Minor league team forfeits Pride Night game after some players refuse to wear special jersey

YORK, Pa. (AP) — An independent minor league baseball team says it is forfeiting a game because some of its players refused to wear a special Pride Night jersey.

The Atlantic League Pro Baseball’s York Revolution were planning to hold their 11th annual Pride Night event Thursday for a game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

But the Revolution announced the day of the game that it wouldn’t be played.

“This decision was not reached lightly,” the Revolution announced in a statement. “Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game.”

The Revolution planned to continue with its Pride Night festivities as a “free and fun celebration of recognition and inclusion,” only with no game attached. Fans could redeem game tickets for another day, treating Thursday’s game as if it were a rainout.

The Revolution said they were donating $10,000 to the Rainbow Rose Center “to support and further their work in making sure the York community is as inclusive as we strive to make WellSpan Park in York, Pennsylvania.”

This announcement comes as Major League Baseball has run into some obstacles in its bid to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity during Pride Month.

Several San Francisco players added Bible verses to their themed caps or didn’t wear them at all during the Giants’ Pride Night on Friday. Two Los Angeles Dodgers players did not wear rainbow-themed caps with their teammates.

MLB warned Giants players that writing on the caps is a violation of league policy, though the league added its issue wasn’t with the content of the respective messages but the act of modifying the cap at all.

MLB’s response resulted in criticism from Vice President JD Vance and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, both Republicans.