Minor league baseball team forfeits game after players refuse to wear Pride Night jerseys

The York Revolution cancelled a game and accepted a loss after more than a dozen players declined to wear rainbow sleeves

Published Jun 19, 2026  •  Last updated 2 hours ago  •  3 minute read

York Revolution, a minor league baseball team, forfeit its Pride Night game. York Revolution

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Minor league baseball teams have been known to wear some pretty outlandish uniforms, but for one group of players, putting rainbows on their sleeves was too much.

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More than a dozen players on the York Revolution refused to wear Pride Night-themed jerseys for their game on Thursday, causing the team to forfeit the matchup against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

With fewer than nine players from the team’s 28-man roster reportedly willing to don the uniforms, the Revolution instead cancelled the game and accepted the loss.

But while the game itself was called off, the team went ahead with its Pride Night festivities.

What did the team say?

“This decision was not reached lightly,” the team said in a statement. “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.

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“To be clear: This action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York.”

Team president and GM Ben Shipley said he was informed on Tuesday that the team would not have enough players for the game and was unable to convince them to wear the uniforms.

“I’m disappointed that we’re at this point and I recognize the players’ plight and their unwillingness to cross their line. I also think tolerance is not acceptance,” Shipley told NBC News.

“I was just asking for tolerance from the team, and they were unwilling to navigate that with me.”

What else did the team do?

The team also announced it would make a US$10,000 donation to a local community centre focused on inclusivity.

York also said that for fans who bought seats, the game would be treated as a rainout and those tickets could be redeemed at any future game.

Did any players show up to Pride Night?

At least one player showed up for the event at the ballpark and won over some fans in the process.

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First baseman Jacob Teeter told the York Daily Record that he believes in supporting the Pride initiative and was willing to “sign anything anybody asks me to.”

“I came out tonight because this is a cause I believe in,” Teeter said. “This is a wonderful event for a community to come together and rally around a thing that is my favourite thing in the world: Baseball.

“If I have nothing else in common with a person but they enjoy baseball, I know we have a jumping-off point, we have a place to start a conversation.

“Unfortunately, there is no baseball to be played here tonight but it doesn’t mean we can’t make this a great evening on a baseball field.”

Did the San Francisco Giants protest Pride?

The Revolution’s forfeit comes less than a week after three pitchers on the San Francisco Giants were issued a warning after appearing at the team’s Pride Night game with Bible verses scrawled on their caps.

Starting pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker wore the rainbow-themed hats at Friday’s game — with some alterations.

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Right-hander Roupp started the game with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap, with the end of the verse continuing into the rainbow “SF” logo.

Brubaker and Walker sported the same verse. Brubaker’s was written on the front of his cap but did not touch the rainbow logo, while Walker’s was scribbled on the side of his hat.

Meanwhile, teammate and reliever Sam Hentges did not wear the Pride cap, instead opting for the team’s regular hat.

“The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,” Pat Courtney, MLB’s chief communications officer, said in a statement to Outsports.

— With files from Denette Wilford

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