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Yasiel Puig trying to stop bat flips and prove that he respects the game

Mike Oz

This just in: Yasiel Puig has finally learned to "respect the game."

Puig told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he's cutting back on his trademark bat flips in an effort to show American baseball fans that he does, contrary to popular belief, have respect for the game. You hear that, comment-section complainers, Facebook finger-waggers and roused-up rivals? You've won. Puig has submitted. The bat flips are no more. Well, that's the goal, at least.

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Puig homered Monday night, his second of the season. It didn't come with a bat flip. Nor did his first of 2015 — at least not by Puig's extravagant bat-flipping standards. From The Times:

Though acknowledging that some fans are entertained by his theatrics, Puig said in Spanish, “I want to show American baseball that I’m not disrespecting the game.”

Puig maintained that his bat flips aren’t intended to disrespect the game or his opponents.

“I don’t do that because I lack respect,” he said. “I do that because of the emotions that I have.”

A footnote in all this: Puig says sometimes he may still flip his bat if he's caught up in the emotions of a moment. We get it, it's hard to quit bat flips cold turkey. Is there a bat-flip patch he can wear that will replicate the sensations and help him quit?

[Elsewhere on The Stew: Bat flips are still alive and well in Korea]

Nonetheless, we'll miss you, bat flip. You entertained us, both for your theatrics and your ability to rile uptight fans. Let's remember the good ol' days, shall we?

R.I.P Yasiel Puig bat flips — 2013-15.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!