Outfielder Josh Womack had been practicing his swinging bat trick for about seven years. So he was surprised when a video of him performing the feat became popular last summer.
Womack flips a wooden bat between his hands, and the bat leaves his grip and spins in mid air. A video of Womack executing the trick last year has recorded nearly 4 million views on YouTube.
Now that he is a member of the Tucson Toros, Womack expects to showcase his talents in the Old Pueblo throughout the summer.
"You have so much free time as a baseball player. There's free time during batting practice, before a game," he said. "I just get bored and start to mess around and entertain myself."
Womack has taught teammates the trick since he was a minor-leaguer in the Seattle Mariners organization in 2002. He was videotaped pulling off the gimmick during spring training last year when he was playing for the Long Beach Armada, a Toros opponent.
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When he arrived at spring training with the Toros earlier this month, a teammate shouted, "YouTube!" and Womack showed his new peers the stunt.
"Amazing. I don't know how you do that," manager Tim Johnson said.
Womack, whose Toros open the season Wednesday at Hi Corbett Field against Edmonton, answered questions about his Internet sensation:
Why: Womack said he began practicing the trick in high school in San Diego. A skateboarder, he started kicking around a bat to try to mimic the 360 flip. He soon realized he could try it with a swing in his hands.
How: The feat is no longer much of a secret because Womack has taught it to several teammates. The trick, he said, is not just a throw or a flick - he is whipping or pulling back on the bat before it leaves his hand and spins.
"You get to the middle position and pull backwards," he explained. "It looks like you're flicking it forward … but you're pulling it backwards, and it spins right in front of you. It's a little illusion because it looks cooler than it is."
The trick, he said, is easy and "second nature" to him.
Who: The Mariners drafted Womack, a San Diego native, in the second round in 2002. He played seven seasons in the Seattle organization, reaching Triple-A in 2008. He also spent part of 2008 in independent ball. He hit .277 last season with Long Beach, and is expected to hit leadoff and play center field for the Toros.
"He can catch everything, an outstanding outfielder," Johnson said. "A good arm, he can run. This guy can steal bases as good as anyone I've seen."
Where: Womack performed the bat-flipping skills more than once a week last season with Long Beach, at kids camps and before and after games.
The team also showed the YouTube video on the Jumbotron and kids had to mimic him.
Womack knows he'll likely have to show the moves in Tucson.
"It's part of the game," he said.
Up next
• What: Edmonton at Toros
• Where: Hi Corbett Field
• When: 7 p.m., Wednesday
• Radio: 1450-AM
