The Los Angeles Dodgers experienced a moment of contention during their pride night celebrations on Friday evening when pitcher Blake Treinen appeared to take a stand by not wearing the rainbow-themed cap sported by the rest of his team.
Treinen took to the field at the top of the ninth inning in a game against their city rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. Notably, as he emerged from the bullpen, his blue cap featured the traditional white ‘LA’ lettering, contrasting with the rainbow-colored logos worn by his teammates.
The 37-year-old pitcher’s stint in the game was brief, delivering just one pitch that led to Oswald Peraza grounding out to conclude the inning. However, the short appearance was enough for spectators to speculate on whether Treinen was making a statement.
One observant fan took to social media platform X, commenting, “Last night the Los Angeles Dodgers had their pride night as every player was wearing pride hats. Blake Treinen was not wearing a pride hat when he entered the ballgame,” accompanied by a clip of Treinen stepping onto the field.
This is not the first instance of a Dodgers player appearing to distance themselves from pride festivities. Previously, Clayton Kershaw made headlines by inscribing a Bible verse alongside the rainbow lettering on his pride hat.
Last year, Clayton Kershaw wrote a reference to a Bible verse on his pride hat, next to the rainbow lettering he was helping promote.
LA Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen didn’t wear a rainbow hat for the team’s pride night game
Treinen’s cap had the regular white ‘LA’ symbol – not the rainbow colors his team were wearing
Dodgers pitcher Treinen pictured alongside his wife, Kati, and their four children
The World Series winner inscribed the words ‘Gen 9:12-16’ on the cap – which is a passage from the Bible that says the rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant as opposed to a Pride symbol.
The passage reads: ‘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.”
While Treinen did not directly reference the Bible in his apparent protest, he is a devout Christian and has spoken in great detail before about his religious beliefs.
Speaking to CBN Sports during the Dodgers playoff-run to World Series victory last October, he said: ‘I think my family’s name is great in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of the world, nobody really knew the Treinens, and I don’t really care if they do.
‘Every single one of us have been given a gift and our way of repaying it to the Lord is how do we honor him with that gift?”
‘When I am welcomed into the gates of Heaven, I want to hear ‘Job well done, good and faithful servant.’
Treinen added in that interview that his life goal is ‘to make heaven crowded’ and added that he didn’t want ‘teammates or anybody in the stands or anybody in this world face the alternative’.
He has won the World Series three times across the course of his career with the Dodgers and is currently in the second season of a two-year, $22million contract with the team.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wore his cap in the dugout for the game vs the Angels
Treinen, 37, is a devout Christian and has spoken in detail about his faith in the past
Last year, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw referenced a Bible passage on his Pride hat
With Treinen’s help, the Dodgers ended the night victorious on Friday. Shortly after he got Peraza out, Freddie Freeman hit a walkoff home run for the Dodgers to beat the Angels 1-0 on Friday night.
The team hosts two more matchups against their city rivals before heading on the road to Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates from Tuesday.
They are 41-23 in the National League West, eight wins ahead of second-place Arizona Diamondbacks and the pick of many to win a third-straight World Series later this year.
Treinen did not comment over his apparent gesture after the game.
