ATLANTA — With four solo homers in Sunday’s win, the Cardinals’ hand gestures to celebrate hits got plenty of screen time — and drew some questions and unchecked speculation from national media outlets, including those covering baseball or spouting politics.
After several home runs, players running the bases or in the dugout cupped a hand to an ear and raised their other arm. The Cardinals’ Matt Carpenter said the signals, which he did in the dugout, were inspired by Alec Burleson’s nickname, “DJ Burly Biscuits,†and meant to mimic a DJ holding headphones to the air and encouraging the crowd to dance. A photo from Sunday's game of Lars Nootbaar shows him cupping his ear and holding out his hand as if spinning or scratching records on a turntable.
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With a hand to the ear or brushing at the ear and a fist raised, the gesture appeared similar to former President Donald Trump’s immediately after a bullet hit his right ear in an attempted assassination July 13. Without asking the Cardinals, several outlets speculated on the connection while social media already was abuzz with President Joe Biden withdrawing his candidacy on Sunday.
Carpenter said their celebration began earlier this month. During the Cardinals' nine-run first inning against the Cubs on the afternoon of July 13, before the political rally in Pennsylvania, several Cardinals in the dugout can be seen raising their arms and an open hand similar to Sunday's gesture as a nod to a two-run RBI by Masyn Winn.Â
The celebration was its most prominent this weekend in Atlanta.
“Definitely not a political statement,†Carpenter said. “That’s off-base here. It’s the furthest thing from a political statement and a little thing (for Burleson). I can understand why everyone is looking for something right now. The ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals aren’t involved in any kind of political statement.â€
After Sunday's game, Burleson said he did not initially participate in the gesture the first time he was urged to do so by teammates, but he did rounding third after his home run Sunday.
The bounce back to win the nightcap in Atlanta.
— MLB (@MLB)
The bounce back to win the nightcap in Atlanta.
— MLB (@MLB)