SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Major League Baseball has warned players about writing on their uniforms after San Francisco starter Landen Roupp and two other pitchers added Bible verses to their Pride Night caps last week.
Roupp started the 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday night with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap. A portion of the Bible verse overlapped the rainbow SF logo players wore for the Pride Night. San Francisco relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also added Bible verses to their caps.
Another Giants pitcher, left-hander Sam Hentges, wore the team’s standard black cap with the orange logo instead of the Pride Night version.
MLB issued a warning about future violations of the league’s uniform policy.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in its original statement.
The league issued another statement Tuesday to elaborate.
“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.
“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.”
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