ATLANTA — Ryan Walker is accustomed to getting messages from upset fans after poor performances on the mound. This is the first he's ever heard about his sartorial choices.
And the feedback has been flowing fast and furious.
"Lots of 'bigot' comments," Walker told The California Post. "There's been some good ones too mixed in there. It was expected."
Ryan Walker is under fire from fans following his protest during the Giants annual LGBTQ+ Pride celebration last week. Getty Images
None of the four pitchers — Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker, Sam Hentges and Walker — who protested in various forms during the Giants' annual LGBTQ+ Pride celebration last week, however, expected to draw this level of attention.
"It was just one of those things where we've seen other baseball players do it, so we went along with it," said reliever J.T. Brubaker, who along with Walker and starter Landen Roupp displayed their objections over their faith by inscribing versions of the bible verse Genesis 9:12-16 on their caps alongside the rainbow logo the team has worn for the annual game since 2021.
Sam Hentges opted out entirely by wearing the Giants' normal black and orange hat.
"Not just to go along with it, but those are our beliefs," Brubaker continued in an interview with The Post.
"We felt there wasn't going to be as much kickback on it. … Players have done it in the past and it didn't seem like it was blown up that big."
The move got the attention of everyone from the MLB league office, which issued a warning to the three players who wrote bible verses for making alterations to their uniforms, to the Vice President, with J.D. Vance offering his support of the players' decision.
The public furor has seen the Giants issue an apology for any "pain and anger" their players' actions caused, while adding that "individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations."
"I expected some of those [negative] comments, but did I expect it to get this big? Not necessarily," Walker said.
"At the end of the day, we stood for what we believe in. All the love to those people. I enjoy playing for the city. I love playing for the Giants and at Oracle."
Landen Roupp wrote a bible verse alongside the Giants rainbow logo during last week's game. Getty Images
Despite the backlash, Walker said he would do it all again and was hopeful that the added attention would help spread his faith, which he said was instilled in him growing up by his dad.
"For me," he said, "it's more about being positive and getting people to read the bible and understand what it truly means."
Brubaker, on the other hand, is ready to resume his normal, largely anonymous existence as a middle reliever. Still, he doesn't have any regrets.
"At the end of the day, I just want this to be done and over with," he said. "We're here to play baseball. This is going on almost a week now. Just play ball, that's all I want to do."
Comedian Rob Schneider offered to pay any fines issued to the players (there were none), and Republican Senator Josh Hawley called for a federal investigation into MLB.
Sam Hentges was one of the four pitchers who protested during the game. Getty Images
Some players, such as Jeremy Affeldt, have spoken about changing their beliefs after playing in the dense, diverse and tolerant city the Giants call home.
The Giants became the first professional sports team to include the rainbow flag in their on-field apparel in 2021 and had gotten full participation from their players until this year.
The Pride celebration is also the oldest in professional sports, dating back to the first AIDS "Night for a Cure" in 1994.
"I don't think [playing in San Francisco] changes my view on God's word," Walker said.
"We want to welcome anybody and everybody in that ballpark," added Brubaker.
"They're saying that we're using it as a mockery because God calls us to love everybody. He does, he does call us to love everybody. And we do love everybody."
That, however, wasn't how the message was interpreted by some fans and members of the LGBTQ community.
Brubaker has heard more positive feedback since the issue went national, but still, "there's definitely more negative out there."
One group Brubaker hasn't heard from is the league office, which issued statements Tuesday reminding players that "writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball's Uniform Regulations" while specifying that the warning "had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message."
MLB issued a warning to the Giants pitchers, which drew a strong reaction from fans across the country Getty Images
Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a second violation would be met with a fine of $1,000 and $5,000 for each subsequent violation.
The league described it as a "routine verbal warning," and Brubaker confirmed he hadn't received anything in writing — or heard from any MLB officials.
Likewise, manager Tony Vitello said he wasn't aware of MLB's warning until a public relations official informed him before meeting with reporters on Tuesday.
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