The Toronto Blue Jays have had a wretched season, amassing a 55-85 record heading into today, and most recently getting no-hit by Houston Astros’ ace Justin Verlander. But while that result was pitiful, the day was not lost, as Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, gave the team some Twitter love. And it was all thanks to a barehanded catch by a fan who donned a T-shirt featuring the actor/producer/former wrestler’s image.
The well known (and heavily memed) photo of the 47-year-old has long drawn laughs simply because it is—and we are choosing our words carefully, so as not to insult a guy who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 260 pounds—incredibly cheesy. Combining big jeans, a gargantuan chain, a turtleneck and a fanny pack, The Rock pulled off a look that a Major League Baseball account said only he could execute, and Blue Jays fan Dean Clarke honored the fashion decision in attending Sunday’s tilt with his parents, with his T-shirt having the text “Thug Life” emblazoned over Johnson’s chest.
Raw handing a foul ball with a can of brew in the other all while wearing my infamous THUG LIFE tee shirt. 😂👏🏾#FannyPackDrip @BlueJays @jeskeets https://t.co/qPiLvNvbdx
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 1, 2019
Haha always gotta take care of our mamas. Great catch brother. Even better t-shirt. #thuglife 😂👊🏾🍻 https://t.co/YX1rjcKQb3
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 2, 2019
In the top of the first inning, Clarke made the afternoon memorable for his mom and dad, snagging a foul ball that the attendee said would have hit his mother had he not made the one-handed grab. His fame secured among the other fans, Clarke soon became aware that The Rock had applauded his throwing-caution-to-the-wind gesture through Twitter, with the entertainer even playfully dubbing the Thug Life T-shirt “infamous.” Adding through another tweet that while the catch was great, the top was better, The Rock drew a “thank-you” reply from Clarke, whose grab made sure that he and his parents left the Rogers Centre as winners, even if their baseball heroes could not.
Since most of the division leaders, including the Astros, appear to have their postseason hopes solidified, many teams are just playing out the string, meaning that September could end up being a month where fans let it all hang out, promotionally speaking, when attending games. This could mean that instead of showing only pride in their clubs by wearing team-specific gear, they might choose to don any number of different T-shirts, including football ones since the NFL slate opens tomorrow. This could also mean that someone else might decide to go the Thug Life route and give The Rock a nod via the same shirt that has helped to make Clarke semi-famous. What we are really trying to say is that we need more Thug Life T-shirts because, well, The Rock looks ridiculous in that attire. There, we said it. Mr. Johnson, please don’t punish us with the People’s Elbow.
