The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off one of their biggest wins of the season over the weekend.
But the buzz about the game has nothing to do with the win. Instead, the focus is on how one of their sluggers celebrated a big home run.
Designated hitter Alec Burleson hit a 435-foot solo home run to contribute to the team’s 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves, but it was his celebration that seemed to get everyone’s attention.
As Burleson rounded the bases, he and his teammates were seen putting a fist up and covering their right ear. Burleson did the move as he rounded third base, and several of his teammates in the dugout followed suit. It was Burleson’s 18th home run of the season.
Social media went wild, speculating whether the celebration was inspired by former President Trump’s gesture after he was wounded in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last week.
Former President Donald Trump raised his fist into the air, creating an image that reinforced his persona as a fighter.
🔗 – https://t.co/m7KEMpeIVG pic.twitter.com/c3remzJa0D
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 14, 2024
Trump was wounded in the shooting but managed to participate in the Republican National Convention last week, ending with a speech as he accepted the party’s nomination for president.
As for the celebration, Cardinals veteran Matt Carpenter told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the celebration was actually a call back to Burleson’s college days when he was a rapper nicknamed Biscuit. The hand over the ear was allegedly supposed to be invisible headphones.
“Definitely not a political statement, that is off base,” Carpenter said.
For Burleson finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBI and is now hitting .294 with 59 RBI on the season.
Check out Burleson’s home run trot and subsequent celebration for yourself and you be the judge.
Is this a Trump home run celebration by the Cardinals? pic.twitter.com/f2XrQr0q3u
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 21, 2024