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MLB Lets Giants Pitchers Keep Pride Caps, No Fine

6/26/2026

24 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Manfred Allows Caps

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told Senator Josh Hawley that the Giants pitchers who added “Gen 9:12-16” to Pride caps on June 12 will not be fined.
MLB’s 2023 uniform policy bans player-added messages on apparel or equipment.
Manfred said the Giants’ communication about the optional caps was inadequate, causing confusion, and a grandfathered exception lets the team keep emblems if no player is forced to wear them.

Summary

DOJ Probes MLB

DOJ opened a probe into MLB for possible religious discrimination after the Pride Night incident.
Larry Baer appeared on KNBR while hosts were told via Zoom not to ask follow-up questions.
Buster Posey gave a brief statement, refusing to discuss the controversy and limiting answers to baseball topics.
The Giants reported a flood of fan complaints after the cap incident and recalled the 1994 “Until There’s a Cure” AIDS-awareness game.

History

Historical Context

Founded in 1993, the nonprofit Until There's a Cure began an annual MLB fundraiser with the San Francisco Giants, which has generated $1.5 million for AIDS research. The partnership showed how league-wide health messaging can clash with uniform rules, a tension resurfacing now as Commissioner Rob Manfred and Senator Josh Hawley dispute the Giants’ Pride caps.

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Manfred Allows Caps

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told Senator Josh Hawley that the Giants pitchers who added “Gen 9:12-16” to Pride caps on June 12 will not be fined.
MLB’s 2023 uniform policy bans player-added messages on apparel or equipment.
Manfred said the Giants’ communication about the optional caps was inadequate, causing confusion, and a grandfathered exception lets the team keep emblems if no player is forced to wear them.

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