SouthernWorldwide.com – Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has expressed satisfaction with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s acknowledgment of wrongdoing concerning the San Francisco Giants players who chose not to wear Pride Night caps. Manfred confirmed in a letter to Hawley that these players would not face any disciplinary action for their actions.
Appearing on “The Will Cain Show,” Hawley conveyed his approval of MLB’s response. He stated that the commissioner’s letter indicated an admission of error, particularly in warning the players.
“It looks like they’re admitting they’re wrong, Will, which is exactly the case,” Hawley told Cain. “I mean, the commissioner admitted in that letter that he should not have warned ‘the players.’ That they are entitled to not wear the uniforms, that they’re entitled to express their religious beliefs.”
Hawley emphasized that Manfred’s admission that “No player will ever be disciplined or fined for their religious beliefs” was the crucial point.
“I don’t frankly care who he blames for it so long as he admits that he’s wrong, so long as players’ religious liberty rights are protected,” Hawley added.
He characterized the resolution as a “great outcome,” despite the necessity of his intervention with MLB.
“I want to emphasize this is the commissioner of baseball responding to me,” he explained. “He said that no player, on any club, will be required to wear these kinds of political-messaging uniforms. Furthermore, no one will be discriminated against on the basis of their religious faith.”
“Now, that ought to be common sense, Will. The fact we had to go through all of this — I had to threaten to bring him in front of the Senate, put him under oath. He’s being investigated, the league is for other things. All of that is ridiculous.”
Hawley continued, “It was stupid on the part of Major League Baseball to do any of this, but I’m glad they admitted they were wrong. It’s right that Major League Baseball admits they had a big screw-up here, and it’s right that the first amendment is protected in Major League Baseball. I hope it will be moving forward.”
The controversy arose when one Giants player opted out of wearing the Pride Night hat on June 12 at Oracle Park, choosing instead to wear the team’s standard black and orange hat. More notably, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their rainbow-logoed Giants caps during a game.
Roupp, for instance, inscribed “Gen 9:12-16” on his cap, a passage from Genesis that describes God’s covenant symbolized by the rainbow after the flood.
Initially, MLB had stated that such alterations to uniforms or equipment violated league rules. In his letter to Hawley, Commissioner Manfred pointed out that this rule was collectively bargained with the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) and prohibits players from adding or displaying messages on apparel or equipment.
“The policy is enforced without regard to the substance of the messaging,” Manfred wrote. He clarified that the rule’s intent is to prevent players from displaying any political or social messages. However, Hawley and others argued that freedom of religion, protected by the First Amendment, should supersede this policy.
“Let’s get back to God and country and playing some baseball, and stop all these woke garbage,” Hawley concluded, expressing a desire for a return to traditional values in the sport.
