Under pressure from Capitol Hill, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has pinned the blame on the San Francisco Giants for their handling of the team\u2019s Pride Night this month \u2014 an event that\u2019s turned into a political mess for the league office.<\/p>\n
After Pride Night on June 12, MLB warned members of the Giants<\/a> that Bible verses they donned on their ball caps that evening were against the sport\u2019s rules. Four days later, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter<\/a> to MLB suggesting the league had engaged in \u201ca pattern of discrimination\u201d against Christian players. The Department of Justice also joined the fray<\/a>, saying the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would investigate.<\/p>\n Now, in a letter dated June 19 and publicly revealed Monday<\/a>, Manfred responded to Hawley by pointing a finger at the Giants\u2019 \u201clapse in communication.\u201d<\/p>\n When the league issued its warning over the writings, MLB did not know the team had failed to inform players that they could take the field without Pride logos, Manfred wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, this year the Giants\u2019 communication with players was inadequate and not clear,\u201d Manfred wrote in a three-page letter to Hawley, which the senator shared on social media. \u201cSome players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n The players were not fined or punished, \u201cnor will they ever be,\u201d the commissioner wrote.<\/p>\n The Giants declined comment Monday.<\/p>\n On Pride Night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker inscribed some variation of \u201cGen 9: 12-16\u201d on their caps. A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, declined to wear the hat altogether, and instead wore San Francisco\u2019s standard black hat with orange lettering.<\/p>\n Three of the pitchers have subsequently said they did not feel discriminated against or pressured to wear a Pride hat, the San Francisco Chronicle reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hawley wrote on social media Monday that Manfred\u2019s letter was an admission that \u201cthey were wrong to threaten the Giants players over Bible verses and promises never to fine or discipline these players \u2014 or any players for their religious beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n In his letter to Hawley, Manfred wrote that the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers carry \u201cgrandfathered\u201d status when it comes to what they wear on field for Pride Night.<\/p>\n In 2022, several Tampa Bay Rays players opted out of wearing the Rays\u2019 rainbow-colored hat and peeled off a rainbow patch<\/a> on their jerseys. The next year, MLB adopted a policy that forbids clubs from utilizing special uniforms, hats or equipment \u201cexcept under very narrow circumstances,\u201d per Manfred.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that some players or other on-field personnel have not been comfortable wearing the pride emblem on their uniform based on their religious beliefs,\u201d Manfred wrote to Hawley.<\/p>\n Manfred\u2019s letter listed two specific examples of exceptions: deaths in the baseball community, and milestones in the sport.<\/p>\n The Giants and Dodgers, however, requested and received permission to allow their players to wear Pride imagery on their jerseys and hats \u2014 \u201cprovided that no player or uniformed staff would be required to wear them, and that the team would speak to the players to make sure they were comfortable with the apparel,\u201d Manfred wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cLos Angeles and San Francisco are homes to some of the largest LGBQ communities in the United States, and those clubs desired to show their appreciation and support for those communities that have supported their clubs throughout the years,\u201d Manfred wrote.<\/p>\n Manfred did not directly address in the letter whether MLB would change its approach to the Giants and Dodgers for future Pride celebrations.<\/p>\n MLB declined additional comment when reached by The Athletic.\u00a0<\/p>\n Manfred\u2019s letter to Hawley amounts to the league\u2019s third public comment on the Giants\u2019 Pride Night. The league office first issued a one-line statement on June 15, which was replaced a day later with a longer statement that said MLB was not attempting to police the content of any message. Manfred reinforced that position in his letter as well.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be clear, 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,\u201d MLB\u2019s second statement read in part. \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<\/p>\n