As war wages between MLB players and owners about whether teams should be forced to partake in “Pride Nights,” one team is being hailed for remaining far from the chaos of the controversial theme games.
The Texas Rangers, who have a long history of remaining steadfast in the face of social pressures, have not caved to the new woke conventions of Major League Baseball. The team has not changed its logo for the month of June to include all of the colors of the Gay Pride rainbow, and it has not announced a “Pride Night” event like the rest of the league has been so adamant about advertising.
Rangers COO Neil Leibman had this to say in an interview in 2020 with The Dallas Morning News regarding the lack of a “Pride Night” on the books for that regular season. He insisted that instead of some outward display of support, the team would quietly work to ensure that the entire organization upheld the fairest hiring practices possible:
“With respect to Pride Night, we reached out to the Resource Center and said what can we do internally. We immediately adopted some changes they suggested to be more inclusive in hiring practices. I think that’s more meaningful than just saying ‘OK, we had a Pride Night.’”
It seems that Liebman is on the same page as many fans, who see these LGBT promotional games as only a bandage over a bigger issue. Whatever one’s stance may be on the topics that “Pride Night” claims to solve, it is asinine to think that patches on a uniform and a couple of colorful souvenir options will do anything other than cause division between the ever-separating classes in America.
The Rangers learned that lesson the hard way, all the way back in 2003. The organization attempted to host something similar to “Pride Night” by inviting several LGBT groups to attend the game and be seen on the field. That night, according to Next Time Pulse Sports
The Texas Rangers have definitely avoided a possible catastrophe, similar to what has fallen upon the Los Angeles Dodgers organization after they invited a group that is accused of being radically anti-Catholic. The issue became so popular that players from across the league voiced their displeasure with the team. Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams
Tweeted, “To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization.”
It is yet to be seen whether the MLB will crack down on the Rangers and force the team to play ball, but given that the official Twitter page of Major League Baseball took down its Pride logo after just one day, one would assume that the Rangers are safe.
