Buster Posey tried to move on from the Giants’ Pride Night controversy. Instead, his response seemed to frustrate just about everyone.
The Giants president of baseball operations met with reporters Tuesday at Oracle Park and opened with a brief statement acknowledging that fans had “strong feelings” about the issue. But when follow-up questions came, Posey repeatedly shut them down.
“I’ll answer baseball questions,” Posey said.
That did not go over well.
The controversy began on June 12, when Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, J.T. Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verse references on their Pride Night caps. A fourth pitcher, Sam Hentges, reportedly chose to wear the team’s standard cap instead.
MLB later issued a warning for a uniform policy violation, though commissioner Rob Manfred clarified the players were not fined, disciplined or facing future punishment.
Posey said the organization had already addressed the matter and did not want to revisit it.
The problem was that almost no one was satisfied with that response.
On social media, many Giants fans blasted Posey for appearing uncomfortable and unwilling to address the controversy. Some of the reactions were especially harsh.
Perhaps the harshest invoked Posey’s catastrophic injury suffered while defending the Giants home plate in 2011, writing “The face of the franchise is a coward. Scott Cousins wrecked that b*tch”
Another called for his job, “Why is he still around? You can’t blame others/rationalize forever…”
A third added, “It’s embarrassing as a lifelong Giants fan and a huge fan of Posey. They can and need to do better in their communication. His press conference reminded me of Mark McGwire not answering questions about steroids in front of Congress.”
Others questioned his leadership. One commenter said Posey’s performance represented a “concerning lack of leadership,” while another concluded simply, “Buster struck out, not a leader.”
Conservative commentators weighed in as well. Fox News personality Tomi Lahren used the controversy to call on MLB to move away from Pride Night celebrations entirely, arguing that players, coaches and executives should not be put in the middle of cultural debates.
The criticism wasn’t limited to Giants fans.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community expressed disappointment with both Posey’s comments and the organization’s broader response. The LGBTQ+ owned and operated site Outsports argued that the Giants had damaged decades of goodwill with LGBTQ+ fans, writing that the franchise had “completely shattered decades of trust” and suggesting the organization had alienated a community it once proudly embraced.
Meanwhile, media critics described the press conference as “tone-deaf,” “gutless,” and “embarrassing.” On Reddit and other forums, fans pointed out that Pride Night had become a baseball issue the moment the organization made it part of a team event.
One commenter praised a reporter who pushed back against Posey, arguing that “you guys have made this baseball related because you had Pride Night.”
Yet Posey also received support from a portion of the fan base.
Some defended his refusal to engage further, arguing that the issue had already been addressed by the team, MLB and the players involved. “Good job Buster,” one fan wrote. Another added, “He handled it well. He’s the President of Baseball Operations, he’s not the head of PR.”
Others accused reporters of trying to prolong the story and insisted the focus should remain on baseball.
In the end, Posey appeared to be trying to avoid taking a public side. Instead, he became the face of a controversy that continues to generate criticism from nearly every direction — from conservative commentators, LGBTQ+ advocates, frustrated fans and even some of the Giants faithful who once viewed him as untouchable.