Jose Bautista’s Epic Bat Flip Will Live Forever

When Jose Bautista teed off on a 1-1 pitch in the seventh inning of the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS you just knew that it was a home run for the ages, the kind of shot that baseball fans would never forget. Bautista was now right alongside Carlton Fisk, Bill Mazeroski and Blue Jay legend Joe Carter in the mythology of the game. It wasn’t until fans at home were treated to a replay that they could finally see the true beauty of Bautista’s eventually game winning homer–it was followed by the most epic bat flip of all time. Perhaps more impressively it took less than 24 hours before a Blue Jay diehard had the image tattooed.

Scoot Mason, a tattoo artist based in Toronto, is the artist responsible for immortalizing the bat flip heard ’round the world with his black-and-grey portrait of Bautista chucking his bat into the air. Not long after Mason posted the tattoo on his Instagram it was reposted by Joey Bats himself.

“I have heard and seen some crazy stuff in the last 24 hours,” Bautista commented. “But this one takes the prize home! #ImOnSomeonesBodyForever #Crazy #Cool #Tattoo #Unreal”

While Bautista’s heroics merely sent the Blue Jays to the ALCS (they still need to get through the Royals and either the Cubs or Mets to bring home the championship) it stands out so much because of the ridiculous amount of swagger involved. Watching the ball fly for a few seconds is one thing; what Bautista did was stare down the pitcher for a few seconds, stare down a camera for a moment and throw his bat half way to Manitoba before slowly circling the bases. When you’re the baddest man on the field and you just hit a ball almost a tenth of a mile you get to do what you want.

It’s absolutely bonkers that someone went and got a tattoo of the moment already, but considering that the Blue Jays haven’t even made the playoffs since 1993 you can understand the exuberance. Many of the Rangers players, including the pitcher that served it up, Sam Dyson, were not pleased with Bautista’s celebration. Well, we have one thing to say about that, when’s the last time you saw someone get a tattoo of an athlete complaining to the media? Bautista’s bat flip was amazing and is a thing that should be cheered until the end of time. And it will be, on the skin of one rabid Blue Jays fan.