Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred has confirmed players will not be fined or penalized for wearing Bible verses on their uniforms during Pride Night events.
As Breitbart News reported, the MLB issued a warning to three San Francisco Giants pitchers after they displayed Bible verses on their hats during Pride Night. The incident occurred last Friday when Giants right-hander Landen Roupp displayed “Gen 9:12-16” on his Pride Night hat, which was followed by relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also featuring Bible verses on their official Pride Night hats.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,” Pat Courtney, MLB’s chief communications officer, told The Athletic on Monday.
In a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Manfred confirmed that none of the players were fined or disciplined, adding that the warning came before the league learned players could wear regular caps instead of Pride Night swag.
“The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,” Manfred wrote.
Manfred also said the MLB enforces the policy prohibiting players from displaying messages equally, “without regard to the substance of the messaging.”
“We 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,” Manfred wrote.
“In closing, MLB believes in the right of our players and fans to express their religious beliefs, and at the same time supports the communities in this country that are fans of our Clubs, including the LGBTQ community,” Manfred concluded.
Manfred said MLB will maintain its ban on uniform alterations to avoid “censoring some messages but not others,” while continuing to work with players and clubs on policies that respect the values and beliefs of players and fans.
People on social media saw Manfred’s letter as an admission that players will not be penalized or punished for refusing to wear Pride Night uniforms.