In a tense Tuesday June 23 press conference, Buster Posey read a prepared statement after three pitchers drew backlash over Bible verses on hats tied to the Giants’ June 12 Pride night. Posey repeatedly refused to revisit the controversy, focused on baseball q
San Francisco Giants pitchers say they don’t feel MLB discriminated against—yet Buster Posey sat in the team dugout Tuesday, June 23, with a different kind of heat waiting for him.
The scene was supposed to be routine: cameras. microphones. and a franchise legend ready to defend an organization he helped build. Instead, Posey confronted a controversy that wouldn’t shrink to the background. Three Giants pitchers—Landen Roupp. JT Brubaker. and Ryan Walker—had scrawled Bible verses on hats to commemorate the club’s June 12 Pride night. A reliever, Sam Hentges, did not wear the hat at all. The organization’s response drew anger from the team’s LGBTQ-friendly fan base. and—remarkably—it has now stretched into a 12-day story.
As Posey prepared to take the heat for a hand-picked manager getting disrespected by a hand-picked superstar. the elephant in the room remained unchanged: the Pride night backlash. the Department of Justice investigation announced by the DOJ. and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s direct response to Sen. Josh Hawley that the club’s communications before the event were “inadequate and not clear.”.
Posey chose the same lane again and again at the podium. He read a prepared statement on the Pride dust-up and then fell back on answering “baseball questions only,” a move that frustrated the gathered media and threatened to deepen disappointment among Giants fans.
“I understand that there’s strong feelings on this topic. ” Posey said in his statement regarding the pitchers Landen Roupp. JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker scrawling a Bible verse that infringed on the rainbow SF logo on their cap. and reliever Sam Hentges not wearing the hat altogether. “There’s differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it’s not something that I’m going to revisit.”.
“I understand that some fans are upset and frustrated, and I can promise you this is something that we’ve talked about a lot internally and will continue to do so.”
But certainly not externally.
When asked if the club talked to Vitello—described here as the former University of Tennessee coach in his first job in professional baseball—and the clubhouse about the import of Pride night to the demographic, Posey again refused to engage beyond baseball.
“I’m not going to revisit. I’ll answer baseball questions.”
When pressed to defend the club after Manfred’s comments, Posey answered in the same restrained language: “I’ll answer baseball questions.” The three-time World Series champ—also a future Hall of Fame catcher—grew increasingly uncomfortable as the line of questioning continued.
After two more queries, a team staffer threatened to end the press conference if the line of questioning continued.
The controversy didn’t stand alone. The Giants are also in the middle of an ugly on-field stretch, and Posey’s tenure as president of baseball operations and baseball decision-maker is being weighed in real time.
The season’s record now sits at 31-46 in Posey’s second year helming baseball operations. The organization hired Vitello in the hope that the fiery former Volunteers coach could provide a boost after four seasons in which the Giants hovered between 79 and 81 wins.
Instead, the bottom has fallen out, helped by roster moves Posey made, and compounded by a clubhouse moment that Sunday looked particularly tense.
Posey guaranteed shortstop Willy Adames $182 million and traded for Devers—owed more than $200 million—before and during the 2025 season. Both are barely performing above replacement level, with Adames batting .223 with a below-average 94 adjusted OPS.
Posey-signed starter Adrian Houser was moved to the bullpen. Fellow signee Tyler Mahle posted a 6.04 ERA before landing on the IL.
In the background of those struggles, the June 21 flareup between Devers and Vitello became a flashpoint. Two days prior. Devers told Vitello his hamstring was a bit tender. but not enough to take him out of the lineup. When the Giants trailed 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning at Miami. Devers said that was why he believed Vitello sent in pinch runner Jonah Cox when Devers drew a key leadoff walk.
Devers wagged his finger vigorously at Vitello, screamed into his helmet, and gave bench coach Jayce Tingler the brushoff when Tingler aimed to pat him on the back upon return to the dugout.
Tuesday, Devers addressed the media and said he apologized to Vitello.
“I just thought he was taking me out of the game because of my hamstring and if he felt I was disrespecting him. that’s why I went into his office and apologized. ” Devers said via club translator Edwin Higueros in the Giants clubhouse. “I know the type of person I am, I know the type of person he is.”.
Posey faced another test when asked about Vitello’s standing in the clubhouse. The June 21 incident produced questions about Vitello’s command—questions made sharper by the fact that this was described as a 100% Posey pick. a significant risk given the move’s unprecedented nature and the potential blowback if it went sour.
On Tuesday, Posey insisted there wasn’t an internal credibility problem.
“I feel like Tony has the clubhouse, has the respect of the players in the clubhouse,” Posey said. “Everything’s going to be heightened when our record is what it is. There’s no concern on my part that he doesn’t have the respect of the clubhouse.”
He also said Vitello and Devers had a good conversation after the game.
“We’re all prone to have missteps at times,” Posey said.
The pressure now shifts from clubhouse optics to how Posey handles the trade deadline. He has a potentially large task ahead of him: selling off parts if the losing continues.
Posey said Tuesday he has not yet approached veterans Matt Chapman and Adames regarding their no-trade clause, nor will he trade starter Logan Webb.
It will be the second consecutive summer Posey will sell at the deadline amid a disappointing season, though the pace and volume may be harsher. Most notably, four-time batting champ Luis Arraez—called a Posey success—should draw some return.
“I think with where we’re at, unfortunately, we’ve got to have everything on the table,” Posey said. “and hear out different thoughts, from not only internally but from other teams as well, and try to right the ship.”
Right now, the ship is listing, and Posey is looking more and more like a very uncomfortable captain—stuck between an organization-wide backlash over Pride night communications and an on-field slide that turns every question at his podium into another pressure point.
Buster Posey San Francisco Giants DOJ investigation MLB commissioner Rob Manfred Sen. Josh Hawley Pride night Landen Roupp JT Brubaker Ryan Walker Sam Hentges Tony Vitello Devers Willy Adames Luis Arraez trade deadline