Buster Posey wants the Giants to learn from their Pride Night cap controversy

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey said Tuesday that the San Francisco Giants must learn from their handling of the club's annual Pride Night in June, when several players added Bible verses to their rainbow-themed caps.

The display drew criticism from progressive fans in the Bay Area and elsewhere, while the team's handling of the situation was also condemned by Republican politicians in Washington. It added to the embarrassment of another season without a playoff berth.

“Any time you have a situation like that, it’s always an opportunity to learn,” Posey, the Giants' president of baseball operations, said in a press conference two days after the end of San Francisco's season. “I think that’s the steps we take is, as you look back on that, is you reflect and you say, ‘what could have been done differently?’ and you try to learn from that and move on.”

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a warning to players afterward that writing on the caps is a violation of league policy. Players were supposed to be told that wearing the rainbow-themed hats was optional, but Manfred said in a letter to Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley that the “Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear.”

Starting pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker added Bible verses to the themed caps for the June 12 game. Reliever Sam Hentges chose not to wear the hat at all in favor of the Giants' regular black version with the “SF” in orange.

Manager Tony Vitello said Tuesday that the team needs better communication internally both in the clubhouse and beyond to avoid something like this happening again — and the organization shares that message.

“I think a general theme with any of the topics of what came up this year, questions that have already been asked and might be asked, is communication needs to be at the highest level possible," said Vitello , whose team had a 65-97 record in his first season coming from the University of Tennessee and a year after the Giants finished 81-81 and fired Bob Melvin.

Posey and Vitello also had to deal with the aftermath of outfielder Harrison Bader's early morning scooter accident in July during which he aggravated his injured left foot and then had his pay suspended for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year-old Bader signed a $20.5 million, two-year contract ahead of the 2026 season. He had been sidelined since late May dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and the accident worsened the issue. He earned a $4.5 million base salary for 2026 and had been owed $1.42 million for the remainder of the season.

“As far as getting into details of the investigation, that's not something that we can discuss. There's ongoing conversations between the commissioner's office and the players association,” Posey said. “I think everybody including Harrison is disappointed how this thing unfolded. Right now he's under contract for next season.”

Posey again expressed his confidence in Vitello as the right person for San Francisco working under him and general manager Zack Minasian despite all that transpired.

“It's the will and desire that the three of us share and the rest of the front office and the coaching staff to try to get this right," Posey said. “I got to see his work ethic day in and day out all year. I still believe in his ability to lead. I don't want to speak for Tony, he can answer this ... but I do think there’s an adjustment from going from coaching to managing.”

Posey said “we were not able to get any momentum throughout the year.”

In addition, he said there has been no discussion about an extension on his three-year contract that takes him through the 2027 season.

The Giants' former star catcher is eager to be part of a turnaround for a team that hasn't reached the postseason in five straight years since winning a franchise-record 107 games and the NL West title in 2021.

“I don't have any timetable set on it,” he said. “I want to see this thing through if they'll let me see it through.”

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