An illustrated United States history lesson about the bat flip

The bat flip is one of the most controversial topics in sports today. On one side, you have baseball traditionalists who think it's disrespectful to the game. They argue players need to play the game "the right way."

On the other side, you have people who like "fun." You have inspiration for America's youth.

What most people don't know is that the bat flip isn't a recent phenomenon. It dates back to before the founding of this great nation. The bat flip is woven into the fabric of who we are.

Every significant event in American history saw a bat flip. Let's revisit some of them.

1773 - Boston Tea Party

1776 - Signing of the Declaration of Independence

1805 - Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean

1863 - Emancipation Proclamation

1886 - Dedication of the Statue of Liberty

1903 - Wright Brothers' first flight

1920 - Women's suffrage

1945 - World War II victory

1969 - Apollo 11 lands on the moon

1990 - Yasiel Puig is born (Yeah, he's Cuban. Whatever)

1997 - Ginuwine releases "Pony"

2011 - United States special forces kill Osama bin Laden

2015 - Kid bat flips in the Little League World Series

2015 - Kid inspires nation with gunshot bat flip

2015 - Jose Bautista MLB playoffs style

(Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Let's keep America great!

* * *

SB Nation video archives: Baseball's unwritten rules (2013)