What the hell does "flipping the bat" mean ??
 

And why does it cause such controversy ?

Watching some baseball highlights programm and they are going on and on about somone (Ortiz) who "flipped the bat" after hitting a home run.

Never heard of it before. I take it it's a way of acting smart or something. I thought he just threw it down the way many do... Help a bro out here!

Because it could hit someone. It's kind of a disrespectful/unsportsmanlike like thing to do as well.

"example"

Ahh, didn't look like he threw it anything like that to me...

Must be like spiking a football.

Similar to spiking a football. He flipped the bat with such grace and didnt watch the ball land. He knew it was over the fence. Any baseball fan would appreciate his showmanship in with this particular hit at this time. It was an epic home run in Yankee / Boston lore. Im glad I saw it live on TV and saw a bunch of replays.

This unsportsmanlike conduct hysteria is getting ridiculous. It's a game, a lot of excitement and emotions... you win or do something sweet, you should celebrate.

"We don't keep score, everyone wins!"

It's another way of showing up a pitcher. Similar to taking your time getting out of the batters box and admiring your majestic home run. It's an unwritten rule of baseball. You just don't do it. Or the next time you get a fastball in your ear hole. Another unwritten rule.

Pretty much.

It is not a way of showing a pitcher up, many times when you hit a ball perfect and you know you hit a homerun the pitcher is busy watching the ball sail out of the yard. It is more a small celebration for the batter, because as soon as you make contact you know the ball is gone. It is the same as spiking a football, a pitchers fist pump after a K, a basketball player flexing after he throws down a monster slam.

People take this shit too seriously.

spot on. baseball is supposed to be a gentlemens game and when you do thinks to be obnoxious, no one likes that