Senator Josh Hawley demands answers from MLB on 'pattern of discrimination' over warnings to Giants players
Major League Baseball has once again found itself in the middle of a controversy of its own making. And Sen. Josh Hawley wants some answers.
Late last week, several pitchers from the San Francisco Giants made headlines on the team's "Pride Night" game against the Chicago Cubs. Two of those players, including starting pitcher Landen Roupp, wrote Bible verses on their hats next to the rainbow-colored Giants logo. Another, Sam Hentges, didn't wear it at all, choosing instead to use the traditional, "regular" cap.
As one would expect, outrage from left-wing sports media swiftly followed. But it seemed as though any "controversy" or criticism would mostly end there. Until news broke late Monday night that the league office had issued a warning to those two players who wrote the verses that any further writing would be punished.
That decision has swiftly backfired.
It's no secret that MLB under Commissioner Rob Manfred has generally leaned to the left. As with most sports leagues, there's concern and fear over backlash from that side of the political aisle, and little attention paid to criticism from the right. Which is why Manfred moved the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta after Joe Biden called a new voting bill "Jim Crow 2.0." Activism from Stacey Abrams sealed the deal, and the game was moved to Colorado.
But this decision has invited scrutiny over the league's standards and whether they enforce those standards differently based on the political ideology or religious beliefs of the players involved. Scrutiny that's now coming directly from the federal government.
On Tuesday, Sen. Hawley posted a letter he sent to Manfred, demanding answers for what he calls a "pattern of discrimination" within the league.
"I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith. This follows a high-profile undercover investigation that revealed at least one MLB team discriminated against a player based on his Catholic faith. You must answer for what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith," the letter states.
Hawley also explained that the warning issued to these Giants players seems to contradict their past enforcement, or lack thereof, when it comes to speech from a different perspective.
"The league’s claim that it merely forbids "writing of any kind" on its uniforms does not survive a cursory review of the league’s recent history," he continues. "In 2020, MLB itself turned its uniforms and its fields into a billboard for political and social messages. It created jersey patches reading 'Black Lives Matter' and 'United for Change.' It authorized 'BLM' to be stenciled onto pitching mounds. And it suspended its own equipment rules so that players could display progressive political slogans on their cleats."
Hawley then goes on to ask for a "complete copy of the uniform regulation" that the league used to warn the Giants players, as well as a "list of every instance" in which other players were similarly warned or punished under that same policy during the last five seasons. Importantly, he also asks Manfred to provide "any policy, directive, or expectation" on whether players are "required, encouraged, or expected to wear Pride Night" uniforms or hats, as well as any potential repercussions they might face for refusing to comply.
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Sen. Hawley also exclusively told Fox News Digital that he believes the league is "using its power" to "target Christians."
"MLB has a sweetheart deal from the federal government," he said. "They play by different rules than any other business in America. But now MLB is using its power to target Christians and trample free speech. It’s anti-American. And MLB needs to course correct immediately."
There are any number of steps the league could have taken to prevent this controversy from boiling over. But they've chosen, seemingly, selective enforcement based on the statements being made. Would they have warned a player for writing "BLM" on their hat? Or "love is love" or "end racism," or any similar remark? Or are Bible verses where they draw the line?
Manfred's answer, assuming he actually provides a detailed one, will be a fascinating insight into just how committed the league is to elevating one ideology above others.