Blake Treinen, a reliever for the Dodgers, mentioned that he felt “punished” by Major League Baseball after he wrote Charlie Kirk’s name on his cap last year, following the conservative activist’s murder.
During a game against the San Francisco Giants in September, shortly after Kirk was killed at an event in Utah, Treinen had “Charlie Kirk” inscribed between two crosses on his Dodgers cap.
Reportedly, he was warned by league officials after the game about MLB’s restrictions against displaying any messages on uniforms. This was initially highlighted by the Los Angeles Times and later confirmed by the California Post.
“They reached out to me, expressing concern over players writing messages on hats,” Treinen recounted to the California Post.
This week, there was renewed scrutiny on the league’s uniform policy, particularly after MLB cautioned several Giants pitchers for having Bible verses on their hats during a recent Pride Night event.
MLB stated, “Writing on caps is against our policies, and we have advised players about potential future violations,” in a press release. They clarified that the verbal warnings do not constitute discipline and are not related to the content of the messages.
Treinen did not face any disciplinary action in his case last year, but he noted that MLB warned him about the possibility of a fine if he repeated the act.
During the Dodgers’ Pride Night game earlier this month, Treinen opted not to wear the team’s pride-themed hat while pitching against the Angels in the ninth inning on June 5.
“I need to adhere to the rules,” Treinen remarked regarding his choice. “At the end of the day, our main rule is to wear team-approved uniforms, so that’s what I went with.”
