Blue Jays' Ernie Clement fires up fans at Sabres game

Ernie Clement had crowds in Toronto cheering all season long during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series — and he showed on Thursday night he can be a hype man in the offseason, too.

The Blue Jays infielder was at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center as a local celebrity, helping to pump up the home crowd ahead of the Sabres’ tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 29-year-old Brighton, N.Y., native pounded the team’s drum ahead of puck drop while outfitted in a custom Sabres jersey.

While he was rooting for the Sabres instead of the Maple Leafs in Toronto, most folks on social media seemed to be giving the lovable athlete a pass on the matter.

“I can forgive this. Man is Rochester’s finest after all,” one commenter said on the social-media platform X.

“Need him in a leafs jersey lol,” added another, while another said “fun crossover energy.”

The utility player has been active away from the ballpark since the Jays’ season came to a close in November with a heartbreaking Game 7 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

N.Y. locals celebrated ‘Ernie Clement Day’

On Nov. 29, the noted Buffalo sports fan was given a key to his home Monroe County in New York as that day was proclaimed as “Ernie Clement Day.”

Clement set the MLB record for most hits in a post-season with 30 during the Jays’ sensational run to within two outs of winning the World Series.

“Ernie, we are incredibly proud of you and you represented your hometown so well on the world stage,” Monroe County executive Adam Bello said, per News10NBC.

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Clement comes out swinging at golf event

Earlier in November, the Jays’ fan favourite finished seventh at the inaugural MLB Open golf tournament, competing alongside Jays legend Joe Carter at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Clement was one of Toronto’s most productive players last season, hitting .277 with nine home runs in 157 regular-season games to go alongside 22 defensive runs saved while spending time at all four infield positions.

His 30 post-season hits included 22 singles, six doubles, one triple and one home run across three playoff rounds.