{"id":15831,"date":"2026-06-17T21:31:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15831"},"modified":"2026-06-17T21:31:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:31:57","slug":"mlb-warned-players-about-altering-pride-night-caps-and-republicans-took-notice-heres-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15831","title":{"rendered":"MLB warned players about altering Pride Night caps, and Republicans took notice. Here\u2019s what to know"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By WILL GRAVES, AP National Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Efforts by Major League Baseball teams to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity during Pride Month haven\u2019t been embraced with open arms by some of its rank-and-file players, and the league\u2019s response is prompting criticism from prominent Republican politicians.<\/p>\n

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Several members of the San Francisco Giants added Bible verses or opted not to wear the themed cap at all during the club\u2019s Pride Night on June 12. A few nights earlier, two Los Angeles Dodgers players did not wear rainbow-themed caps with their teammates.<\/p>\n

MLB warned Giants players that writing on the caps is a violation of league policy, though the league added its issue was not with the content of the respective messages but the act of modifying the cap itself.<\/p>\n

The fallout has included criticism from notable politicians, including Vice President JD Vance and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about MLB and Pride Night:<\/p>\n

Giants pitcher referenced a rainbow-themed Bible verse<\/h4>\n

Several members of the San Francisco Giants pitching staff \u2014 starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker \u2014 added Bible verses to their caps during a 5-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs during San Francisco\u2019s annual Pride Night.<\/p>\n

Roupp, a North Carolina native, wrote \u201cGen 9:12-16\u201d in a silver marker on the front of the black cap, which had the team\u2019s classic \u201cSF\u201d logo filled in with colors of the rainbow, long a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Genesis passage includes, \u201cI have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth,\u201d according to the Bible\u2019s New International Version translation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just about God\u2019s covenant and a promise he makes to us and his faithfulness and his mercy,\u201d Roupp told reporters afterward. \u201cJust kind of something I believe in and I stand firm in that and thankfully we live in a country where you know, we have freedom to believe what we want, yeah, and express what we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giants reliever Sam Hentges eschewed the Pride-themed cap altogether, opting instead for the club\u2019s regular black version with the \u201cSF\u201d in orange.<\/p>\n

MLB says its rules forbid writing on caps, regardless of the message<\/h4>\n

The league issued a pair of statements in response.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The first noted that writing on the cap violates the league\u2019s rules, and warned players about future violations.<\/p>\n

The league issued another statement Tuesday to clarify that the \u201croutine verbal warning\u201d had nothing to do with the content of the respective messages but the act of modifying the uniform.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as, \u2018Dad\u2019, \u2018Happy Mother\u2019s Day, I Love Mom,\u2019 and names of family members,\u201d the league said.<\/p>\n

Read more Takeaways from the G7: Trump\u2019s new attitude toward allies buoyed by their praise for Iran deal<\/a><\/p>\n

Conservative politicians wonder if Christian players are being targeted<\/h4>\n

Vance quote-tweeted a post mentioning MLB\u2019s warning, writing, \u201cTrump won we don\u2019t have to do this anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s second administration has taken aggressive action against members of the LBGTQ+ community, the transgender community specifically.<\/p>\n

Hawley penned a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday in which he expressed \u201cgrave concern\u201d over the warning to the players. Hawley called the warning \u201cdubious\u201d because he feels MLB is already promoting a political viewpoint by having Pride-themed uniforms.<\/p>\n

Hawley asked MLB to respond to several inquiries, including a list of all uniform violation fines over the last five years.<\/p>\n

First-year San Francisco manager Tony Vitello, whose team entered Wednesday with the second-worst record in the National League, is trying to stay out of the fray.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know about the vice president, it hasn\u2019t been in my world,\u201d he said. \u201cMy world\u2019s kind of been, \u2018How do we find a way to beat the Braves?\u2019 And then if we can beat them, try and beat them again. So hopefully our guys are focused on what they\u2019ve got to do and handling their business the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

MLB has dealt with similar player resistance before, and it\u2019s not just a baseball problem<\/h4>\n

In 2022, a handful of players on the Tampa Bay Rays declined to wear rainbow-colored logos during the team\u2019s Pride Night. Reliever Jason Adam, now a member of the San Diego Padres, called it a \u201cfaith-based\u201d decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just what we believe the lifestyle he\u2019s (Jesus) encouraged us to live for our good, not to withhold,\u201d Adam told the Tampa Bay Times in 2022. \u201cBut we love these men and women, we care about them and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

MLB is unique among the four major North American pro sports leagues in that a portion of its regular season falls in June, which is recognized as Pride Month in many countries, including the U.S. All but one MLB team \u2014 the Texas Rangers \u2014 schedules a Pride Night during June.<\/p>\n

Other leagues, including the NBA and NHL, do have a majority of teams hold Pride-themed nights during their seasons. The NHL had a series of high-profile dust-ups around Pride Nights during the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n

Several players opted not to don Pride-themed pregame jerseys that season and at least two teams \u2014 the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild \u2014 declined to host Pride Nights after initially advertising they would. Neither team offered a reason behind the decision.<\/p>\n

Read more World Cup: Congo holds Ronaldo and Portugal to 1-1 draw<\/a><\/p>\n

AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/mlb<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MLB warned San Francisco Giants players for writing Bible verses on Pride Night caps, sparking criticism from JD Vance and Josh Hawley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMLB warned players about altering Pride Night caps, and Republicans took notice. 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