Over the Weekend, some San Francisco Giants players wrote bible verses on their rainbow-themed Pride Night hats. On Monday, the MLB issued a stern warning that the behavior would not be tolerated moving forward.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney said in a statement to various outlets, via ESPN.
Giants pitcher Landen Roupp went 4.2 innings with “Gen 9:12-16” on his cap.
“There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for, and what I stand on: I believe in God,” Roupp said after losing to the Chicago Cubs 5-1.
“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy. That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that,” he added. “And I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want, and express what we want.”
Reliever Sam Hentges didn’t wear the hat at all, going with San Francisco’s traditional hat.
“It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it. There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted,” Hentges said. “I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.”
For the Giants’ part, the franchise reaffirmed its commitment to inclusivity after the incidents.
“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations.
“We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.