Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls Speaks Out On Viral Trump-Inspired Home Run Celebration

Taylor Walls of the Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a celebration on Sunday, in a game against the New York Yankees, that had baseball and Trump fans buzzing. 

Now, Walls is walking back some of the appreciation for Trump stirred up by his celebration.

READ: Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls Shows Support For Donald Trump With In-Game Celebration

Walls hit a double in the fifth inning and showcased a Donald Trump-inspired celebration — chanting "Fight!" and pumping his fist as a callback to the failed assassination attempt on July 13. 

Many were impressed by the player's apparent appreciation for No. 45, but Walls contends that while it was a callback to Trump, it wasn't an endorsement. 

Expounding on the celebration, the Rays' shortstop clarified that the gesture was not meant to be "pro-Trump" and that he would refrain from using it in the future. Walls described the celebration as more of an inside joke with his teammates, despite its coincidental timing, just one week after the assassination attempt.

"To immediately stand up and show strength, to me, speaks pretty loudly," Walls shared, as relayed by the Associated Press. "Anyone in that situation or that type of event, when it happens, it's strong. It kind of represents character to me, and something that similarly I feel like I've faced those challenges in baseball, but on a much suppressed level."

"That was kind of more of a joke that we have with guys in the locker room," Walls added. "Joke may not be the right word. It was kind of just something that we had together that we thought was kind of funny, that we thought would be all right. I don't really see that going much further than that. I don't foresee myself doing it again."

St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson had a celebration perceived to be a "pro-Trump" gesture after a home run on Sunday, but teammate Matt Carpenter later clarified that the HR was apolitical and a reference to Burleson's background as a DJ. Both celebrations were viewed as a de-stigmatizing of Donald Trump's image. For years, athletes held back their support for the Republican presidential nominee, fearing backlash by the mainstream media for considering voting for Trump.

Walls was tight-lipped about endorsing a candidate.

"You can read between the lines of how I carry myself, how I was raised, how me and my family coordinate, how we're going to go about things and do things," Walls admitted. "That's kind of what I base my vote on and my view on."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls throws a ball before an MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals on July 2, 2024 at Kauffman Stadium. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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