Dale Thayer Throws Gum, Tantrum After Hector Sanchez's Grand Slam Bat Flip

Think of the coolest way you could ever express rage.

Now take that badass idea, which should involve running over rush-hour traffic in a burning monster truck, and imagine its exact opposite.

What you should see now is a grown man angrily throwing gum, which is how San Diego Padres pitcher Dale Thayer handled having one of his fastballs pounded into the mesosphere by Hector Sanchez on Tuesday night.

With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Sanchez caught all of a Thayer fastball and sent it over the right field wall. The San Francisco Giants catcher then flipped his bat, because hell yeah, grand slam.

The shot brought the Giants' lead to 9-0, and as Sanchez rounded the bases, Thayer crankily threw his gum at the catcher.

The gum toss was probably Thayer's best throw of the night. He left the game shortly thereafter with three runs allowed in one inning and a season ERA of 4.11. Sanchez didn't seem to notice the gesture at the time, but he most certainly made note of the fastballs the Padres sent his way later in the game. 

Hostilities began in the top of the ninth when Padres hurler Shawn Kelley grooved pitches near Sanchez's hip. The catcher eventually hit a hopper to first for an easy out, and on his way back to the dugout he began jawing with Kelley.

It's unclear what was said, but both dugouts emptied, and a bench-clearing kerfuffle ensued. No punches were thrown. The Giants would go on to win, 9-3.

After the game, Sanchez told the San Jose Mercury News' Andrew Baggarly that he didn't see Thayer's gum toss and was just excited over the grand slam—the second of his career. 

"I didn't notice (the gum toss)," Sanchez said. "I'm just trying to enjoy the game. It's a grand slam. You don't hit them every day. If someone gets mad, I don't know the reason. I'm just enjoying the game."

Kelley told reporters he didn't appreciate Sanchez flipping his bat or enjoying his success at the plate.

"I guess that's part of the game now," Kelley said. "To me, that's a little disrespectful, especially to Dale (Thayer). I don't think there's a place in this game for that, but it's part of it. Guys admire what they do, and when you get one, sometimes guys watch it. But...that's not our business."

No, sir. Any self-respecting baseball player knows you never enjoy yourself or observe the ball after you've hit it. You keep your head down and your thoughts on the Lord when you round that hallowed diamond—just as our forefathers once did.

Guys like Dale Thayer—gritty, veteran Orbit-throwers—don't deserve such disrespect. 

Then again, gum-slinging is becoming a tradition between the Giants and Padres. In April, Angel Pagan and Derek Norris engaged in a brief tiff over a piece of gum being tossed around in the batter's box.

We are truly living in baseball's golden age of gum-troversy.

Dan is on Twitter. No one ever throws pre-owned gum at him :(