Bat flips have become more in style since then, with Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson among those adding that flare to the game.
La Russa, named the Sox manager Thursday, saw similarities to his old closer, Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, in the way players are expressing themselves during a game.
“Eck, all those years when he had that very expressive fist pump when he got the third out, that’s a lot like what you see today,” La Russa said during his introductory conference call. "I always reasoned if it was sincere, I didn’t have a problem with it.