“Focus on fighting at the plate”; “It’s a nationwide movement” - MLB fans in splits as Taylor Walls does Donald Trump’s ‘Fight! Fight’ gesture

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls stole the spotlight by imitating former US President Donald Trump after he committed a two-base hit against the New York Yankees. This celebration garnered a lot of attention, as it involves the political framework in the MLB environment.

Walls showed his support for Trump since, after hitting second base, he turned towards the camera and raised one hand with his fist closed. As Taylor Walls did that, he uttered, "Fight, fight," which is again what was said by Donald Trump after a failed assassination attempt on him back in Pennsylvania.

The fans have mixed reactions to this kind of celebration. Some felt that sport and politics must be kept separate and there's no need to blend them.

"He should focus on fighting at the plate with a .152 avg," one fan said.

However, some fans saw nothing problematic with this celebration and supported Taylor Walls.

"It’s a nationwide movement," another fan stated.

Some other fans also put forward different perspectives on the matter.

"Shame players are bringing politics into the game," one fan mentioned.

"Rays sure know how to pick their shortstops," one fan opined.

"but what happened to keeping politics out of sports?" one fan asked.

"He plans to do the same thing every time he gets on base for the rest of the season. So we’ll be seeing this 5 or 6 more times," one fan remarked.

Did Alec Burleson also follow in the footsteps of Tayler Walls?

A 435-foot home run by St. Louis Cardinals' DH Alec Burleson energized the Busch Stadium in their 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. However, it was Burleson's post-home run celebration that garnered unexpected attention.

Burleson's celebratory trot, which incorporated a raised fist and a cupped ear, wasn't an ode to Trump's gesture after getting shot. Some fans linked the gesture to what Taylor Walls did during his celebration, however, designated hitter Matt Carpenter intervened and revealed the truth behind the celebration.

Cardinals veteran Matt Carpenter provided a grounded explanation that gave a different perspective. The celebration, Carpenter revealed, was a nostalgic nod to Burleson's college days as a rapper known as "Biscuit."

"Definitely not a political statement, that is off base," Carpenter said.

The cupped ear, it turned out, symbolized his signature pose as an artist. It was supposed to be invisible headphones, which would be a piece of essential equipment for a rapper.