Donald Trump’s recent brush with death and his famous reaction to the botched shooting inspired a pair of celebrations at Major League Baseball stadiums on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls mimicked Trump’s chant, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” after the .160 hitter made a rare appearance at second base during Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Yankees in the Bronx.
Not to be outdone, St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Alec Burleson did a more complete recreation.
In a reference to the injury Trump suffered during last week’s failed assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, the 25-year-old slugger covered one ear with one hand and pumped his fist with the other as he rounded third base after his 18th home run of the season.
At least three Cardinals players were seen responding the same way during Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Braves in Atlanta.
Rays’ Taylor Walls (left) and Cardinals slugger Alec Burleson (right) copied Trump on Sunday
At least three Cardinals players were seen responding in kind to Burleson’s celebration.
Trump survived a famous assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 15.
A bystander, Corey D. Comperatore, was killed in the shooting, as was the shooter, who has since been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20.
Trump, a longtime Yankees fan and friend of the late George Steinbrenner, is no stranger to baseball.
“When I was 17, I loved sports,” Trump told MTV in 2010. “I was always a good athlete and I played football, baseball, soccer and wrestled. I think my favorite thing was baseball.”
Trump was so good, he claims, that he could have played professionally.
Secret Service quickly removes Trump from the scene after failed July 15 assassination attempt
“I was the captain of the baseball team,” Trump said. “I was supposed to be a professional baseball player.
“Luckily enough, I decided to go into real estate. I played first base and catcher. I was a good hitter and had fun. Now I play golf.”
Slate’s Leander Schaerlaeckens He has since uncovered nine scoreboards from Trump’s high school games, during which he went 4 for 29 at the plate.
Trump said his baseball career was derailed when he attended a tryout with “another young man named Willie McCovey.”
That claim, however, appears to be false. McCovey, the late Hall of Famer and legendary Giants slugger, was born in Alabama in 1938, eight years before Trump was born in Queens.