Dear Friend,
Major League Baseball warned three Christian San Francisco Giants baseball players about writing Bible verses on their ballcaps during the team’s LGBTQ pride celebration. After public outcry at the hypocrisy, including a letter from Advocates for Faith & Freedom which can be read here, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wrote a June 19, 2026 response letter to Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. The letter fell short of resolving the issue.
It is good to be thankful for how far we have come in this matter. First, Manfred noted that MLB changed its policy in 2023 to prohibit teams from altering uniforms during “their celebration days except under very narrow circumstances.”
Second, he emphasized that players had “the option to wear their normal uniform” instead of the Giants’ pride one, which apparently was not effectively communicated to the Giants players. Third, the Commissioner promised Senator Hawley that players who write Bible verses “were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,” which is a positive reversal of the prior warning.
The Commissioner’s letter, however, shows how far MLB still must go for equal treatment. Manfred stated that MLB specially allows the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers to alter their official uniforms for LGBTQ pride nights. Christian players, however, are not permitted to equally alter their uniforms with Bible verses on these same or other nights. This is unequal. Manfred mentions that certain clubs have Faith nights, but he does not mention that teams are allowed to alter their uniforms with a Cross or Bible verses, which would be equal to the pride night treatment. Judging from the Commissioner’s letter, the only issue of its kind that MLB allows to have official uniform alterations is LGBTQ pride.
MLB must make a final choice. Either its players and teams totally refrain from promoting personal beliefs on uniforms or it fully opens the doors to this. Letting two teams promote anti-Christian sexual beliefs while not letting Christian employees promote their opposite beliefs in the same manner is discriminatory. This is especially important because of the honor giving to religious freedom during the United States of America’s 250-year history. This matter goes well beyond the players and affects thousands of team staff and stadium employees. Significant results often happen through legislation, government investigation, or successful litigation, such as a class action. MLB may need one of these. How easy is it for MLB to simply print the Cross or Bible verses on players’ ballcaps during the LGBTQ and Faith nights? One proven truth throughout history is that any matter that contradicts the Word of God does not go away, which is why the present matter is still unsettled.
In Christ,
Shea T. Hasenauer
Senior Legal Counsel
