The Giants overcame a 4-game losing streak this Saturday with a promising 10-3 win over the White Sox. And they decided to celebrate. Again. Just days after MLB warned the Giants to stop using a vulgar celebration, the players looked right at the league and did it anyway.

During the win, Harrison Bader, Drew Gilbert, and Casey Schmitt didn’t just repeat the thrusting gesture; they turned the whole ban into a giant joke. When reporters asked Bader who came up with the idea, he played dumb.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Bader.

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are one of the internet’s most favorite comedy duos who did a football sketch in 2013. The Fake game between the Rhynos and Cougars had Key playing a wide receiver, Hingle McCringleberry. Every time he scores a touchdown, the character celebrates with a pelvic thrust. Peele, as the game referee, would flag him for “excessive celebration” after the third thrust. Drew Gilbert, Harrison Bader, and Casey Schmitt re-enacted the sketch from 12 years ago. 

Gilbert played the role of McCringleberry, celebrating one too many times. Bader played the referee by throwing his hat like a penalty flag. And Schmitt acted as the frustrated teammate, throwing his hands in the air after the referee’s decision. 

Notably, Bader and Gilbert, along with Jung Hoo Lee, celebrated with a similar gesture after their second win against the Dodgers last week. The league quickly stepped in. Citing Rule 6.04 for unsportsmanlike conduct, MLB warned the Giants that the move was vulgar. If they did it again, they faced heavy fines or ejections.

“A message has been relayed,” Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported a ban on the hip thrust. 

They warned the trio not to repeat the questionable movements. And most people thought it was a one-off from the Giants. However, Gilbert had already hinted at it. 

“We’ll change it up, come up with something different,” he told the interviewers after the earlier event. 

It was only this Saturday when people came to realize what difference he meant. They not only made it funnier but also mocked the ban most innovatively. However, the best part of it was Bader’s deadpan expression when he refused to spill the beans during the interview. Unfortunately, a part of the SF fanbase didn’t laugh. 

Giants fans find optimism from a different source

The Giants are fourth in the NL West with just 21 wins from 52 games. Since their earlier celebration following the win against the Dodgers, they have had an appalling record of 3-7. That’s why many fans fail to find amusement in the modified celebration. 

As of May 24, the Giants are sitting at the bottom of MLB with just 191 runs. Understandably, they have a -50 run differential this season with only four teams having a worse figure. But Bryce Eldrige’s recent rodeo sparked some hope among the loyalists.

He went toe-to-toe with Erick Fedde in the bottom of the third inning. Eldridge survived 11 pitches from the White Sox starter. He recorded two strikes, three balls, five foul balls, and finally a single. 

The most notable ones were the 110-mph line drive that rocketed past the right foul pole and the 109-mph single at the end of that sequence. Hitting with such velocity is considered elite by the MLB standard. But what impressed the fans the most was how he maintained his concentration throughout the 11-pitch at-bats. 

Although Eldridge just recorded 1 run in the game, the flashes earned him some attention. And this might change a few things in the roster. Particularly after Bob Nightengale publicly criticized Buster Posey for denying consistent at-bats for Bryce Eldridge despite the Giants’ offensive struggles. 

However, the celebration does show good chemistry in the clubhouse. And that is a major criterion for overall performance. A 10-3 win deserves some praise. The fans only wish for consistency before they can jump into the unorthodox celebration.