LOS ANGELES – San Francisco Giants president Farhan Zaidi this week doubled down on the club’s support for the LGBTQ+ community, even as the league bristled in response to growing criticism from religious conservatives, including some players , about the Pride events of the teams.
“For me, for the Giants organization, this is not a political issue,” Zaidi said Thursday during his weekly appearance on KNBR. “Celebrating Pride is about love, support, understanding, and (I’m) very proud of our organization and our players, the way they handled themselves.”
Zaidi’s comments, which he did his best at the start of the interview, came on the same day that commissioner Rob Manfred addressed reporters at league headquarters in New York after the owners’ meetings , during which the league’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community was part of the discussion.
While 29 teams (all but the Rangers) will host a Pride Day/Night this month, only the Giants and Dodgers will feature rainbow-colored logos on their caps and sleeve patches. shirt. The Rays wore rainbow-colored logos as part of their Pride Night in 2022, but pulled the plug this year after a group of five players protested by removing their sleeve patches and wearing their normal caps, citing personal beliefs. Pitchers Anthony Bass of the Blue Jays and Matt Dermody of the Red Sox expressed similar views before being designated for assignment by their respective clubs.
Manfred confirmed Thursday that the league had discouraged teams from incorporating Pride-themed apparel into their field uniforms.
“We’ve told the teams in terms of the actual uniforms, the hats, the bases that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea,” Manfred said. “Just out of a desire to protect the players and not put them in a position to do something that might make them uncomfortable because of their personal opinions.”
The Giants and Dodgers were the two teams exempt from the MLB mandate, citing a pre-existing agreement, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Both clubs were expected to wear their rainbow-colored logos Friday as the Dodgers hosted their Pride Night to kick off a three-game weekend series. After causing its own controversy, the club invited back the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for the festivities, prompting protesters to gather outside before the game.
Giants shortstop Gabe Kapler, an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, reiterated his support for all aspects of the Giants and Dodgers Pride events.
“I thought it went really well in San Francisco,” Kapler said before Friday’s game. “I’m very proud of the way our organization has handled this from start to finish. I am very proud to wear the colors of pride tonight. I think a lot of our players would say the same.”
An inquiry to Giants CEO Larry Baer about the club’s intentions to continue wearing rainbow-colored caps and patches on the field next season was unanswered by press time. In 2021, they became the first MLB team to wear rainbow colored patches and have had full participation from their players every year.
“I was proud to wear patches last year,” Kapler said. “I’m proud to bring the patches to San Francisco. And I’m proud to wear the patches here at Dodger Stadium.”
“We don’t have a problem in our clubhouse with any of those things,” said outfielder Austin Slater, the team’s MLBPA player representative.
The festivities at Oracle Park were hosted by Roscoe Mapps, the Giants’ head of diversity, to whom Zaidi gave a specific shout-out in his radio appearance.
Before the game, Joc Pederson ran around the clubhouse and field in one of the giveaway jerseys, which featured the team’s name on the chest and the number on the back (conveniently for Pederson, No. 23) with rainbow print.
“I’m not sure the size of the Joc shirt is the size of the gift shirt, but it’s still appreciated,” joked Zaidi. “I just wanted to give a shout out to these guys. They did a great job as ambassadors for the organization and the message.”
