KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- More than 24 hours have passed since Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista celebrated the biggest home run of his career with the mother of all bat flips. The wide-ranging reactions around baseball have helped draw a line between old-schoolers who advocate "respecting the game" and entertainment buffs who see nothing wrong with giving athletes the latitude to emote on the big stage.
The Texas Rangers, who lost to Toronto in the American League Division Series, assumed the role of etiquette police -- chastising Bautista for his exuberance after he cranked a Sam Dyson pitch over the left-field fence to seal a 6-3 victory Wednesday.