The only thing keeping this airborne bat from coming down from the heavens was gravity
What you're about to see is not a bat flip. To call what Rays prospect Chris Betts did on Monday night after winning the MiLB Home Run Derby a "flip" would not do it justice.
No, what Betts did deserves a different term. "Toss" certainly doesn't fit. "Fling" might work, but if you read that somebody "flung" his bat in celebration, where do you assume it landed? The first-base area? Hmm. Maybe that doesn't work either.
"Catapulted"? That word's fun to read and say, but it's clunky.
OH. I got it. I'll go with "heave," because that's pretty much what this is:
That bat wound up in right field.
Bat Heaving isn't an official athletic event at the Olympics, but maybe it should be? If so, Betts could probably take home the gold.
Just watch this over and over, and you'll agree.
We don’t even have a caption. Just watch this bat flip.
— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 18, 2019
via @MiLB pic.twitter.com/8MENdugkSF
