On Pride Night at Oracle Park, with the San Francisco Giants wearing special edition hats to represent the LGBTQ+ community, multiple players wrote Bible verses next to the team’s rainbow logo, while one chose to forgo wearing the cap entirely.
Starting pitcher Landen Roupp and reliever JT Brubaker wrote the Bible verse Genesis 9:12-16 on the caps they wore Friday night, the same passage that has been displayed by other players on their Pride Night hats during games.
“Kind of what the verse says, the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us and us as believers stand firm in that,” Roupp said.
Former Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed wrote the verse on his hat in 2024, while retired Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw inscribed the same verse on his hat last year.
On Friday, reliever Sam Hentges opted out of wearing the pride hat, instead donning San Francisco’s usual black and orange cap.
Roupp, who pitched 4⅔ innings on Friday in the Giants’ 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, insisted his act wasn’t intended to be hateful.
“There’s no hate at all,” he said. “It’s just what I stand for and what I stand (on). I believe in God, and yeah, that’s me.”
When asked how he would respond to someone who considers his act hateful, Roupp said: “First of all, as a believer, I would push them to read the Bible. I think God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for him. So, yeah, like I said, there’s no hate at all. We live in a country where you’re welcome to believe what you want.”
First-year Giants manager Tony Vitello said he has been impressed by how much the Giants organization embraces the entire community. He added that individuals on the team have the freedom to do “what they think is best.”
“Obviously the success hasn’t been what I want it to be, but even I feel it — the way they give back and embrace the team is different,” Vitello said. “The crowds are bigger in numbers, there’s a unique vibe to each night when there is a community recognized.”