Major League Baseball (MLB) found itself mired in controversy this past week after three San Francisco Giants players—Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker, and Ryan Walker—inscribed Bible verses on their hats that had been designed for the team's Pride night. Another, Sam Hentges, declined to wear the hat altogether. Whether people were mad at the players for their lack of pride or at the team and league for their alleged abundance of pride depends on vantage point. But people were mad.
Put differently, we are living in Groundhog Day, but make it gay. We've had this fight before. Around and around we have gone. A lot of people are wrong. So why are we still doing this?
The MLB may be wondering the same thing. "We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don't think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players," said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in 2023, "not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views." The Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, however, have continued incorporating the Pride uniforms because of a standing agreement.
This fight is not constrained to the outfield or the infield or the minefield-ridden culture war battlefield. "I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith," Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) said in a letter to Manfred. "You must answer for what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith." The senator was joined by other government actors promising to intervene, including the U.S. Department of Justice's Harmeet Dhillon, who referred the league to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for an investigation.
"This routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message," the league said in a statement. "We respect players' right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball's uniform regulations….We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as 'Dad,' 'Happy Mother's Day, I Love Mom' and names of family members."
Put differently, we are living in Groundhog Day, but make it gay. We've had this fight before. Around and around we have gone. A lot of people are wrong. So why are we still doing this?
The MLB may be wondering the same thing. "We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don't think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players," said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in 2023, "not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views." The Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, however, have continued incorporating the Pride uniforms because of a standing agreement.
This fight is not constrained to the outfield or the infield or the minefield-ridden culture war battlefield. "I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith," Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) said in a letter to Manfred. "You must answer for what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith." The senator was joined by other government actors promising to intervene, including the U.S. Department of Justice's Harmeet Dhillon, who referred the league to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for an investigation.
"This routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message," the league said in a statement. "We respect players' right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball's uniform regulations….We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as 'Dad,' 'Happy Mother's Day, I Love Mom' and names of family members."
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