Ryan Thompson Defends 3 Giants Pitchers Over Bible Verses on Pride Hats

Q: Why did MLB penalize players for a Bible verse after allowing a star pitcher to do the same?

MLB says the Giants pitchers were warned because they wrote on their caps, not because the message was a Bible verse. The league’s stated rule bars “writing of any kind” on uniforms and equipment, and MLB described the response as a routine, non-disciplinary warning that it says has also been used for personal messages such as “Dad” or family names. The controversy comes from the apparent inconsistency. Critics pointed to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who reportedly wrote “Gen 9:12-13” on a Pride Night cap in 2023 without any known warning, as well as other past player messages that did not appear to draw the same response. Based on the available reporting, MLB has not publicly explained why the Giants pitchers were warned while Kershaw seemingly was not. That gap is why the issue has become larger than a simple uniform-rule case. Supporters of the Giants pitchers argue the league is applying its policy unevenly, especially when league-approved Pride branding is permitted while personal religious expression is not. MLB, however, maintains the warning was content-neutral and tied only to uniform regulations. So the best factual answer is that MLB’s official reason was a uniform-policy violation, but the criticism stems from the lack of a clear public explanation for why similar conduct by a prominent pitcher in an earlier season did not appear to bring the same consequence.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

Ryan Thompson said three Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on Pride Night caps were expressing Christian faith, not hostility toward LGBTQ people.
Thompson singled out Landen Roupp’s “Genesis 9:12-16” inscription, saying the rainbow also carries biblical meaning as God’s covenant with Noah.
MLB later warned Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker that writing on the hats violated uniform policy, while calling the warning routine, nondisciplinary and unrelated to the verses’ content.
The dispute has widened a Pride Night flashpoint over whether players’ personal religious expression can coexist with league-approved inclusion messaging.