The Lone (Texas) Rangers Strike Again by Ignoring ‘Pride Night’

As in previous years, Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers remain the lone team without a scheduled “Pride Night” this month – the singular holdout in a sea of 29 other ball clubs that have all otherwise fallen in line.

Team representatives haven’t said why – but they have released a statement:

Our longstanding commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball — in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do — for both our fans and our employees.

We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.

The Arlington, Texas-based team is owned by Ray C. Davis who is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avatar Investments, L.P. (“Avatar”), a family-owned diversified investment company.

Since Davis took control of the Rangers in 2010, the club has made six postseason appearances, captured four divisional titles, three American League pennants and one World Series Championship – the first in franchise history.

Ray C. Davis has been called quiet, reserved, reclusive and even a right-wing billionaire. It’s been said he likes to fly under the radar. In fact, when Forbes published a list of the 400 most wealthy Americans (he was number 312), the magazine couldn’t find a photograph of the titan to include beside his name.

Older records from a family foundation indicate the owner has given to several Christian charities as well as the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and other politically conservative candidates and causes.

Are the Rangers making a statement by holding out?

It’s more likely they’re being careful to not offend or alienate Christian fans who object to celebrating sexual sin. Why other teams don’t share a similar sensitivity is at once unfortunate but not all that surprising.

A “herd mentality” has consumed corporate America. Threatened and bullied, many have simply capitulated and gone along to get along.

That the Texas Rangers have declined to play the game – and lived to tell about it, should embolden others to follow suit. In fact, the team even won the World Series in 2023 – one of the first years when pressure was really beginning to be applied for them to jump on the “Pride Month” propaganda bandwagon.

The original Texas Rangers, formed in 1835, were known for their toughness and tenacity. Let’s hope and pray that baseball’s version similarly holds strong and firm.

Image from Getty.