Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Major League Baseball on Friday after the league threatened to punish three San Francisco Giants pitchers for writing Bible verses on their Pride Night caps last week.
The pitchers etched “Gen 9:12-16” on their hats during the game.
MLB claims the actions violated its uniform rules, but Uthmeier argues the league has been “selectively enforcing” its own rules.
“Players who promote secular messages get a pass, while players who promote religious messages get a reprimand.”
Uthmeier wrote in a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred that if the pattern of religious discrimination is true, it could amount to a de facto league policy violating Florida law.
“My office will not tolerate religious discrimination against any players in Florida,” he wrote.
The three pitchers were warned about future violations after the Genesis reference appeared on their caps. The Bible passage references God’s covenant with Noah after the flood — a passage frequently cited by Christians during Pride Month as an alternative interpretation of the rainbow symbol.
Florida’s investigation will examine whether MLB applies uniform rules evenhandedly or targets religious expression while permitting secular messages on uniforms.
