There are certain dates on the baseball calendar that I circle as soon as the new schedule gets released. Opening Day. The All Star Game and Home Run Derby. The start of the playoffs. The World Series.
Ever since I began publishing the annual Outsports Pride Night Guide, that list includes all of June.
Going on a virtual tour around the league and discovering how every team but one plans to celebrate our community really gets my adrenaline going in anticipation of Pride Month.
As you’ve probably guessed, that “but one” is the Texas Rangers, who are bailing on the chance to host a Pride event yet again this year.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Regardless, I also take pride in showing off this space as the one place in MLB where you can find references to 1980s-era Immaculate Grid rarity score boosters mixed with Cher bangers.
So join me now as I dive into how 29 MLB teams will be commemorating Pride Nights in 2024.
Phoenix holds its Pride parade in October because I’m pretty sure the National Weather Service classifies its June high temperatures as “homophobic.” So if you want the opportunity to march this month, head to the air-conditioned comfort of Chase Field and join in the D-backs’ annual Rainbow Walk. It’s a great sight to witness so many LGBTQ baseball fans gathered together on the field — and the Snakes reversible rainbow bucket hat looks pretty good too.
“Play with Pride” is the slogan on this year’s Braves Pride T-shirt. It’s probably easier to announce that when Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies take the field for the team every night as there’s probably a good reason the Braves didn’t go with this design during the Oddibe McDowell era. Additionally, Atlanta is throwing its annual pregame party next to the ballpark in the Coca-Cola Roxy.
In 2023, I expected the O’s to throw a perfectly routine and fun Pride event. Then I saw everything they pulled off and was blown away by one of the most incredible LGBTQ-supportive promotions in all of baseball. From painting a Progress Pride rainbow in center field to hanging Pride banners on the Camden Yards warehouse to turning their entire Twitter account over to spotlighting LGBTQ resources, the O’s demonstrated a Cal Ripken-esque commitment to our community.
While I figured it would be a nice evening, it turned out to be extraordinary. Like getting a Hinge match notification and then logging on to discover it was from Troye Sivan. All of MLB should take notes on how the Orioles made Pride special. This year, they’re giving away a stunning rainbow Pride jersey to the first 10,000 fans and I can’t wait to find out what else they’ve got in store.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is one of baseball’s jewels and last year it sparkled with every color of the rainbow. Credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
Last year’s Red Sox Pride jerseys with rainbow lettering were such a hit, the Sox decided to bring the electrifying look back with their blue alternates in 2024. Additionally, they’re adding an upgraded VIP package with early admission to the pregame party on the Sam Deck and a belt bag featuring the Progress Pride flag merged with their hanging socks emblem. If any ignoramus complains about the Sox “turning their logo gay,” remind them that it used to be a giant red bat-swinging condom with a face.
Admirably, the Red Sox also celebrate Pride by honoring members of Boston’s drag community before the game. One of these years, I hope one of the performers gets into the spirit and redubs herself Carla YasKweenski.
Boston’s most stunning drag performers flank chef Tiffani Faison during a Pride Night first pitch at Fenway Park. Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
This is the perfect promotion for anyone who’s ever stepped into the Wrigley Field grandstand, gazed at the bucolic ivy-covered expanse of the playing field, and asked, “Where the hell can I buy a Golden Girls coaster in here?” From spotlighting local LGBTQ-owned businesses on Gallagher Way to a spirited pregame concert by the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus to community outreach like sponsoring Glenn Burke’s Legacy Walk plaque, the Cubs’ Pride Celebration could not have a more appropriate moniker.
This year’s ticket package showcases a gorgeous powder blue variation on the road uniform with “CHICAGO” and the Crawling Bear sleeve patch in Progress Pride colors. On the back is World Series Hero Dexter Fowler’s No. 24 so here’s hoping this year’s Cubs Pride slogan is “You Gay, We Gay.”
Even constant precipitation during last year’s Pride Celebration at Wrigley Field was just an excuse for the Cubs to play “Rain On Me.”Photo by Ken Schultz
While the Pale Hose haven’t released giveaway information yet, they traditionally unveil a Sox Pride at the Park T-shirt designed by Windy City queer artists. It’s one of MLB’s most unique rainbow looks. Also: mascot Southpaw deserves a special shout out for celebrating Chicago Pride by dancing shirtless atop the Chisox parade entry. It’s as if Scruff had a setting for “Muppet.” Southpaw gets it.
This gives a new meaning to Go-Go Sox.Photo by Ken Schultz
Red is the first of 11 rainbow colors on this year’s Reds Pride cap package. The giveaway also nods to the team name with a stylish red streak lining the front of the bill. It’s a subtle but well-crafted touch.
The Guardians are taking part in a promotional trend that’s growing around baseball: giving away a Pride T-shirt to the first 10,000 fans through the gates and then offering a Block C Pride flag as part of an additional ticket package. The more fans who get a chance to take home rainbow swag, the better.
As part of a ticket package, the Rockies are giving out a rainbow-belted fanny pack. Their promotions page mentions that another perk of purchasing the package is “A ticket to watch the Rockies take on the Pirates.” This season, it’s fair to ask: Is that a threat?
Thanks to this Pride tank top, you’ll never wonder where the Tigers call home again as the word “Detroit” appears 11 times in every color of the rainbow. If this shirt name dropped the Motor City any more, it would qualify as an Eminem lyric. More importantly, Tigers Pride is an opportunity for fans to enjoy Mark Canha’s annual gay icon walk-up playlist. If Canha goes with “Murder on the Dance Floor” or “Levitating,” he should automatically earn two extra Wins Above Replacement.
The Comerica Park scoreboard Tigers have never looked fiercer.Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
For years, I’ve been pleading with the Astros to celebrate Pride Night with a Rainbow Tequila Sunrise jersey giveaway. Lo and behold, look at the jersey add-on package the Stros unveiled! It’s an Astros alternate top with Tequila Sunrise-esque Progress Pride stripes going all the way up either side. You nailed it, Houston! It’s nice to feel like teams might be reading this and listening (trade Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, please). The Astros will also be giving away Pride bucket hats to all fans.
Rainbow jerseys are always an eye-catching winner and there are a couple of details that make the Royals’ version stand out. The intersex-supportive circle at the end of the script underline gives this uniform an inclusive flourish. And depicting the KC Crown logo in diagonal rainbow stripes makes the Pride colors pop with a sense of dynamic regality. Like the 2015 World Champions, it’s the little things that make this look stand out.
Last year, the Angels gave away a baseball cap with a Progress Pride patch on the side. This year, they’re giving away a baseball cap with a Progress Pride patch on the side, but it’s gray. Maybe their promotions department needs a visit from the Rally Monkey.
Stop the presses, look at this…Thing. Of. Beauty…
The Pride-accented Dodgers script and Love Wins patch are great in and of themselves. But that arcing rainbow detail over the interlocking LA on the back absolutely SLAYS. If you walked the runway in this jersey, Carson Kressley would audibly gasp. I am gagging — and a little envious of LGBTQ Dodger fans.
As we’ve come to expect, the Dodgers Pride look is only exceeded by their game promotions lineup. Among the festivities will be LGBTQ artists performing on the centerfield stage and an OutLoud kickball game in the outfield. When you put all of their Pride Night plans together with a jersey for the ages, all I can say is: Condragulations, Dodgers — You’re a winner, baby!
Last year, Outsports gave more publicity to Miami’s Pride at the Park than the Marlins did. There were no pics on the team’s Instagram, no mentions on Twitter, and no videos on YouTube. To be fair, maybe they posted a rainbow logo on Marlins Friendster. Now in 2024, Miami will be celebrating Pride with a clacking fan ticket package. Let’s hope that they also observe it by recovering their TikTok password.
After a one-year break, the Brewers are bringing back their brilliant ball in glove MB logo for a Progress Pride flag package. One of these years, someone will get the idea to add that insignia to a rainbow cheesehead and they’ll immediately be declared mayor of Milwaukee.
The Twins are also taking part in the giveaway plus ticketed add-on trend, in this instance giving away a Pride T-shirt and selling a Progress Pride cross-body bag ticket package. It’s the best way to make Target Field look like Twin Cities Pride, outside of dressing Minnie and Paul in harnesses and changing their slogan to “Win! Twinks!”
Kick off NYC Pride weekend at Gotham’s fiercest gay neighborhood: Flushing! Mets Pride promises to give Citi Field a makeover into Hell’s Kitchen on the 7 line with drag anthem performers serving Francis Scott Key realness, the Queens Crew turning the dugout roof into the bar at Flaming Saddles, and a Pride cap giveaway. With news that various NYC Pride concerts and rallies are being cancelled due to corporate sponsors pulling out, the Mets are using this weekend to stand behind our community. The only way this could get more uplifting is if Mr. Met took the field to a mashup called “Ya Gotta Believe (In Life After Love).”
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This is the fifth Legacy of Pride Night and it’s always inspiring to see the team honor their Yankee Stonewall Scholars on the same field trod by heroes like Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo. For 2024, the Yankees are unveiling a special package featuring … the same cap they gave away last year. It’s the equivalent of asking “Why trade for Juan Soto when we have an overstock of Franchy Corderos?” Hal Steinbrenner just claimed that the Yankees payroll is “not sustainable” so I guess he cut costs by firing the marketing department.
The A’s are SELLing Glenn Burke Pride Night tickets at the above link. Every ticket that they SELL will benefit the Oakland LGBTQ Center so let’s hope they SELL enough to make a significant contribution and that fans who can’t attend can SELL theirs too, even though the game won’t be a SELL out. They’ll also be giving away (a common antonym for “SELL”) a Pride jersey to early arriving fans, who can then SELL it on Ebay or SELL it to collectors or SELL it to an Oakland gay bar and then go visit a Barnes & Noble BookSELLer or watch a movie starring Tom SELLeck or Peter SELLers. No matter what, the best way to show Pride in the A’s this year is to SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL.
Baseball and MLB Pride are really going to miss Oakland fans. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Rainbow bucket hats and a fireworks show highlight what should be a fun night at PNC Park. But if Pittsburgh wants to take their Pride promotion up a notch, they should arrange the first MLB-NFL trade by sending the Pirate Parrot to Tampa Bay in exchange for the gayest mascot in all of sports: Bucco Bruce! While it may seem farfetched, I only have to say one thing to make it appealing to Pirates ownership: they wouldn’t have to take on salary.
What better way to celebrate Pride than by cheering on MLB’s sluttiest team? The Phillies are giving away Pride fanny packs with a special ticket package which should be an excellent place to store all the uniform buttons that Nick Castellanos won’t be using. One suggestion: if the Phils win, they should ask swing choir superstar Kyle Schwarber to lead all 45,000 fans in a joyful rendition of “Dancing On My Own.”
Now THAT’S a Liberty Bell! Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
I’m fully on board with the Friars hosting Out at the Park so early because spring in San Diego is a lovely setting for Pride. But if the Padres are going to schedule Pride for the third week of April, why not also turn it into a Drag Race Finale watch party? Imagine the crowd pop as Manny Machado crushes a grand slam at the same moment Nymphia Wind nails it during the climax of “Padam Padam.” It would make the final out of the 2022 NLDS look like Amanda Tori Meating’s reaction to Plane Jane.
Nothing sums up San Francisco weather better than this. Because Pride takes place in June, most teams give away T-shirts, jerseys, or tank tops. But the Giants? Long-sleeve hoodies. The Oracle Park wind might be the biggest Pride Day villain since The Catholic League. Nonetheless, the Giants will be pulling out all the stops by hosting pregame community performances at Willie Mays Plaza and taking the field in their traditional Pride caps.
Two Pride promotions worked so well for the Mariners last year, they decided to bring them both back for 2024. If you like LGBTQ swag, Seattle is the place to be as the M’s are spotlighting navy blue Pride jersey ticket packages on June 1 and Pride T-shirts on the 13th. In addition, the Mariners are giving away rainbow SEA trucker hats to the first 10,000 fans for the Angels game. The only way the Mariners could make their merch more ubiquitous in June is by signing Ariana Grande to play shortstop.
T-Mobile Park’s roof supports light up in a rainbow as the Mariners Pride fireworks show transfixes the crowd.Photo by Ken Schultz
During this time of year, several teams unveil fanny pack ticket packages. The Cardinals are one of the first teams to figure out that a major feature of fanny packs is: you can put stuff in them. The Redbirds will be filling their belt bags with Pride headbands and enamel pins while throwing a pregame Pride Party where I can only assume the theme will be “Let’s reenact Olivia Newton John videos.”
Tropicana Field is universally reviled as one of the ugliest ballparks in baseball but when the Rays light up its roof in rainbow colors to clap back at Ron DeSantis, it’s absolutely breathtaking. For Pride 2024, they’ll also unveil a Pride jersey giveaway to the first 12,000 fans and a rainbow bucket hat ticket package.
From rainbow banners covering every level of Rogers Centre to drag performers in the concourse, the Jays go all out for Pride Night. And check out this year’s amazing giveaway: a rainbow rope corduroy hat featuring the Jays logo in all black — which makes the Progress Pride maple leaf on it absolutely pop. Plus this year, Toronto is giving fans the greatest Pride promotion of all: keeping Anthony Bass out of the building.
Blue Jays mascot Ace shows off a perfect Pride ensemble. Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
With tributes to some of DC’s most prominent LGBTQ leaders and heroes, Nationals Night OUT is always a highlight on the Pride calendar. This year, the Nats are giving away Curly W Progress Pride banners with the purchase of a special ticket. There is no greater endorsement I can offer than this: Here is one flag that will never fly above Samuel Alito’s house.
Which, alas, brings us to our traditional Pride Guide ending.
Somehow, the Rangers have made giving away a rainbow fanny pack feel like a bigger impossibility than winning the damn World Series. Hopefully some day, we can hear Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel proclaim, “Ranger fans, you’re not dreaming”about a PA announcement that “It is Pride Time in Texas.”
