Rookie second baseman Vaughn Grissom made his Major League debut for the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He made a big first impression — in more ways than one.
In just his third career at-bat, Grissom launched a ball over the Green Monster for a two-run home run. He stamped his arrival by not only homering over the most famous wall in baseball but also with a bat flip for the ages.
FIRST CAREER HIT.
FIRST CAREER HOME RUN.@GRISSOMVAUGHN IS HERE. pic.twitter.com/V2PJOovxiZ
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 11, 2022
The home run is impressive enough. Grissom is making his debut in August for a Braves team in a playoff chase. He’s being thrown right into the fire and seems to be handling things just fine.
The bat flip, though, was beyond impressive. It was special and caught the attention of the baseball world.
80-degree bat flip.
80-degree family reaction. pic.twitter.com/DrPG3ldHvm
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) August 11, 2022
And the bat flip! Welcome to The Show, Vaughn Grissom! #ForTheA
— Maurice Patton (@mopatton_sports) August 11, 2022
#Braves 2B Vaughn Grissom was called up from Double-A today.
His first hit? A mammoth HR over the green monster at Fenway Park.
Oh, and a sick bat flip.
And he’s 21 years old. pic.twitter.com/3kLYSzv8Ba
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) August 11, 2022
VAUGHN GRISSOM
FIRST CAREER MLB HIT ✅
FIRST CAREER MLB HR ✅
FIRST CAREER MLB BAT FLIP ✅✓STAND
pic.twitter.com/FLPD5PSJX2— OddsShopper (@OddsShopper) August 11, 2022
Even the Braves couldn’t help but break into smiles in the dugout.
Wholesome content.
The @Braves dugout gathering around the iPad to watch @GrissomVaughn‘s first career home run. pic.twitter.com/fH2I680Q4D
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 11, 2022
Surely, someone will take great personal offense to Grissom’s flip. To some old school baseball people, the only thing worse than a bat flip is a bat flip from a rookie.
But we can only hope that those voices are drowned out by the people who loved it. A first Major League home run is a huge deal and it’s something that should be enjoyed. Grissom earned his moment and put smiles on a lot of faces doing so.