* Call it the bat flip seen around the baseball world. Toronto’s Jose Batista hit a dramatic home run last week to beat Texas and then stared back at the pitcher before flipping his bat in preening celebration. Some fans were appalled, others liked it and many remained inured to such contemporary gestures. But one opinion that should matter is the pitcher’s. He’s the one who was just shown up by bat flippancy. Interestingly enough, that pitcher, the Texas Rangers’ Sam Dyson, has local ties. He’s from Jesuit High.
* Nice shout-out for the Lightning: The Bolts finished third in ESPN’s annual “Ultimate Standings” of fan-favorite franchises. That’s third among the 122 pro teams in hockey, football, baseball and basketball. BTW, the Rays finished 45th and the Bucs 91st.