By Suzanne Bowdey

Clayton Kershaw may not have pitched Friday night, but he still made more headlines than most of his teammates. The Dodgers’ star, who happens to be an outspoken Christian, made a splash at the team’s Pride Night by putting a unique twist on Los Angeles’s gear. It was a simple but powerful statement that June will never be the same — not in Major League Baseball, and frankly, not anywhere.

When the cameras first panned to Clayton in the dugout, fans were probably shocked to see number 22 donning the Dodgers’ Pride hat. But a closer look revealed that the navy blue cap had been adapted. There, next to the bright rainbow logo was Kershaw’s handwritten scrawl in metallic silver: “GEN 9:12-16.” Anyone who grabbed their Bible to investigate would have discovered these famous verses about Noah and the flood:

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’” (ESV)

Clayton’s spiritual take on Pride lit up social media, launching hundreds of appreciative comments. Most people were thrilled with the pitcher’s attempt to reclaim one of God’s most beloved symbols. One user, who described himself as a lifelong Braves fan, said he had every reason to hate Kershaw on the field, but he finds it impossible now. “I’m a huge fan. He’s principled and relentless in the pursuit of his convictions.” Others wondered whether he was forced to wear the hat, which would run counter to one of the biggest news stories of 2023 when the MLB discouraged teams from creating an uncomfortable situation for players.

Asked whether the league would start “standardizing Pride celebrations” for all franchises, Commissioner Rob Manfred made it clear that however teams recognize June, they need to leave their athletes out of it. “We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases, that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players,” he told The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes two seasons ago. At the end of the day, Manfred said, we should not be “putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views.”

That was a colossal shift from the previous summer, when players were expected to put up and shut up when it came to the league’s LGBT pandering. Now, two years after the no-Pride tide in the NHL and the consumer backlash upending major brands, sports have largely reconsidered their toxic ideology. 

That’s not to say that there still aren’t woke holdouts. A firestorm erupted at the Mets’ Citi Field on Friday night when the team put a Pride flag on the jumbotron during the national anthem instead of the Stars and Stripes. Fans were furious, calling for Americans to boycott the MLB. “This is a disgrace to our country,” one insisted, posting a video of the moment. 

That was only mildly better than what Red Sox fans had to endure, thanks to a drag show on the concourse that made its obscene way onto the field for the opening pitch. “[D]o the Boston @RedSox not know that Dems lost the election?” one attendee wondered. “They had a drag show at Fenway Park in front of kids and celebrated men pretending to be women. These are screenshots from video from their official account!! Wtf.”

On the flip side, the Texas Rangers continue to be lone rangers when it comes to Pride. For years, the team has refused to jump on the June bandwagon, while 29 out of 30 other clubs trip over themselves to embrace the rainbow tyranny. “Our longstanding commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball — in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do — for both our fans and our employees,” the Rangers front office explained in a statement. “We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”

Even the league seems to be having a crisis of confidence about the month, surprising several people by switching out its multi-colored logo on X for its standard image after a single day. Family Research Council’s Joseph Backholm said the financial collapse of Bud Light and Target should have been teachable moments. “Ultimately,” he told The Washington Stand, “they’re trying to make money — and for a long time they believed being woke was a good way to make money. Now, they appreciate the risk of being all in on the idea that men can have babies.” That said, he continued, “there are probably true believers within the organization making the argument that you’re basically a member of the KKK if you don’t enthusiastically support Pride. That means they’re probably trying to avoid bankruptcy and allegations of bigotry, so it’s believable that they’re trying to have it both ways.”

As for Kershaw, the bold stance is entirely in keeping with the pitcher’s track record. In 2023, Clayton was one of the loudest critics of his club’s celebration of the “trans and queer” Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in 2023. In the middle of the nationwide firestorm — which included disinviting the group, only to re-invite them after LGBT activist pressure — Kershaw approached management to expedite the announcement of Faith Day. “I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers].” 

While he insisted his objections to the Sisters weren’t rooted in hate, he did make it clear, “I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions. It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion.”

In a biography about the pitcher, Clayton was much more open about the controversy. “…I just came to the conclusion that the Dodgers really put us in a horrible position. … And I’m all for funny and satire, but [the Sisters go] way beyond it. So I did feel like I needed to say something.” Look, he said, “I’m a sinful person, just like everyone else. … It’s not for me to condemn or judge other people. … So you treat everybody the same, and do the best I can to love other people as well as I can …”

Baseball “has given [me] a huge platform,” Kershaw reiterated. “And Jesus, ultimately, is what I choose to talk about. And I think that is what God wants me to do with my life, is use that platform.” 

Of course, as Backholm points out, “This is happening only a few days after Simone Biles felt the need to issue an admittedly weak apology to Riley Gaines after going after her for her commitment to fairness in women’s sports. The idea of a leftist apologizing for going after a conservative online would have been unthinkable even 24 months ago — but it’s more evidence that the American people have turned on the Left.” And, he acknowledged, “While it may be less risky for Kershaw today than it was five years ago, it’s still good. Courage and fear are always contagious, and a growing number of people are catching courage.” 

Whatever backlash Kershaw’s hat created certainly didn’t affect his game. The next day, he went out and pitched seven scoreless innings. It was a clutch performance from a guy who’s been famous for his arm — but is now being applauded for something just as important: his heart. 

Suzanne Bowdey serves as editorial director and senior writer at The Washington Stand.