Three-time Team USA Olympic softball gold medalist Leah O’Brien-Amico says she believes she would have written a Bible verse on a Pride Night cap if she had been made to wear one in a game.”I believe I would,” Amico told Fox News Digital when asked if she’d write a Bible verse on the cap.”I believe that in some ways I feel like it would be similar to saying everybody should have to wear a cross on their jersey, but I would never expect that with my teammates that don’t believe the same thing,” she added of the players having to wear the Pride-themed caps.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe comments from Amico, a three-time Olympic gold medalist with USA Softball and a three-time NCAA national champion at Arizona, came after Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during San Francisco’s June 12 game at Oracle Park.Roupp wrote “Gen 9:12-16” on his cap, with part of the Bible reference overlapping the rainbow-colored “SF” logo used for the team’s Pride Night uniform. The passage refers to the rainbow as a sign of God’s covenant. MLB later issued a warning, saying the issue was not the content of the message but that writing of any kind on uniforms violates league rules.Amico said she viewed the players’ decision as a statement of religious conviction rather than hostility.”Of course, as a fellow Christian, I thought it was a bold statement for them to be able to say, ‘Hey, I have a belief that is different than the reason that I’m being asked to wear this symbol,’” Amico said. “I support that freedom to be able to have religious freedom in a way, to share their values, at a time where athletes are being asked to then partake in something that maybe goes against their value system.”The Giants’ Pride Night caps were part of a tradition the organization helped pioneer. In 2021, the Giants announced they would become the first MLB team to incorporate Pride colors into on-field uniforms, including a Pride patch and a custom cap with Pride colors in the “SF” logo.But this year’s event became a flashpoint. MLB said its warning to the Giants players was a “routine verbal warning” and “not disciplinary,” adding that the league has issued similar warnings for uniform messages such as “Dad” and “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom.”The Giants later said they remained “proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community,” while also acknowledging that individual players’ choices had caused “pain and anger” among many LGBTQ+ fans.Amico said she would encourage the Giants players not to back down from their faith.”I’m sure they are probably in a tough situation, wanting to be part of the team and what they’re asked to do,” Amico said. “But for them, I think I just want to encourage them. At the end of the day, they answer to God above all else, above an employer, above somebody that pays them, and above a coach or a teammate.””Our value system is based on God
US softball legend Leah O’Brien-Amico opens up on MLB Pride Night controversy, backs Christian players
