So, why do the dodgers pat their heads? Most of you may have seen the Dodgers patting their heads. However, this gesture is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ secret communication code. Also, keen baseball fans may have noticed that the team’s players often pat their heads in what seems to be friendly gestures.
When the Dodgers win, they pat each other on the head. What does it mean? Read on.
Why Do the Dodgers Tap Their Heads?
The Dodgers tap their heads as a form of celebration and to cherish the team’s performance. It is also a form of secret communication that the team hasn’t revealed.
Past seasons have seen unusual celebrations such as the bubble machine and odd tongue wags when passing through the dugout.
According to Dodgers Nation, the club adopted the head pat before the start of the season, and its popularity has grown exponentially among the players since then. Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux use it the most. The squad finds it useful in gaining a tactical advantage over their opponents.
What Is the History Behind Dodgers Tapping Their Heads?
On local radio, Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes recently said that Gavin Lux, a regular user of this celebration, was the driving force behind it. Barnes also said Lux has admitted that the celebration has a “huge effect on the team.”
A quote from what he had to say: “Gavin Lux has been familiar with it since he developed it. Perhaps he needs to show off his swagger by repeatedly pounding the crown of his head to demonstrate this fact. Eventually, everyone got on board with it.” In addition, team member Zach recently explained the significance of the head pat and the history of the celebration.
Zach and Mookie Betts intended to do a celebration incorporating baseball and basketball elements.
Zach stated, “It seems Mookie and Gavin messing around. You might compare it to basketball terminology, ‘slam dunk.’ However, the team believes it is simply a method of presenting a good play credit.”
Word on the street has it that Mookie and Gavin often use this gesture to celebrate if things are going well for their squad.
McKinstry, on the other hand, concluded that the gesture might mean anything. McKinstry said: “That’s something we’d want to keep under wraps because it will come as a shock to everyone.”
Trea Turner Was the First Dodgers Player to Do So
Home run and hit celebrations for the Los Angeles Dodgers have changed throughout the years, with Hanser Alberto and Trea Turner mostly responsible for two new styles this season. After a victory in May, Alberto said the “hang free” hand gesture, or ‘shaka,’ originated in the Dominican Winter League, where he played.
Alberto urged the Dodgers to “mix things up.” He said, “In 2020, we were up three games to one in Winter Ball, but we lost. They were down two games to none until they fought back and won the next three in a row. The next year I addressed the squad and said that we mix it up every time we receive a hit (makes a hand gesture). Since I introduced the practice here, everyone has adopted it.”
Turner’s enthusiasm for the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Wolf of Wall Street” inspired the Dodgers to transition from the ‘shaka‘ celebration to a head patting celebration.
Final Words – Why Do the Dodgers Pat Their Heads?
This article mentioned everything about why dodgers pat their heads during games. We hope you got the answer to your queries.
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