San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey cancels radio interview as Pride Night fallout continues

Buster Posey canceled a scheduled radio appearance on the San Francisco Giants’ flagship station Thursday, with CEO Larry Baer stepping in to deliver a prepared statement — and the team offering no explanation for the last-minute swap.

It was supposed to be Mr. Posey’s turn on the weekly “Executive Show” on KNBR, but instead, Mr. Baer appeared alongside hosts John Dickinson and Dieter Kurtenbach. Mr. Dickinson introduced the replacement by telling listeners that Mr. Baer had “some things he wants to address about Pride Night.” 

The situation carried an additional wrinkle: According to a report in the California Post, the two hosts were subject to a Zoom call the night before their interview with Mr. Baer, in which team officials told them no follow-up questions on the Pride Night controversy would be permitted. That account has not been confirmed by KNBR management, the Giants, Mr. Dickinson or Mr. Kurtenbach themselves.

Mr. Baer did state during the interview that Mr. Posey would return to his weekly appearance next week. No official explanation was offered for Mr. Posey’s last-minute withdrawal. 

“I know we’ve heard from many fans, and I know there are deep feelings about the events of Pride Night this year,” Mr. Baer said on KNBR. “We know it, we’ve heard, we’re listening. Our park should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected and valued. We take pride in being industry leaders in that effort with the LGBTQ community.”

The radio appearance came two days after Mr. Posey faced reporters in the dugout and drew criticism for his handling of that session. The president of baseball operations read a brief statement before declining to take any questions on the controversy, saying he would not revisit the matter publicly and would instead address it within the organization. 

The controversy dates to June 12, when the Giants held their annual Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park. Starting pitcher Landen Roupp took the mound with “Gen 9:12-16” written in white lettering on his Pride Night cap — a reference to the Book of Genesis. Relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also wore Bible verses on their caps, while reliever Sam Hentges opted instead for the team’s standard black and orange cap. 

MLB’s chief communications officer Pat Courtney said the writing violated league rules and that the players had been warned about future violations. 

The league’s response drew a swift political reaction. Sen. Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, sent a letter to Commissioner Rob Manfred demanding answers about what he described as “a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon subsequently argued in a letter to Mr. Manfred that the warning violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for investigation. 

Mr. Manfred responded in a June 19 letter to Sen. Hawley, saying the league had issued “a routine oral warning” after the incident but that the warning had come before MLB learned the Giants had not clearly told players they could wear regular caps instead of the Pride Night version. He told the senator that the players “were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,” and blamed the Giants, whose communication with players he called “inadequate and not clear.” 

Mr. Manfred also explained that the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only two clubs in Major League Baseball permitted to display Pride emblems on uniforms and hats, having been grandfathered in under a 2023 policy that otherwise bars teams from using special uniforms or equipment for team celebration days.

The Barrett Media report on the KNBR restrictions drew additional scrutiny of the team’s media strategy, with one industry observer noting that Mr. Baer appeared to have compounded rather than contained the story: “I don’t think that the Giants have quite understood that they have stepped in it now twice. They stepped in it with Buster on Tuesday, and I think Larry Baer just stepped in it again.”