Rob Schneider vows to cover potential fines for Giants players warned over Bible verses

Comedian Rob Schneider pledged Monday to pay any fines levied against Major League Baseball players who write scripture references on their uniforms, calling the league “anti-Christian” after three San Francisco Giants pitchers were formally warned for doing so during the team’s Pride Night game.

“I will pay the fines for any @MLB Christian player who wears a Bible verse on their uniform,” Mr. Schneider wrote on X. “@MLB is ANTI-CHRISTIAN.”

MLB issued the warning after pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote a Bible verse reference on their caps during Friday’s Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs. Pat Courtney, MLB’s chief communications officer, said in a statement that “the writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations.” 

The three pitchers have not been fined by the league. Mr. Schneider’s pledge, posted after the warning drew national attention, is preemptive. 

All three wrote “Gen 9:12-16” on their caps — a reference to Genesis 9:12-16, in which God establishes a covenant with humanity after the biblical flood, using the rainbow as its sign. Reliever Sam Hentges separately opted to wear the team’s standard cap rather than the rainbow-themed version issued for the game. 

Speaking to reporters after the game, Mr. Roupp said the passage was not intended as an attack.

“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us — his faithfulness and his mercy,” he said, according to Sports Illustrated. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that.”

The Giants issued a statement the following day saying, “The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. 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.” 

Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of the LGBTQ sports outlet Outsports, called the display “disgraceful,” arguing the players’ message reframed a widely recognized symbol of LGBTQ pride.

The warning raised questions about consistency in MLB’s enforcement, as the league has not uniformly disciplined players for writing on caps in other contexts. ESPN reported the action follows the league’s standard approach to uniform infractions, stopping short of suspension.