Former New York Yankees star and Texas congressional candidate Mark Teixeira called Major League Baseball’s handling of a Pride Night dispute a "total disaster" aimed at silencing Christian athletes.Speaking on the "Fox News Rundown" podcast, the 2009 World Series champion and current congressional candidate argued that sports should not cross the line into being political."We live in a Christian culture where people are trying to silence us," Teixeira told Fox News’s Jacqui Heinrich."And we're not [going to] let the San Francisco Giants or any outside group, silence our faith."BUSTER POSEY MYSTERIOUSLY YANKED FROM RADIO INTERVIEW AS PRIDE NIGHT CONTROVERSY DRAGS ON, CEO MAKES IT WORSEMark Teixeira, serving as the National League’s hitting coach, looked on during pregame ceremonies before the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field on July 13, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
(Sam Hodde/MLB Photos via Getty Images)The controversy stemmed from the Giants’ annual "Pride Night" celebration earlier this month.Several players protested the event by writing Bible verses onto the rainbow-colored Pride caps or declining to wear the caps altogether.In a statement reported by The Athletic, an MLB spokesperson said, "The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations."Teixeira argued that requiring players to wear the hats would force them to support something they may not believe in, calling the situation a "PR disaster."FIVE GLARING REASONS WHY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SHOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP CELEBRATING PRIDE NIGHT | JON ROOTSan Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp delivered a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park on June 12, 2026, in San Francisco, California.
The game later drew attention after Roupp and several teammates wore Bible verses on their caps during the club’s Pride Night."Yep, total disaster, PR disaster for the league, PR disaster for Th...