Major League Baseball (MLB) has issued a routine warning to three San Francisco Giants players after they wrote a Bible verse on caps worn during the team's Pride celebration.
Starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker took the field on 12 May wearing the Giants' rainbow-themed Pride cap with a reference to Genesis displayed beside the team logo.
Another Giants player, Sam Hentges, wore the team's standard cap instead of the Pride design.
MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney said the players had been reminded that writing on official uniforms violates league regulations.
Under MLB rules, players are prohibited from adding messages or other alterations to official apparel and equipment. A first offence typically results in a warning, with further violations potentially leading to disciplinary action.
“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 said in a statement to USA Today.
"We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations which provides in part that, '[a] Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…'.
"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."
Roupp's cap referenced Genesis 9:12-16, a passage describing God's covenant with Noah following the flood.
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
The passage is often cited by Christians who view the rainbow as a symbol of God's covenant with humanity. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw also referenced the same verses on a Pride-themed cap last season.
Explaining his decision to include the verse, Roupp said:
“There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for.”
In a post seemingly protesting the decision to repirmand the players, Vice President JD Vance wrote on X: “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore.”
