Cubs' David Bote 'Meant No Disrespect' for Bat Flip After Walk-Off Grand Slam
When Cubs third baseman David Bote lifted a pinch-hit walk-off grand slam to give Chicago a 4-3 win over Washington on Sunday night, he did it in style.
The 25-year-old rookie tossed his bat, lifted his arms as he rounded the bases, then tossed his helmet into the air before getting mobbed by his teammates at home plate. Wrigley Field, as well as those calling the game, erupted in astonishment at what happened.
Of course, bat flipping is not always received well by baseball purists and sometimes, opposing players. Bote was asked on Monday about his epic celebration by 670 The Score, and he made sure it was clear he didn't intend to come off as rude.
"I didn't even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay," Bote said. "I meant no disrespect by any means. It was the heat of the moment."
Bote admitted he only "slept a couple hours last night" after accomplishing a pretty rare feat in baseball.
According to Baseball Alamanac, Bote is the 29th player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam and the seventh to hit one as a pinch hitter. His grand slam marked the first since Rajai Davis hit one for the Tigers against the Athletics on June 30, 2014.
