Minor-league baseball team forfeits 'Pride Night' game after players refuse to wear themed jerseys
The York Revolution, a minor-league team playing independent baseball in Pennsylvania, announced Wednesday "with great disappointment" that it's forfeited its "Pride Night" game set for Thursday because several of the club's players refused to wear the scheduled "Pride Night" jerseys.
Most notably, the themed jerseys are fittingly adorned with rainbow-patterned sleeves.
"… 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 statement reads.
"As a result, and out of respect for the Pride Community and the York community as a whole, the York Revolution has decided that the game on Thursday, June 18, will be forfeited and that Pride Night will continue on as the feature element of the evening at WellSpan Park.
"We feel that this is the best way to stay consistent with our long-standing partnerships with the Rainbow Rose Center, JLS Automation and the long list of allies that have always been key partners of the York Revolution's success in York, Pennsylvania.
"To be clear; this action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York. …"
The Revolution, who play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball — MLB's first "professional partner league," which was established in 1998 — were slated to play the next game in their series versus the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Thursday. Instead, that game won't be played.
The Revs will take the loss, and, according to the club's statement, tickets for the matchup will be able to be redeemed for any future game, as is the case when a rainout occurs.
Also in the statement, the club said that, as "a small token of our regret" and "support for our LGBTQIA+ representing partners," the Revs are making a $10,000 donation to the Rainbow Rose Center, which serves the LGBTQIA+ community of York and Adams Counties.
As noted in the statement above, the Revs' 11th annual Pride Night event will still take place at their ballpark, WellSpan Park, on Thursday.
That said, the Revs not playing their game and the stated reason why are impossible to ignore. It's the latest instance in baseball this year where players have not complied with "Pride Night" uniforms.
San Francisco Giants pitchers faced criticism for writing Bible verses on their caps during the organization's annual Pride Night this past Friday. In response, MLB warned those players they could be susceptible to "future violations" for writing on their uniforms.
On Saturday, the day after that Giants game — a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs — the organization put out a statement addressing the "pain and anger" that was caused, as reported by ESPN.
"The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community," that statement read, via ESPN. "Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations.
"We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization's commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration."
