Baseball commissioner admits mistake; no discipline for players

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

Major League Baseball, its commissioner again guilty in the court of public opinion, has backed down and admitted its mistake.

Rocky Mount native Landen Roupp and his San Francisco Giants teammates, who say they professed their faith and shared God’s covenant through the rainbow on their ball caps in a game while their team and league asked them to wear ball caps against their morals, will not face discipline. In a letter from Commissioner Rob Manfred released late Monday night by Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, baseball’s boss explained the Giants organization failed to communicate to players the hat with rainbow colors through the interlocking SF was optional.

Manfred wrote in part, “Since 2023, the Dodgers and Giants have operated under this grandfathered exception,” referring to the “pride emblem” permitted as a special uniform, hat or equipment that can be used for Pride Night because each of their communities “are homes to some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the United States.”

Manfred wrote, “Unfortunately, this year the Giants communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some 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. The Giants players were allowed to wear the hats with the biblical references for the entire game. After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation – unfortunately it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication. The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon at the U.S. Department of Justice directed opening of an investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on grounds of discriminatory practices by Major League Baseball. In Roupp’s native home state, U.S. Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., called baseball out for double standards.

Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker had Scripture written on their hats, and Sam Hentges wore the Giants’ regular, orange-lettered cap in the June 12 game against the Chicago Cubs. Postgame comments and since indicated the players were merely standing strong in their faith, and directly said there was no hatred to those choosing to use the rainbow for other purposes.

Manfred has taken a black eye for baseball’s politics before. No act in his tenure arguably was more clearly political than pulling the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta over a voting rights bill.