The York Revolution canceled Thursday’s Atlantic League game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs after several players refused to wear the rainbow-sleeved Pride Night jerseys. The team said it chose “recognition and inclusion” over forcing uniforms player
By the time Thursday arrived, the plan was already laid out: the York Revolution’s Pride Night—its 11th annual—would include rainbow-sleeved uniforms for players as they took on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
Instead, the Revolution forfeited the game.
The team said it had arranged for players to wear uniforms with rainbow sleeves during the Revolution’s game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Thursday. June 18. as part of Pride Night. But the club said several players refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jerseys, and the Revolution canceled the game.
In its statement, the Revolution framed the decision as a choice about what mattered more on the field. It said: “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 team continued: “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.”
For the York Revolution, Pride Night isn’t connected to the kind of parent-club pressure that comes with Major League Baseball. The Revolution and the Blue Crabs play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and are not affiliated with any major league clubs.
The refusal also didn’t come out of nowhere. The article noted that many baseball players come from conservative, religious backgrounds. And this week. Major League Baseball issued a statement critical of players who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night hats after an incident at a San Francisco Giants game.
During Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp and JT Brubaker wrote Bible verses on their Pride caps. Another Giants pitcher, Sam Hentges, chose not to wear the cap at all.
The sequence on Pride Night across both leagues is stark: in York. the response to players refusing rainbow-sleeved jerseys was to cancel and forfeit the game while keeping Pride Night itself at WellSpan Park on June 18. In San Francisco. the response has centered on what MLB said about Bible messages on Pride Night hats—an issue that spilled into games already under the majors’ spotlight.
York Revolution Pride Night WellSpan Park rainbow sleeves Atlantic League forfeited game Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Major League Baseball Bible verses Landen Roupp JT Brubaker Sam Hentges Chicago Cubs
So they canceled the game because of shirts? Baseball is wild.
I mean I get not forcing people to wear something, but why not just have the players opt out and still play? Forfeit feels like punishing everyone else.
This kinda reminds me of that MLB Bible hat thing, like it’s all connected. If they’re gonna do Pride Night why are they letting players bring religion into it, that’s just chaos. Also rainbow sleeves??? I don’t see how that’s even a big deal.
I feel bad for the fans tbh, game’s just gone. They said “recognition and inclusion” but then they forfeited, which is the opposite of inclusion if you ask me. Probably should’ve handled it differently before Thursday even got here… but sure, “not comfortable” whatever. Guess God hates rainbow sleeves or something.