Bible verse on his Giant’s Pride Night cap
Will Simonds
6/12/26
Friday was Pride Night at Oracle Park, with the Giants wearing special caps with a rainbow version of their logo for the occasion.
San Francisco starter Landen Roupp donned the Pride Night hat during his outing and wrote a Bible verse next to the logo -- as did multiple other Giants pitchers -- while reliever Sam Hentges instead wore the team's regular cap.
After his outing, Roupp stated that the inscription was of Genesis 9:12-16, which reads as follows in the New International Version of the Bible:
"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.'"
Roupp explained what the passage means to him in his postgame presser.
"It's just about God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy," Roupp told reporters. "That's just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I'm thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want ... and express what we want."
The third-year pitcher from North Carolina confirmed he hadn't inscribed the same verse at other times in the past, before disclosing why it was important for him to have it on his cap on Friday.
"Kind of what the verse says, you know, the rainbow is a symbol of God's covenant to us, and us as believers to stand firm in that. ... There's no hate at all. It's just what I stand for and what I stand in. I believe in God, and that's me."
Roupp then was asked how he'd respond if someone from the LGBTQ+ community took exception to his inscription of the Bible verse on Pride Night.
"First of all, as a believer, I would push them to read the Bible," Roupp stated. "I think God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don't think I would be here right now if it wasn't for him. So, like I said, there's no hate in it at all, you know, like I said, we live in a country where you're welcome to believe what you want. There's a freedom of speech and stuff like that, so that's really all I have to say about that. I'm just thankful that God has put me in this situation and that I can go out and share his kingdom."
Roupp was charged with four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and took the loss in the Giants' 5-1 defeat to the Cubs.
Tony Vitello also received a question about his team's hats and if they were discussed at all before Friday's game.
"Not really, just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals that have the freedom to do what they think is best."
Vitello followed up by mentioning how the Giants' various nights dedicated toward individual communities, including Friday's Pride Night, are "pretty impressive." The team has celebrated members of the LGBTQ+ community dating back to their “Until There's a Cure” Day in 1994, which supported HIV/AIDS awareness.
Citing league policy, Major League Baseball has issued a warning to the three Giants pitchers who inscribed Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs.
“The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney told The Athletic and Outsports in a statement.