Missouri AG calls on MLB not to discipline players over Pride Night protest

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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway pressed Major League Baseball (MLB) not to discipline San Francisco Giants players over Bible verses on their Pride Night-themed caps.

In a letter posted to the social platform X on Wednesday morning addressed to Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred, Hanaway wrote that “it has come to my attention that MLB is considering disciplining members of the San Francisco Giants who expressed their dissent from wearing ‘Pride Night’ hats—by either writing Bible verses on those hats or wearing the regular Giants cap.”

“In response to these actions, MLB said, ‘The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,’” she added. “Missouri will not tolerate any threat to punish a player for exercising his sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Doing so is both illegal and un-American.”

Three Giants players, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wore Pride Night hats featuring Bible verses written on them when the team played against the Chicago Cubs last Friday, a game they lost 1-5.

The pitchers were issued a warning about league rules restricting players from displaying messages on playing equipment and uniforms.

“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 told The New York Times about the incident. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s uniform regulations.”

MLB is among multiple major sports leagues that have annual Pride Nights and events celebrating the LGBTQ community.

“By June 25, 2026, please respond to this letter confirming that MLB will not discipline any players who have chosen to refrain from wearing ‘Pride Month’ paraphernalia or included Bible verses on Pride Month hats,” Hanaway wrote in her Wednesday letter.

“If you fail to respond to this letter and provide the requested confirmation, I will open an investigation to determine whether MLB is violating the religious liberty rights of players and employees in Missouri,” she added.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Tuesday also wrote a letter to the commissioner, criticizing the league’s decision and asking for details on uniform regulations and past instances of the league citing players.

“What does MLB think it’s doing penalizing players for their Christian faith?” Hawley wrote in a post on X accompanying his letter. “They owe us some answers. Right now.”

The Hill has reached out to MLB for comment.

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