Video of Mickey Mantle Bat Flips Uncovered

A few months back, some loyal baseball people were in an uproar after the home run bat flip from Toronto's Jose Bautista. Some old school supporters thought that Bautista showed up the Texas Rangers and pitcher Sam Dyson by tossing the bat high into the air after his swing. On the flip side, one Blue Jays fan even tattooed Bautista and the bat on his arm. The home run propelled Toronto into the ALCS, but the Blue Jays lost the series in six games to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

Those baseball purists claimed that none of the game's greatest players ever flipped their bat. Apparently, many forgot about Mickey Mantle, one of baseball's greatest home run hitters. The Yankees star finished with 536 homers in 18 big league seasons with the New York Yankees. He also had mastered the classic bat flip after a trademark long ball. Essentially, Mantle flipped off the baseball historical revisionists who criticized Bautista.

Now, Mantle might have just flipped his bat in frustration after a fly out. However, I doubt any pitcher ever purposely threw at Mantle after one of those bat flips. I also would expect to find plenty other baseball legends that did the same thing after a long ball. Reggie Jackson did it after almost every one of his 563 bombs. So, let's just enjoy it, instead of arguing that players like Bautista crossed the line by showing a little emotion.