when the game has given them these unbelievable opportunities to improve the lives of them and their families. They’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play this game. I promise you they’re not disrespecting the game. If you got your feelings hurt, that’s on you.

“If a guy hits a home run off me, drops to his knees, pretends the bat is a bazooka and shoots it out at the sky… I don’t give a s---.”

Doolittle, his wife Eirean and the folks at Expanded Roster like celebrations so much that they came up with a way to encourage them while also donating money to charity. Doolittle said that if you homer off of him and MLB fines you for your celebration, he’ll match the value of the fine in a charitable donation. 

“Really, on a serious note, I think those things make baseball more fun, they make it more accessible to the fans,” Doolittle elaborated. “The fans feel like it’s something they can connect with.

“When you’re in the backyard as a kid playing and falling in love with the game and you crush the ball? You do a celebration. You stand and watch it like Ken Griffey Jr. You put your hands in the air like Manny Ramirez. You don’t hit the ball and put your head down and run as fast you can. That’s not fun. It’s okay to embrace that part of a game.”

He definitely has a point. Baseball is more fun for the people when the people playing are having fun. Hopefully Doolittle, who has been out since before the All-Star break with a foot injury, is back on the field having fun soon.