In the latest addition to the San Francisco Giants’ Pride hat saga, commissioner Rob Manfred said the Giants did not communicate with its players adequately about the uniform rules as part of his response to Sen. Josh Hawley’s letter to Major League Baseball in which he threatened its anti-trust exemption.

The Missouri senator penned a letter last week that asked for answers about why three Giants were issued warnings for writing a Bible verse on their Pride hats, calling it part of “a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.” Hawley claimed that MLB’s warning to three Giants players who wrote the Bible verse “Gen 9:12-16” next to the rainbow “SF” logo on their Pride hats was based on “dubious” grounds, despite MLB’s statement that it enforces its rules regardless of the content of any player’s message on part of his uniform, and in every ballgame. 

Manfred’s response reiterated that the uniform rule is collectively bargained with the MLB Player’s Association and is a routine, verbal warning that goes to all players who alter or write on their uniforms because “the league does not desire for its players to become messengers for political or social issues while in uniform playing baseball games.” 

Baseball has largely accommodated players who feel uncomfortable wearing Pride-related gear, Manfred noted.

In 2023, five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear the team’s Pride gear, which prompted Manfred’s decision that teams would need permission for specialized uniforms on non league-wide celebration days (such as Independence Day, Memorial Day and Armed Forces Weekend).

Pride Night falls under the category of a specialized uniform. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants, per their request, were grandfathered into keeping the Pride emblems on their jerseys for their Pride games, as long as no player or staff would be required to wear them.

Manfred went on to write that “the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear” and “some players did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform” and added the Bible verse to their Pride hat instead. Manfred said the routine warning was issued before MLB realized that the Giants had not properly communicated to players that they could opt out entirely.

Reliever Sam Hentges was the only of the four pitchers who opted out of wearing the Pride hat. The three others, Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, have said that they were following the examples of retired Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and former Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed. Both cited the same Bible verse while defacing their Pride hats in years past.

The protesting pitchers say they conferred among themselves, with teammates and people around the team, about how the four would protest on Pride Night. After that game, manager Tony Vitello said that he was not involved in conversations about the hats, but did say his understanding of the discussion leading up to Pride night was “just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals that have the freedom to do what they think is best.”

Manfred said in the letter to Hawley that baseball “believes in the right of players and fans to express their religious beliefs and at the same time supports the communities in this country that are fans of our Clubs.”

Hawley posted on X in response to the letter with what appears to be a misunderstanding of its contents: “(MLB) Commissioner writes to me and admits they were wrong to threaten the Giants players over Bible verses and promises never to fine or discipline these players – or any players for their religious beliefs.”

Questions about this interpretation have not yet been answered by Senator Hawley’s office. It is unclear what part of Manfred’s letter says the league threatened the three Giants. Further, the league has previously stated that this was not discipline for players expressing their faith.