By Susan Slusser, Staff Writer Updated June 25, 2026 (SFChronicle.com)
Gift Article
Larry Baer, Giants president and CEO, said the team “could have handled things better this year, for sure” in the wake of the Pride Night public-relations debacle.Lea Suzuki/S.F. Chronicle
Nearly two weeks into the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night public-relations nightmare, team president and CEO Larry Baer at last said something.
Fans, especially those in the LGBTQ community, had been upset at the lack of response by team officials after three pitchers wrote Bible verses on their Pride hat and another chose not to wear it on June 12. Baer’s brief comments Thursday on the team’s flagship radio station provided some acknowledgement that the LGBTQ community remains important to the club.
“Before we get going with the interview I just wanted to say a couple of things to you and our fans and speak from the heart as somebody who has been involved with this ownership group from day one,” Baer said on KNBR. “This ownership group has been really involved in supporting the LGBTQ community — it’s strong and unwavering for over 30 years now, I can’t believe it’s been 30 years.
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“I know we’ve heard from many fans, and I know there are deep feelings about the events of Pride Night this year. We know it. We’ve heard. We’re listening. Just some context here — over those 30-plus years it’s a North Star here to create an experience at our ballpark for all fans, starting at Candlestick and Oracle Park. The experience is welcoming to all fans. That has not changed. … That will not change. Our park should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. I just want to make that really clear. We take pride in being industry leaders in that effort with the LGBTQ community.”
Baer cited the team’s Until There’s a Cure Day, the first of its kind in pro sports that started in 1994 during the AIDS epidemic; the team still holds the event, with the next falling on Aug. 10. He noted that the Giants are one of two teams (with the Dodgers) to wear Pride hats.
The team’s silence after Landen Roupp, Ryan Walker and JT Brubaker wore a Bible verse and Sam Hentges declined to wear the Pride hat was a major disappointment to many fans. The Giants received floods of complaints, many of them also shared with the Chronicle and other media outlets, after failing to address the issue with more than a statement. Tuesday, president of baseball operations Buster Posey addressed the media but declined to talk about the Pride Night concerns and repeatedly deflected questions about the topic.
It’s unclear why the Giants did not send Baer, Posey’s boss, to handle those duties then; Thursday, he swapped in for Posey, who’d been scheduled to appear on KNBR.
“Yes, we’ve learned a lot in the last 11 days,” Baer said. “Yes, we could have handled things better this year, for sure. We’re absolutely committed to continuing our conversations with members of the LGBTQ+ community going forward, and that’s where we are as an organization. I think a lot of our community partners who we’ve worked with through those years, decades, know that, and I just wanted to deliver that message to the fans and move on and talk about some other things.”
There is good reason to believe that the Giants are concerned about the Department of Justice’s threats to investigate Major League Baseball for denying the pitchers’ freedom of religious expression after MLB issued a statement saying that players are not allowed to write anything of any kind on their hats. No fines were issued, however, and the players have said they do not believe they were discriminated against.
Fans who flooded the Giants with complaints since Pride Day received a reply from Baer on Thursday that reiterated the message he delivered on KNBR.
“To our fans,” the emailed message began, “Thank you for taking the time to reach out. I’ve heard from so many of you and I know there are deep feelings surrounding the events of Pride Night. On a night we gathered to celebrate inclusiveness and belonging, we understand that for many, it did not feel that way.”
After mentioning Until There’s a Cure Day and the Pride hats, the letter concluded, “Over the past two weeks, we have learned a great deal and recognize there were things we could have handled better. We have already begun conversations with members of the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to learning from this moment.
“Thank you again for reaching out and caring deeply about our community and our team.”
George
Stockton, CA
06/26/260
He does deserve some blame. But everything starts at the top of the business pyramid and flows downward. The SF Giants are nothing more than a real estate business masquerading as a baseball franchise today. There’s no record of post-season success now for a decade, but the boys at the top of the food chain are busy acquiring properties all over SF. The Giants now are a 2nd Division Franchise with a 2nd Division team.
Tom
San Mateo, CA
06/25/260
This is all a load of crap. Giants fans are interested in wins and losses, and presently, there are more losses than wins. This is all a distraction for ensuring that we have the right players on the field. The Giants organization has struggled with this lately. Certainly an improvement to the bullpen would be a good start, especially after recent games, including today’s. The Giants organization needs to focus on improving the product on the field, period.
Axel
San Francisco, CA
06/25/260
Love Buster but wondering if he is in over his head. A fabulous player and team leader does not always mean a great leader in management. Still think the Giants are more concerned with their $$$ rather than truly making this right.
Naomi
San Francisco, CA
06/25/260
Don’t the Giants have a first rate PR guru to advise them and write talking points? When Buster refused to address the Pride debacle with reporters, he came off as a weirdo. It was not cute. He reminded me of an indulged child who takes himself too seriously. Does he understand what the job is? Maybe he should be demoted and replace Vitello? This situation is so bizarro, what a dramatic downfall for the team.
Gayle
Fairfax, CA
06/25/260
Did I miss the apology or ?????
June 25, 2026|Updated June 25, 2026 4:58 p.m.
Senior Baseball Reporter
Susan Slusser has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle since 1996. She has covered the Giants full-time since 2021, and previously covered the A’s full-time from 1999 to 2021.
Slusser’s book about the A’s, “100 Things A’s Fans Need to Know and Do Before They Die,” came out in 2014 and she and A’s radio announcer Ken Korach released a new book, “If These Walls Could Talk, Tales from the Oakland A’s Dugout, Locker Room and Press Box,” in 2019. She is also a correspondent for the MLB Network.
Slusser is the only woman to serve as the BBWAA president in the organization’s 116-year history and is on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Eras ballot committee. She was the California Sportswriter of the Year in 2017 along with Chronicle columnist Ann Killion and was honored for her work as a beat reporter by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2020 and 2025.
