The biggest story in baseball yesterday and, frankly, continuing into today is David Bote’s walkoff grand slam against the Nationals last night. It was, I’m learning today, an “ultimate slam,” which refers to a walkoff grand slam that brings the winning team back from being down by three runs. You can be excused if, like me, you had not heard that term before, because such a thing has not occurred in Major League Baseball since Sammy Byrd of the Reds did it on May 23, 1936. And even Byrd’s wasn’t quite as cool as Bote’s given that no one was out when Byrd hit his. Bote hit his with two down. It was something we may never see again. UPDATE: people have found more examples of “ultimate slams,” including one by Chris Hoiles back in the 1990s, so OK, it’s less rare than first thought, though it’s not exactly common. Given how utterly rare and spectacular Bote’s feat was, it’s not surprising that he was happy about it. Indeed, he celebrated the homer joyfully, first solo as he rounded the bases and then with his teammates. It’s totally understandable too, as Bote is a 25-year-old rookie who wouldn’t even be playing in this game if it were not for an injury to Kris Bryant. This may very well be the highlight of his baseball career. This may be, after a marriage or the birth of some kids if he does that stuff, the highlight of his life. But, of course, baseball has a dumb anti-celebration culture, so Bote felt obligated to go on the radio and say this today: "I didn't even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay … I meant no disrespect by any means. It was the heat of the moment." — #Cubs' David Bote on his bat flip — 670 The Score (@670TheScore) August 13, 2018 It wasn’t even a major bat flip as far as those things go: The rest of his celebration wasn’t anything too crazy either. His arms were out like he was flying around the bases, but it was not some sort of orchestrated thing, obviously. It was a moment of pure, spontaneous emotion. He ran the bases pretty fast, so it wasn’t like he was drawing things out either: Your browser does not support iframes. Someone in the recap comments — I’m not sure if they were being sarcastic or not — said that Nats’ reliever Ryan Madson will likely go in high and tight on Bote the next time he faces him in retaliation for the flip. This made me laugh for a couple of reasons. First because, again, it wasn’t a crazy celebration given what he accomplished. Second because, gee whiz, it wouldn’t have even BEEN a grand slam if Madson hadn’t plunked two guys to help load the bases in the first place. Feel like he won’t want to be messing with purpose pitches given what went down. Who knows, though? I’d guess he would not do that but then again, I never would’ve guessed that baseball culture is so silly that a player would feel the need to apologize for acting in a celebratory fashion after doing something that happens about once a century, but here we are. Follow @craigcalcaterra<doc-sep>Jon Durr/Getty Images Chicago Cubs third baseman David Bote apologized for his bat flip a day after hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals. "I didn't even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay. ... I meant no disrespect by any means. It was the heat of the moment," Bote said Monday, per 670 The Score. Bote got his first career walk-off hit and first grand slam while facing Ryan Madson on national television Sunday night, giving the Cubs a 4-3 win. The homer was perhaps the most dramatic of the season, with the Cubs down to their final strike. Bote got his first career walk-off hit and first grand slam while facing Ryan Madson on national television Sunday night, giving the Cubs a 4-3 win. The homer was perhaps the most dramatic of the season, with the Cubs down to their final strike. This is one of those apologies that no one outside of baseball's strange unwritten rule culture could understand. Bote's bat flip was mild and came after the biggest play of his young career. Celebrations are a part of every other sport's culture; Bote barely reacted more than Brooks Koepka did winning the PGA Championship earlier in the day. Bote is the only 29th player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam, per Baseball Almanac. There was ample reason to throw his arms up in the air with glee. Video Play Button Videos you might like No Nationals players seemed particularly upset about the celebration, either. But I guess when the potential of seeing a 95 mph projectile coming at you high and tight is weighing on your mind, you'll apologize for just about anything. Note to baseball: More bat flips, less beanballs. Thanks.<doc-sep>David Bote’s walk-off grand slam is a special moment, so let’s go further into the rookie’s big night. For the Chicago Cubs‘ David Bote, Sunday will be one of the greatest nights of his life. While cliched at this point, the image every kid has in their backyard became a reality. Walk-off grand slam, down by three runs, two strikes in the count. For the Cubs, we’ve now seen two walk-off grand slams this season, with Jason Heyward achieving the same feat earlier in the season. Inconsistency has been a major issue for the Cubs this season. Fortunately for the team, they’ve still been able to lead the pack in the NL and sit with the top record in the league. For a Cubs team that was kept completely in check by Max Scherzer, they needed a moment of excellence when he left the game. A mid-week series with the Milwaukee Brewers is an incredible reminder that every game matters. A loss would have left the Cubs with no breathing room going to Milwaukee. Instead of a two-game cushion, the Cubs have a full three. The worst-case scenario is the teams are tied heading into the weekend. While a lot of teams would have accepted defeat, the Cubs manufactured three base-runners and needed all three outs to give Bote the chance to win the game. Even more exciting and improbable was that the opportunity came as a pinch-hitter. Baseball is the one sport where almost every single moment has happened before, and every single play and outcome has come up in the 142 years of the National League. This case is no different. Let’s a take a quick look at some fun facts and numbers from Bote’s biggest hit.<doc-sep>
On Sunday night, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals on a two-strike, walk-off grand slam courtesy of David Bote. Here's what that looked like in real time: Bote, as you may have noticed, celebrated heretofore the biggest moment of his career with a lazy bat flip -- a palm-roller that wouldn't feature either an impressive exit velocity or spin rate. Nonetheless, this is baseball, which means Bote spent part of his morning after apologizing: "It just kind of happened," Bote said on WSCR-AM, 670 The Score in Chicago. "I didn't even realize I did it until I saw it on the replay. I thought, 'Oh man, I did bat flip it.' Obviously, I meant no disrespect by any means. It was just the heat of the moment, I got it good and I was wishing it out." It's unclear why Bote felt the need to apologize, seeing as how his bat flip wasn't over the top. Even if it was, it would've been hard to blame him. Remember, Bote is a 25-year-old who was playing in his 34th big-league game. He was originally an 18th-round pick, meaning he's overachieved to reach this point. He was never considered a top prospect, and he's already been optioned to the minors on five occasions this season. The man has earned his moment. Perhaps the worst part here is that it doesn't appear the Nationals even took offense to Bote's celebration. Rather, being ashamed of showing joy has become so ingrained in baseball's culture that players feel the need to apologize when no apology is needed or requested. Baseball is at its best when it hides that it's a billion-dollar industry. As such, let baseball players have fun -- it's supposed to be a game.