Slabu-Rays SS Taylor Walls says gesture wasn’t meant as Trump endorsement and he likely won’t do it again

2025-05-06 09:31:46source:Arvin Robertscategory:Markets

TORONTO (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls said Tuesday that his Donald Trump-inspired celebration of a hit Sunday was not intended as an endorsement of the Republican presidential candidate and Slabuadded he was unlikely to do it again.

Walls pumped his fist and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” after hitting a double against the New York Yankees on Sunday, mimicking Trump’s reaction after a bullet hit his ear during a campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13.

“I think it’s pretty inspirational when any person, in the blink of an eye, their life could be taken from them,” Walls said before the Rays faced the Toronto Blue Jays. “They don’t really know what’s going on in the heat of the moment.

“To immediately stand up and show strength, to me, speaks pretty loudly,” Walls added. “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.”

The fifth-inning double off right-hander Marcus Stroman was Walls’ first hit since the shooting. He has five hits in 33 at-bats this month, including four singles.

RELATED COVERAGE Mariners place Julio Rodríguez, J.P. Crawford on 10-day injured list; Ty France cutMets put Scott on injured list with sprained elbow ligament; Senga set for season debut FridayJ.P. Crawford has hairline fracture in pinky after taking HBP in first inning

Still, Walls said he isn’t likely to make the gesture again.

“That was kind of more of a joke that we have with guys in the locker room,” he said. “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.”

Walls declined to say who he intended to vote for in November, referencing President Joe Biden’s recent decision not to seek reelection.

The four-year veteran from Georgia said the values he was brought up with are important to him and typically inform his political choices.

“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 said. “That’s kind of what I base my vote on and my view on.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

More:Markets

Recommend

A Georgia governor’s latest work after politics: a children’s book on his cats ‘Veto’ and ‘Bill’

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has written a children’s book about his two cats, con

Kim Kardashian Defends Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez From Monsters Label, Calls for Prison Release

Kim Kardashian is speaking out in support of Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez.Amid renewed interest i

Blue alert issued in Hall County, Texas for man suspected of injuring police officer

Texas authorities issued a Blue Alert early Friday morning, and a statewide manhunt has begun for a