Peripheral topics scarcely related to the Major League Baseball playoffs are all the rage at SB Nation’s LGBT-obsessed Outsports blog. Ken Schultz, writer, has placed all 10 playoff teams in order of their ranking. Rainbow swag, and it’s no surprise that a Bay Area team emerged No. His pinkish-list list ranked No. 1.
The San Francisco Giants earned the most love from Schultz, who admits to singing hosannas to them this summer for their “amazing Pride caps.” The team donated its Progress Pride cap to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and that means they “should finish No. 1 on this list,” he says. “If it’s good enough for Cooperstown, it’s good enough for me,” Schultz raved.
Boston eliminated them in the American League playoffs last night, but the Yankees were still ranked 10ThOn the Schultz-list. There were no giveaways for Pride Day. The Yanks have a permanent LGBT statue in Monument Park to honor the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which saw six days of violence at a gay bar. It is a shame that the LGBT plaque sits so close to other memorials for Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and other Yankee legends.
Atlanta Braves rank no. 9 for a “unique” giveaway – a Pride cooler bag, earning an “extra point for not putting a tomahawk on it.” A tomahawk would obviously project too much toxic masculinity to the non-binary crowd.
No. 8: Schultz says the St. Louis Cardinals’ rainbow mesh cap and a wearable flag are pretty sharp. It’s also great to see the Cards pay homage to the LGBT tribe example by fully embracing Pride after a former player, “homophobe” Lance Berkman, previously opposed LGBT policy in Houston.
Houston’s Astros ranked No. The Astros are the only ones that offer LGBT hoodies.
The sixth-ranked Boston Red Sox Progress Pride flag is ”one of the most inspiring symbols ever created,” Schultz beamed. It’s a guaranteed winner, like sending Ted Williams to bat in the ninth inning.
The No. 5 Tampa Bay sunburst pride fanny pack is perfectly designed for rainbow colors and looks like “a literal explosion of LGBTQ Pride.” Milwaukee rated No. 4. With a rainbow-colored fanny bag.
Los Angeles Dodgers deserved third on the Schultz List by including rainbow colors to their Pride t-shirts.
Chicago White Sox is ranked No. 2-ranked Chicago White Sox stepped up their LGBT game by collaborating with a queer artist to create an original giveaway look. It’s a pride T-shirt designed by Art Institute-trained LGBTQ advocate Nina Palomba. It features a “joyful” baseball drawing of a Sox uniform reminiscent of their “Field of Dreams” game throwbacks.
All of this may seem trite and trivial, but it’s a subtle move by the alpha bet people to let professional sports know they’re under a microscope and expected to keep pleasing their needy LGBT masters.
