Question for someone who has played ball

[Carllamy]

I've seen many MLB players make this gesture, but I don't know what it means. If someone who has played ball can tell me what this means I will be grateful:

After a player gets on base, he takes his arm and waves it over his head. He is usually looking into the dugout when he does so.

Mostly when I've seen a player do it (for some reason I've mostly seen Tejada and Izturis make this gesture with this particular addition) their hand is shaped as if they are holding a ball, like a 5-fingered claw.

I saw a Texas Ranger player in today's playoff game wave his arm over his head after he hit a double, and he was looking into the dugout when he made the gesture, but his hand was in no particular "shape."

As a guess I think by making this gesture a player is requesting that someone come and get his gear, that is, the shin pads, elbow pads, etc. that the hitter had worn while hitting but no longer wanted on the baspaths as a runner. But this is a guess.

Could someone please enlighten me?

[CharmCityLights]

I don't know the exact history of this gesture, but I first noticed it years ago. I would say that I watch a lot of baseball, and the first and only place that I saw it for a long time was with the O's...led by Tejada during his first stint in Baltimore. Now it's all over the place, especially with the Rangers. It's indeed referred to as "the claw" and is a form of congratulations after a really good play (like a timely hit). I was able to figure out its meaning back in the day, but I was surprised that I never heard it mentioned or explained on TV. Google "Rangers" and "claw".

[Art Wing]

The Tejada "claw" is actually a "spotlight" to give credit to a teammate for a good play/effort.

[Rclynch82]

My guess was it was just a far away "hi-five" back in the day that transformed into its current claw shaped form.

[Icterus galbula]

The Rangers have some running joke this postseason about "running like a deer" and have two stuffed bucks in the locker room. You may have seen them put their hands to their helmets or in the air making attempts at antlers.

Edit: Articles

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=126&sid=2054784

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Photo-The-10-point-buck-hanging-above-Josh-Hami?urn=mlb-270519