MLB says Bible verses on Giants' Pride Night caps violated the league’s rules about uniforms

Major League Baseball (MLB) warned three San Francisco Giants pitchers after they wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during a June 12 game against the Chicago Cubs, saying the markings violated league uniform rules.

MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney said in a statement June 15 that "the writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations."

Giants starter Landen Roupp, 27, pitched nearly five innings with "Gen 9:12-16" written on the front of his Pride Night cap next to the rainbow-colored SF logo. The passage refers to Genesis 9, in which God places a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with humanity after the flood.

Relief pitchers JT Brubaker, 32, and Ryan Walker, 30, also wrote Bible verses on their caps. Brubaker cited Genesis 9:13-15, while Roupp and Walker referenced Genesis 9:12-16.

A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, 29, wore the Giants' standard black cap with orange lettering instead of the Pride Night cap.

Speaking to reporters after the June 12 loss, Roupp said his decision was not intended as a statement against the LGBTQ+ community.

"There's no hate at all. It's just what I stand for, and what I stand on: I believe in God," Roupp said. "It's just about God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us — his faithfulness and his mercy. 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."

Hentges said June 13 that he chose not to wear the Pride Night cap because of his religious beliefs.

"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," 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."

Hentges said players discussed the issue in the weeks leading up to the game and that the matter had not created division within the clubhouse.

"There's other Christians on the team that have the same beliefs, but the group of guys — I don't think anyone spearheaded it," he said. "It was just a collective decision and conversation we had leading up to it."

Asked after the June 12 game whether he had spoken with the pitchers beforehand, Giants manager Tony Vitello said players had the freedom to make their own decisions.

"Not really. Just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals have the freedom to do what they think is best," Vitello said, adding that the Giants had worked to "embrace the entire community" since his arrival with the club. "We don't want to be divided."

The Giants later issued a statement reaffirming the organization's support for the LGBTQ+ community.

"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," the team said. "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."

Reactions and backlash 

In addition to  drawing reactions from political leaders, advocacy groups, and public figures, the athletes’ decisions prompted a response from the league..

"We respect players' right to free expression," the league said in a follow-up statement. "However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball's uniform regulations."

The league said it had issued identical warnings in past seasons for inscriptions including "Dad," "Happy Mother's Day, I Love Mom," and names of family members.

Actor Rob Schneider wrote on social media June 15 that he would pay any fines imposed on MLB players for wearing Bible verses on their uniforms, calling the league "ANTI-CHRISTIAN."

Kelsey Reinhardt, president and CEO of CatholicVote, said her organization "will not stand by while players' religious freedom is chilled or punished," adding that CatholicVote had taken on MLB teams twice before, prevailed both times, and was "prepared to do it again."

As Zeale News reported, a Washington Nationals executive was fired and Catholics were issued an apology from the team on live television after an undercover investigation revealed the  executive acknowledging that a Catholic player had been excluded from team promotional materials because of his faith. CatholicVote called for a probe from the Department of Justice for religious discrimination. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on June 16 seeking information about "a pattern of discrimination" against Christian players. Hawley cited the June 12 incident alongside the Washington Nationals incident last month.  

Hawley requested documents from the league by June 19, including a full copy of the uniform regulation used to warn the pitchers, records of every prior enforcement action under that rule over the past five seasons, and any policies governing whether players face consequences for declining to wear Pride Night gear.

While the league said the warning was not disciplinary and had "absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” in his letter, Hawley argued MLB's claim to content neutrality was undercut by its 2020 decision to allow "Black Lives Matter" and "United for Change" patches on jerseys and to stencil "BLM" on pitching mounds. 

The MLB had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of publication.