"Slapping hands is the lowest form of male primate ritual. In fact, even some of them have moved on – they’re using sign language now" – Jerry Seinfeld
On October 2, 1977, the last day of the regular season, Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker connected with his 30th home run of the season. It was a triumphant moment for the Dodger team as they headed to the playoffs. As Baker rounded third and headed home, Glenn Burke, waiting on deck, raised his arm over his head. Baker, not knowing what to do, raised his arm in response and smacked Burke’s hand. This is how, as the story goes, Glenn Burke invented the high five.
The Milwaukee Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday night. In a post-season without the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies – and maybe a lack of good story lines and folk heroes – the Brewers might have had some extra hands clapping for them.
But it has been the Brewers’ Glenn Burke-like ability to come up with new ways to celebrate that had encouraged me to use my one-night stay in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as a good enough reason to declare myself a true Brew Crew dude.
Here’s a sample:
Braun/Fielder Home Run Celebration
Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have a unique way of celebrating a home run. Or is it every run? Some finely tuned mock-boxing moves and a little dance.
Beast Mode
Beastmode: Mode that you switch into when doing hardcore activities; having beast-like characteristics. Nyjer Morgan, pictured, displays the team-wide gesture of going Beast Mode.
Prince Fielder Earthquake
http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/flash/video/share/ObjectEmbedFrame.swf?content_id=6511913&topic_id=&width=400&height=254&property=mlb
On September 6, 2009, Prince Fielder hit a 12th-inning game-winning home run against the San Francisco Giants. Prince launched himself onto home plate, and his teammates, who had gathered in a semi-circle, came tumbling down in the ensuing earthquake. Video attached.
Unique sports celebration doesn’t exactly stem from the high five. Players were doing all sorts of wacky things in the 1970s – and just as many wacky things in the 1950s. Jimmy Piersall played air guitar on his bat while standing at the plate, and once ran around the bases backwards after a home run in 1961.
Dusty Baker, now the manager for the Cincinnati Reds told ESPN of Burke, "His hand was up in the air, and he was arching way back. So I reached up and hit his hand. It seemed like the thing to do."
In truth, it’s unlikely this was the first high five – even in baseball. I’m not sure the act can be invented no more than you could invent the handshake, the thumbs-up, the wink, or many other gestures.
But Glenn Burke is getting credit. Possibly it was just luck. Maybe it was the first time some beat writer had ever seen it. But the Glenn Burke story continues to get told because of who he was. The gregarious California native, even in his 24-year-old rookie season, was described as the soul of the Dodger clubhouse. He was also the first – and still only – Major League Baseball player known to have been out to his teammates and team owner during his professional career. He was the first to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality, following an early retirement in 1979.
The high five is the lowest, and simplest, form of celebration. Maybe that’s worth celebrating.
If you do feel like celebrating, remember that the third Thursday of April is National High Five Day.
