GIF: The Universal Language of the Bat Flip

Renowned hitmaker Edwin Encarnacion, born in the Dominican Republic, fluent in Spanish, spoke to Japan’s Yu Darvish Friday night without saying a word. Encarnacion’s bat flip — after a mighty  home run, a “no-doubter,” as the kids say — did all the talking. Nothing else needed to be said.

In eight at-bats against Darvish, Encarnacion has five hits, two of them home runs. It’s obvious to me, and anyone who visits FanGraphs: Encarnacion irrefutably  has Darvish’s number.

When winter is upon us up here in Toronto next month, and I look back on the Blue Jays’ 2012 season, one in which they will likely finish behind the Baltimore Orioles in the standings, I’ll remember Encarnacion’s T-Rexing ways, and his bat flips, as bright lights amid the darkness.

Gracias, Señor Encarnacion.

All praise be upon my friend Ian, @BlueJayHunter, for the GIF. Check out the latest on his Tumblr account — The Evolution of Edwin Encarnacion’s Bat Flip — and visit his website, The Blue Jay Hunter.