Josh Hawley

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’s Pride Night this month — an event that’s turned into a political mess for the league office.

After Pride Night on June 12, MLB warned members of the Giants that Bible verses they donned on their ball caps that evening were against the sport’s rules. Four days later, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to MLB suggesting the league had engaged in “a pattern of discrimination” against Christian players. The Department of Justice also joined the fray, saying the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would investigate.

Now, in a letter dated June 19 and publicly revealed Monday, Manfred responded to Hawley by pointing a finger at the Giants’ “lapse in communication.”

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.

“Unfortunately, this year the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear,” Manfred wrote in a three-page letter to Hawley, which the senator shared on social media. “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 players were not fined or punished, “nor will they ever be,” the commissioner wrote.

The Giants declined comment Monday.

On Pride Night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker inscribed some variation of “Gen 9: 12-16” on their caps. A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, declined to wear the hat altogether, and instead wore San Francisco’s standard black hat with orange lettering.

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.

Hawley wrote on social media Monday that Manfred’s letter was an admission that “they were wrong to threaten the Giants players over Bible verses and promises never to fine or discipline these players — or any players for their religious beliefs.”

In his letter to Hawley, Manfred wrote that the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers carry “grandfathered” status when it comes to what they wear on field for Pride Night.

In 2022, several Tampa Bay Rays players opted out of wearing the Rays’ rainbow-colored hat and peeled off a rainbow patch on their jerseys. The next year, MLB adopted a policy that forbids clubs from utilizing special uniforms, hats or equipment “except under very narrow circumstances,” per Manfred.

“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 to Hawley.

Manfred’s letter listed two specific examples of exceptions: deaths in the baseball community, and milestones in the sport.

The Giants and Dodgers, however, requested and received permission to allow their players to wear Pride imagery on their jerseys and hats — “provided 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,” Manfred wrote.

“Los 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,” Manfred wrote.

Manfred did not directly address in the letter whether MLB would change its approach to the Giants and Dodgers for future Pride celebrations.

MLB declined additional comment when reached by The Athletic.

Manfred’s letter to Hawley amounts to the league’s third public comment on the Giants’ 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.

“To 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,” MLB’s second statement read in part. “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.”

However, that statement wasn’t enough to keep Hawley or the DOJ at bay.

“The league’s claim that it merely forbids ‘writing of any kind’ on its uniforms does not survive a cursory review of the league’s recent history,” Hawley wrote in his June 16 letter.

In his response, Manfred said MLB does not want its players to take up social causes while in uniform.

“The rationale for the policy is that the league does not desire for its players to become messengers for political or social issues while in uniform playing baseball games because many messages have the potential to offend some segment of our fanbase — even if that was not the intent of the player,” Manfred wrote.

The Giants previously issued a statement apologizing for the pain their players’ actions caused.

“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 on June 13.

“We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. 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.

“We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”

MLB has modified its approach to diversity and inclusion efforts during President Donald Trump’s second term. Last year, the president issued executive orders intending to eliminate diversity programs across American businesses, and MLB has in the past acknowledged its effort to keep pace with federal requirements.