Hang onto your rally caps, Angelenos. It turns out that the Los Angeles Dodgers may have loaded the bases with an empty bullpen — almost literally. After declaring twice that the team would honor the anti-Catholic hate group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on its Pride Night, Catholics and other Christians in their fan base have erupted in protest.

Now not one but two of the team’s pitchers have publicly balked at the move and ripped management for their embrace of bigotry. Their ace Clayton Kershaw rebuked the team in a statement last week and proposed a Christian Faith and Family Day in response. Blake Treinen, recovering from shoulder surgery, joined his fellow pitcher by offering a stronger response and a call to action:

My friend and @MLB pitcher Blake Treinen asked that I post this statement for him in regards to the @Dodgers honoring of the sisters of perpetual indulgence. #HoldTheLine pic.twitter.com/jIDeDJF8ke

— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) May 30, 2023

Text via Fox News:

“I am disappointed to see the Sister’s [sic] of Perpetual Indulgence being honored as heroes at Dodger Stadium. Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.

“I understand that playing baseball is a privilege, and not a right. My convictions in Jesus Christ will always come first. Since I have been with the Dodger’s [sic] they have been at the forefront of supporting a wide variety of groups.. However, inviting the Sister’s [sic] of Perpetual indulgence to perform disenfranchises a large community and promotes hate of Christians and people of faith. This single event alienates the fans and supporters of the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and professional sports. People like baseball for its entertainment value and competition. The fans do not want propaganda or politics forced on them. The debacle with Bud Light and Target should be a warning to companies and professional sports to stay true to their brand and leave the propaganda and politics off the field…

“I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I believe the word of God is true, and in Galatians 6:7 it says, ‘do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked; a man reaps what he sows.’ This group openly mocks Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of my faith, and I want to make it clear that I do not agree with nor support the decision of the Dodger’s [sic] to “honor” the Sister’s [sic] of Perpetual Indulgence.

“‘But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ Joshua 24:15.”

Treinen is currently on IL at the moment, so it’s not clear whether he would have attended the Pride Night event anyway. It certainly sounds as though Treinen is arguing against attending.

But what’s the big deal if a drag club gets a mention at the game, some might ask. After all, they take care of sick people, too. Isn’t that worth honoring? Before we address that, be sure to watch as much of this video featuring a Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence ‘celebration’ as you can stomach:

This is so grotesquely offensive to my faith that I struggle to even watch it.

The @Dodgers have embraced anti-Catholic bigotry. pic.twitter.com/nVh7KAMUXm

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) May 24, 2023

How far did you make it? It’s been a week since Mary Margaret Olohan posted it, and I still haven’t made it past 60 seconds with the sound on. And that’s just a taste of SPI’s blasphemous treatment of Christianity and Catholicism. They also offer mockeries of the Eucharist, including yogurt-filled chalices (which they pretend is semen), and they actually stole communion wafers from a Mass under the pretense of taking communion on at least one occasion. These men mock women who enter the religious life and who give their lives in service to the poor and dying all over the world, and who have been doing so for centuries upon centuries. They sexualize and objectify them to mock and blaspheme their beliefs and their work.

Other than the theft, the SPI certainly has the free-speech right to do this. I’d fight against any effort to ban these demonstrations, albeit not with much enthusiasm. They have as much right to do this as the neo-Nazis had to march peacefully in Skokie, Illinois, and that comparison is not random. They’re both hate groups, but we don’t restrict speech on the basis of “hate” — even though the SPI’s progressive allies have been trying to do so for the last couple of decades or more.

But that doesn’t mean we should honor them for their hate, nor participate with any organization that does. To do so is to participate in their hate, to celebrate it, and to normalize and promote it. Ignoring it is not an act of “love,” as Kershaw argues, but a refusal to confront hatred. In fact, the anti-Christian animus seems to be the explicit purpose of this celebration. The lesbian and gay community in Los Angeles undoubtedly has many non-profit orgs helping out their own members and others in the Southland, so why choose to elevate the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for this Pride Night?

That decision was designed to stick a thumb in the eye of Dodger fans of faith, or even of even temperament and fairness. It certainly sticks a thumb in the eye of their Catholic/Christian employees and team members who are otherwise powerless to be part of this celebration of a hate group that blasphemes their faith.

And that is, for me, a stunning turn of events. I grew up in Southern California and bled Dodger Blue since the Walter Alston era. Under the O’Malleys’ ownership, the Dodgers were known for their wholesome and welcoming approach to fans, always positive, always engaging. This month, however, I have discovered that the team of the O’Malleys, Tommy Lasorda, and Vin Scully — all faithful Catholics, I believe — is dead. This is the Target/Bud Light of baseball teams now, the Corporate Truth Dodgers, and my affection for them has come to a screeching halt.

They chose sides, and now they’re forcing everyone to choose sides as well. I’ll choose love over hate. I wish that the Dodgers would have chosen that, too.

Now all we need to know is what the players and other employees will choose. Treinen and Kershaw have come out publicly to rebuke them; will others follow? The Nationals’ Trevor Williams called for a boycott of the Dodgers, calling the decision to honor the SPI a mockery of the “inclusion” that Pride Night is supposed to celebrate:

pic.twitter.com/P8MMcvfjQq

— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) May 30, 2023

And it might get worse for the Dodgers and Major League Baseball. Robby Starbuck claims that players want to get the union involved in fighting against “endorsement” decisions that leverage the players’ own standing:

Big News: The MLB Players union @MLBPA has been contacted by players and has now contacted @MLB over concerns players have about teams pushing social/political issues which in turn appear as player endorsements. This has been an ongoing problem and players don’t feel protected.

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 30, 2023

I haven’t seen any other reporting on this yet, so consider this a single-source claim for the moment — but it wouldn’t surprise me, either. In days gone by, players could trust teams not to do damage to their public standing. Those days are also long gone, thanks to the corrosive ESG and DEI movements driving these decisions. As Treinen wrote, the fans just want fun, entertainment, and good competition — not be forced into lectures about the “honor” of hate groups that momentarily fall in the good graces of the progressive-activist elite at the moment. If that’s what fans want, they could just read the LA Times and save themselves a couple hundred dollars.

Also, the latest episode of The Ed Morrissey Show podcast is now up! Today’s show features our weekly chat with the Prince of Twitter and Regent of RedState, Andrew Malcolm:

• The entry of Ron DeSantis has kick-started the real primary fight. Is Donald Trump prepared to deal with an opponent that will hit him punch for punch?
• DeSantis’ Never Back Down warroom is not the only new factor for Trump — facing off against a real and well-funded ground organization will be a new experience as well. It may take weeks or months for that dynamic to play out, but it could be a game-changer for the GOP.
• Plus, we discuss The Deal and why it’s less than both its supporters and opponents claim, and a few Jokes of the Day to boot!

The Ed Morrissey Show is now a fully downloadable and streamable show at  Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the TEMS Podcast YouTube channel, and on Rumble and our own in-house portal at the #TEMS page!