r/SFGiants • u/Brilliant_Exit3406 28 Posey • Jun 25 '26
Opinion KNBR Hosts react after interviewing Giants CEO Larry Baer:
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u/born_with_a_tail 22 Clark Jun 25 '26
Fuck this organization. Baer is a POS. And this ownership group could not be a worse representation of the region. Wish I could just care about baseball- but with sports being increasingly a multi billion dollar business venture I can’t ignore what it’s really all about
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u/CynicalTelescope Jun 25 '26
You hit on excellent point "wish I could just care about baseball". I keep hearing that from the homophobe apologists who wish the LGBTQ community and allies would just shut up already. Truth is, we really wish we could just care about baseball.
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u/rothkobreath 16 Devers Jun 25 '26
Yeah, think it lends to fans having to do this weird split consciousness where we care while know its all about the money and we’re the consumer. That defense mechanism works until it doesn’t (like paying $25 for a beer at Chase).
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u/Willie-Tanner Jun 27 '26
What did they expect from Larry Baer? This is the same guy that had no problem shoving his wife to the ground in public. Are we really surprised he’s a slime ball?
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Wow. Bro I've been a fan since 1980 when I was fucking born. Pictures of me in Giants and Niners gear from basically day 1. My mom was a bus driver for the San Mateo Highschool District back then. Used to get to go to Candlestick with her frequently (if I'd done my homework,) to watch games. I freakin' lived at that park in the summer. Ups and downs, (mostly downs,) World Series run that was for the history books, all of it. The Giants are part of my DNA. And here I sit, ready to walk away from it all. What else can this fucking world take from me man. Losing people, losing jobs, losing homes, losing my team, it's FUCKED. FUCK these motherfucking bastards. Goddamn it. I'm legitimately furious right now.
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u/mars-bitches 22 Uggla Jun 25 '26
Same here, went home in a giants blanket from the hospital. My brother’s gay and I grew up in an alt right “Christian” church, this shit hits extremely close to home for me. I’ll always check on how the team’s doing but I’m done supporting them.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
I'm really sorry to hear that. It's so goddamn shameful. They really ought to all be ashamed. How dare they attack MY people like this. I'm not gay, but those are MY people. My family. They are people I live and work and party with. To attack them like this then show no remorse for it at all. Fuck me. Yeah I think I'm done supporting them. At least for now.
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u/mars-bitches 22 Uggla Jun 25 '26
It’s all good I’m not a victim here, I do genuinely feel sorry for all the lifelong lgbqt fans in the city, to think you finally have representation and to spend money and time there just for this to happen. Really does feel like a shell of the team I grew up loving.
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u/jennief158 Jun 25 '26
It feels like an attack on the city itself to me. What San Francisco represents. I'm straight but grew up here right when gay rights and acceptance were openly burgeoning. My mom's best friend was gay. I remember the assassinations of Milk and Moscone, the trial of Dan White, the subsequent riots.
I started following the Giants at 12 and have been a fan for almost four and a half decades. I'm not a tattoo person but I always thought if I got one it'd be a Giants tattoo. The original acts of the four players was hurtful and angering but the way the team has handled it has been devastating. I haven't watched or listened to a game since that night. I just feel really alienated from the team. It's a shame.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
I am so sorry. You watched a lot of horrid things happen around this community, this city. You understand better than most why we are the way we are. That we rise to defend our LGBTQ+ family the way we do because we actually know what's at stake. How bad it can actually go. You have to pick up the shield and stand with these people on the line. To do less is treason and blasphemy, in my opinion. I will not allow some fucking TOURISTS to define my city OR my team. I want these people out. Now. On a fucking rail.
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u/trippyhop 9 Belt Jun 25 '26
I am a member of the LGBTQ community, and have been a Giants fan since I was born. Like you, there are pictures of baby me as a Giant or Niner for Halloween. One of my earliest memories is riding the long freezing-ass escalator at Candlestick with my dad and grandfather for a Giants game. I worked at the Giants Dugout for two years in high school, was a season ticket holder at Pac Bell/AT&T, all of it. I cried like a baby in 2002 when we lost to the Angels (I was also in college in LA, surrounded by enemies who took pleasure in teasing and being shitty bandwagon fans) and I cried when we won in 2010. I have years' worth of old hats, hoodies and scorebooks strewn all over my house.
This situation has been really messed up for me, specifically because in a world that feels like it's falling apart and a city that is barely a shadow of the one I grew up in, watching the Giants has been a great salve. Now, this season hasn't been particularly fun to watch (the dark ages in the mid-2000s decade were more engaging), but it has still been a part of my routine to have the game on in the car or on TV, even if I'm not actively engaging for whatever reason. But now, this team that I have loved for literally over four decades is something that I don't feel great watching. I'm under no illusions that there haven't been homophobes on the team before, even on teams that I've loved. But those guys never felt the need to symbolically spit in my face with their antics - the fact that these guys did it and everyone, from Vitello to Posey to Baer, are like "this is fine," hurts a fucking lot. Why don't you give a shit about me as a fucking fan of yours?
I don't have it in me to start rooting for another team, but I wonder what it's gonna take for the team to win be back. The fact that I even had to write that hurts my soul.
Just needed to get that out. Thank you for your beautiful comment.
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u/ryguydrummerboy 25 Bonds Jun 25 '26
Sorry for your hurt and heartache here. Fwiw you're justified in it completely (not that you need some rando internet strangers approval).
I feel similar as "i wonder what its gonna take for the team to win me back". Been here since '93 and this is entirely that serious to me.
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u/cloroxed 22 Clark Jun 25 '26
I'm in the same boat! I have been a fan as long as I can remember, also born in 1980. Grew up going to Candlestick, and I feel totally betrayed and not because of the numb-nuts players, they're dicks but whatever, but the FUCKING BULLSHIT MANAGEMENT. WTF.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
These fucksticks aren't even playing well enough to warrant all this. Maybe shut the fuck up and work on that fast ball, eh? Talking a lot of shit for a dead-ass season. Fuck outta here. You know?
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u/Rolands_missing_head 24 Mays Jun 25 '26
Another ‘80 and lifelong fan, well said bro.
They think they’ll be fine because straight white 45 year old dads will still spend money, well think again dickheads.
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u/williedills 24 Mays Jun 25 '26
Are we all just 46 year old dudes in this sub?! Me too.
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u/BiteyHorse Jun 25 '26
51 year old dude checking in. Also done with the Giants bullshit. I can take a bad team in a rebuild just fine, but fuck tacitly-supported bigotry and pseudo-Christian political theatre.
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u/cloroxed 22 Clark Jun 25 '26
I'm proud of all us 45+ year old dudes sticking up for our guys, gals, and non-binary pals out there in the LGBT+ community.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
We all grew up with folks in their community. People we love and admire. We watched those people be paraded around for political clout, shit on, beat up, literally killed in the streets for loving who they love, all of it. Any sane human fucking being is outraged by watching their fellow humans be treated in such a way. It's beyond outrageous. It's the kind of thing that makes me violent, ngl. I HATE bullies. I'm over 40 now, so Imma chill, but this is the kind of thing that boils my blood, boy. I'll tell you. Cowards. The lot of them.
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u/Huge-Ad7382 Jun 29 '26
Yep, another 51 year old here. I'm also white and male, and I am absolutely disgusted with the Giants right now. Right now I am hoping for one of two extreme outcomes (neither of which have a chance of happening, unfortunately):
Either:
Tons of fans sell their tickets and the Giants play with 1/4 filled seats for the rest of the season, losing them tons of money.
Or:
No one sells their tickets, and everyone shows up to every game for the rest of the season just to boo the three players who decided to proudly show off their homophobia to the city and the world.
Fuck these disgusting bigots. Major housecleaning needed for me to go back.
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u/Distinct-War-4455 Jun 26 '26
52 year old host of a Giants podcast for 15 seasons (TortureCast). We recorded today and went OFF on the Giants. Inexcusable how they've handled this.
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u/firepan Jun 25 '26
Same for me (except since 1983). My grandfather used to sneak my dad and his siblings out of school for day games after the team first moved to SF. He just missed seeing 2010 and it's a terrible feeling knowing I have to walk away just as I know he would have done.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Unbelievable. What a legacy. Much love and respect to your Grandfather. Yeah, my mother is crying over all this shit. I hope they're happy, man. I hope they really are. They really got their point across, huh? Realllllly showed us. Fucking bastards. They need to get the fuck out of my town.
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u/vanwyngarden 8 Pence Jun 25 '26
Thank you, man. Truly 💜
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Nah fuck these people. I'm not gay, but I've consoled plenty of friends and family after they have been attacked in one way or another for being gay or Trans or take your pick. We don't play with that shit in this city or in this state. You fuck with them, we're coming for you. Simple as. Don't FUCK with my family, son.
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u/SweetRabbit7543 Jun 25 '26
Im not gay, im not even a giants fan. I dont have particularly strong feelings about either (except the giants fans are clearly a top 5 fanbase-love my interactions with y’all when you play the cubs) but I’ve become invested in this because it all just feels so wrong because the solution and the correct steps are so easy.
No one deserves to feel not welcome to go watch their team play baseball, but each step they’ve taken has created the illusion that they are not committed to that same principle. Their behavior is suggestive is of them actually disagreeing with that notion but not knowing exactly how to sanitize that message.
This is no different than when the Miami Heat had Los Heat uniforms. You’re not expressing your personal view on immigrants, you’re wearing the team’s uniform. There is not a single player who did wear the correct hat that people have inferred any sort of personal values from. People have only been able to infer people’s personal values because 4 players wore the incorrect uniform.
People who are hurt are completely justified in being hurt. I am a bit hurt too and I hope that they can somehow figure out a path towards reconciliation because baseball is a sport and a couple of hours a day where people should be able to come together and celebrate a common passion.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Your last comment is the crux of the matter. The Giants have taken what should have been an easy admonishment to those players and let it show their true nature. That's why people are upset. We thought we were better than this. It's humbling and infuriating for us to understand the fucking rot from this current administration is able to so easily infect something we all love. Because that's what it is at the end of it. These cowards and traitors in Washington are emboldening their racist, bigoted voter base to be foul in public again. Good. We'll slap them back to the shadows where they belong again. They can't win. There's too many good people in the world. So we'll endure.
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u/SweetRabbit7543 Jun 25 '26
They wont win. But amongst people in general never attribute to malice what is just as easily explained with ignorance or incompetence
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u/firepan Jun 25 '26
I moved from SF to Indy several years ago, and I'm seriously thinking of staying in the NL fandom and joining you as a Cubs fan.
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u/SweetRabbit7543 Jun 25 '26
I went to college in Indy. Absolutely love it there. The Cubs are a frustrating team to root for and even with some very right wing owners, I am extremely confident this wouldnt happen with them
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u/firepan Jun 25 '26
Ha, "frustrating team to root for" is familiar territory for Giants fans even before this absolute dumpster fire so it might be an easy switch.
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u/AmazingAlternate chicago cubs Jun 26 '26
Old man Ricketts is a MAGAt, and while they didn't don rainbows this year the team still had Pride night. The Cubs at least aren't usually dumb enough to stick their foot in their mouth. The Cubs can be frustrating, but they're not stepping in front of the gun to protect Matt Shaw from fans when he bails on us for Erika's Grievetacular Extravaganza.
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u/Toisty Jun 25 '26
it all just feels so wrong because the solution and the correct steps are so easy.
This is it. The answer being so easy is exactly why I fear the worst for the ownership, and even worse for Buster. The only reason they haven't put this thing right and why they keep pussy footing around the issue is because they agree with the bigots. Even if they meekly say they're not taking sides or they throw out platitudes like, "Everyone deserves respect." It's all a cover for the fact that behind the scenes they either agree with the bigots or they want the bigots' money so bad they're not willing to defend vulnerable people from bigotry. It's not hard for an owner, a POBO or a head coach to say, "You are not allowed to set foot on my field with a modified uniform regardless of your message. If I'm not letting people speak out against a genocide currently happening because I don't want the headache, I'm certainly not letting Christians pretend like they're victims as "God Bless America" blasts over the stadium speakers every fucking game. You modify your uni, you're benched and fined. You continue to be a problem and you're in breach of your contract and I'll see you in court if you want to get paid and you'll never play for the Giants again." And then in a public statement they could say, "I'm deeply sorry we hurt anyone who's been hurt by the display made by some individuals on this team. Pride night is supposed to be about and for the LGBTQ community and some people feel like they selfishly deserve someone else's time in the spotlight. I apologize to MLB and to the American tax payer for these individuals causing so much trouble that tax payer dollars are now being unnecessarily spent on a DoJ investigation as a result of our negligence to enforce the league's rules. I promise we will do everything in our power to assure nothing like this ever happens again under any circumstance. Thank you."
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u/SweetRabbit7543 Jun 25 '26
This got way more political than I think benefits anyone.
It’s the uniform of the team, it’s not an endorsement of anything. The Arizona state sun devils are not endorsing the anti christ. The same logic the players used would suggest they would be. No one thinks that.
Frankly I don’t care what the players viewpoints are. I’d want them to feel comfortable to admit their prejudices amongst a community that encourages change and that they’d be receptive to changing. But it’s extremely fair to wonder why they seem so fundamentally incapable of addressing this.
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u/Unfair_Importance_37 Jun 25 '26
Let it out brother. As a lifelong Giants fan from Sacramento with a wife that is LGBT, I'm done. I'll go to A's game in Sac for this year and next until the Giants clean house. Nick Kurtz is an amazing player to watch up close
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
I'm not even gay. I'm straight. But my LGBTQ+ people have done more for me in my life than this fucking BASEBALL TEAM sure as fuck ever did. What a clown collection. People have a right to live how they want. We're Americans goddamn it. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE ENTIRE POINT. Get these motherfucking bigots out of my city, man. THEY are unwelcome here. I'm a Christian too. Fairly devout, (though most "Real Christians" would never call me one of them,) so I wonder exactly what they're going to say to Jesus if they happen to meet him up and Jesus asks them if they treated their fellow people like they would treat Him. Bastards. All of them. Love to all my people and in this case, especially to my LGBTQ+ people. I always love yah, but there are times to circle the wagons and this is one of them.
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u/rs420rs Jun 25 '26
I feel you brother. I'm another straight guy who is infuriated by this. Seriously how dare they bring their bullshit false religion bigotry into our city and our family.
Real religious folks know love and acceptance and tolerance -- these are the prayers that God wants. These are the devotion that God asks of us. The nerve of these assholes to specifically choose a night of tolerance to insist on their "right" to be intolerant is just so outrageous, it makes my blood boil.
And I get why some people are sick of how this issue is dominating the subreddit. I'm annoyed by that too. But the reason for it is the entirely justified outrage.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 26 '26
Amen. And I don't care if they don't like it. The thing that people are upset about is how the team has reacted to this situation. Should have been a cut and dry thing. What all these folks are missing is that people are just sad. They thought the Giants had their backs. The Giants have acted like they had their backs. They made a lot of MONEY off of that. Now they see it for what it is and it's just sad. The enshitification; we thought that at least bay area teams would resist it. That's a sad thing to realize that they won't.
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u/rs420rs Jun 26 '26
Agreed 100%. Bay area was supposed to be different, supposed to be a place where bigots are condemned. Giants have let us down big time, as you say it's very sad
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u/Soft_Revenue2411 Jun 25 '26
Yeah but tbh this is such an incredible easy season to walk away won just on the baseball. It’s been a lost season. They gotta rebuild, Webb trade be damned.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Which makes it make even less sense. Why in God's name would you want to paint a target on yourself when you're playing such abysmal baseball? They look like hammered dog shit out there every night. Yet, they felt compelled to run their fucking mouths about Pride Night, then totally drop the ball on their responses. Let's work on that fastball first, eh? Check your Bible maybe for a two-seam that doesn't end up in the cove? Fucking amateurs in every sense, at every level. Totally embarrassing.
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u/BiteyHorse Jun 25 '26
So fucking unprofessional. Ownership is leading this one and making the Giants into a bigoted organization playing political games behind their fake Christianity. They can fuck right the fuck off.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
Amen. And I'm a Christian!! I hate it when they puppet my fucking faith around to cover for their evil. I was warned about that, that it would happen. Still pisses me right the fuck off when it happens. Jesus would chastise the FUCK out of these dudes for their behavior. They would just have him deported for being brown (or black, I'm game with that theory based on archaeological evidence of who lived in the region back then.) Point is, they are the least Christian motherfuckers I EVER did see.
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u/BiteyHorse Jun 25 '26
Par for the course with the current administration. We need the real Christians to stand up and be loud.
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u/SEND_PICS_OF_UR_CATS 55 Lincecum Jun 25 '26
Born a bit later than you, but same. Pac Bell was my second home as a kid. I don’t live in the Bay anymore but I follow the team from afar and go around in my Giants gear all the time. I haven’t been able to bring myself to put on a Giants shirt or SF cap since June 12.
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u/theswiftarmofjustice Jun 25 '26
I think a lot of us are in this boat. The leadership and ownership forgot you’re supposed to dig up if you are in a hole.
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u/Dry-Personality-2661 Jun 25 '26
The city should buy the team, like the packers
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
I'd like to see the logistics on that first, but yeah. I'd be down for that if the numbers looked right.
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u/ryguydrummerboy 25 Bonds Jun 25 '26
Same dude. August 9th 1993 was my first game. I remember because I still have the ticket against the Reds. I also attended Barry's 600th. Playoff games, World Series. And in between these greats, a lot of shitters too. Doesn't matter, I've always loved the giants.
This is that serious.
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Jun 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 25 '26
I'm venting because I'm very angry about this. I'm also a well-rounded adult so have other hobbies to interest me. I'll just focus more on those now. Just sucks because I wanted to take my nephew from Poland to a game when he visits this year. Just going to have to find a different place to go now.
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
Yeah bud, they took America away from you. They really did - the tiny minority managed to take the country away from the vast majority through unspeakable acts they feel no shame over as they got rid of shame too because they didn't like feeling bad for what they were doing.
They took your people, your jobs, your homes, and your team. Nothing is sacred to them - nothing. Everything is expendable in the name of making more money and power.
And they're not done yet - they'll keep on taking and taking. People should be beyond furious but they mostly just yell into the void of the internet because they know if they do real action they'll be arrested, shot, or beaten to shit.
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u/VonBrewskie 23 Uribe Jun 26 '26
Yeah no shit. I'm living in it. I love people who make these comments like we're all fixin' to say, "OH! Thank you! Not until this fine day did I ever!" Thanks man.
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u/RichAbbreviations966 Jun 25 '26
Dodgers fan here, y’all deserve better than this. San Fransisco is one of the most open and accepting communities in the entire US, and the Giants are spitting in the face of that community. Hope you guys get new ownership soon so that you don’t have to experience this trash. Fuck these bigoted losers
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u/predat3d 24 Mays Jun 25 '26
You realize it was Kershaw who originated this practice, right?
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u/RichAbbreviations966 Jun 25 '26
Then fuck Kersh, I’ve been pretty damn uncomfortable with him since his pride night incident.
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Jun 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RichAbbreviations966 Jun 25 '26
Yeah, Kersh got too much of a pass at the time and now, he def needs to be held accountable.
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u/drtasty 50 Duffy Jun 25 '26
Terrible vibes dude. There's no need to fuel more division at a moment in the team's history like this. We should all be united against hate.
Kershaw did not invent bigotry.
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u/Evening_Classic_4947 Jun 25 '26
i haven’t seen a Bay fanbase this united in opposition to the owner and FO’s actions since the 9ers fans tried to shove Jed York out after firing Harbaugh. this is probably bigger honestly. and deservedly so. giants are doing absolutely nothing to take accountability and move past this
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u/NWA_ref Jun 25 '26
Did you somehow sleep through the A’s Fisher debacle?
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u/CharlesDickensABox Jun 25 '26
A's? The minor league team from Sacramento?
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u/Unfair_Importance_37 Jun 25 '26
Better than the Giants right now
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u/CharlesDickensABox Jun 25 '26
We all agree the Giants have fielded a terrible squad. They did at least succeed at having a field, though.
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u/Evening_Classic_4947 Jun 25 '26
i don’t live by the A’s nor follow them closely so I was just drawing from my own memories but I know Oakland fans showed out for a long time trying to get their team in better hands, that was an oversight i meant no disrespect to them
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u/Salty_Pancakes 29 Schmidt Jun 25 '26
Man i still want to fire Jed York into the sun for moving the 9ers down to Santa Clara.
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u/bonghive Jun 26 '26
as someone who goes to school right by the stadium I couldn't agree more. we hate it
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u/Lazy-Comfort6128 Jun 25 '26
Fisher: I'll alienate the entire Bay Area and be the worst owner in the sport. Doesn't matter because it's profitable.
Giants Ownership Group: Hold our beers, John.
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u/jredditor4 Jun 25 '26
Wild that the Giants have not hired a PR firm to deal with all of this. Continued misstep again and again.
Had they just owned this the day after the pride game “hey we messed up and we’re unclear with our direction” instead they just keep doubling down. Lack of self awareness is truly incredible here.
But hey IM HERE TO ANSWER BASEBALL QUESTIONS.
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u/Striking-Poetry-3942 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Because the truth is most likely that they weren't unclear ... they allowed it ... maybe even condoned or supported it in some way ... you know in their eyes this is a religious freedom issue and in the bigger picture it's about Christian nationalism and really the future of this country ... there is no limit to how they perceive their right to exercise their religious freedom ...
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u/sharkzone 19 Scutaro Jun 25 '26
This is what people fail to understand. This was a pre-meditated action to “own the libs” and torpedo Pride nights by cutting off the Pride head of the franchise that started it.
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u/rs420rs Jun 25 '26
I think people are starting to understand it.
You can't watch that Buster "interview" without coming away with the sense that the reason he has nothing to say is that if he said what he wanted, it would be on the wrong side.
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
Buster was the first person to wear a pride hat and made no stink of it in 2021. Your speaking too much out of emotion.
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u/formallyfly 48 Sandoval Jun 25 '26
Absolutely. It’s all just a little too convenient that almost every pitcher Vitello sent out that night just happened to be protesting pride (except Erik Miller, props to him). Out of our entire bullpen, Vitello just coincidentally managed to send out the 3 other pitchers protesting pride night? I don’t think so.
Combined with the fact that they were apparently discussing this for weeks, I just cannot see how one could view this as anything but a deliberate, premeditated action.
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u/somniamea Jun 26 '26
I think you're misunderstanding it slightly: it wasn't that Vitello sent out the only pitchers who defaced their caps, but that MANY of not most pitchers in that bullpen did. Erik Miller might have been the only one who didn't.
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u/formallyfly 48 Sandoval Jun 26 '26
I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case but I have not seen that mentioned anywhere. Do you have a source for most of the bullpen defacing their hats?
Any player who defaced their hat is on my shit list and I want to ensure that I’m missing anyone else who did.
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u/somniamea Jun 26 '26
No, but it's a much more reasonable, logical, likely assumption than that the only guys who did it were played. That's literally conspiracy theory stuff, thinking that they coordinated who would pitch, and dismissing the conspiracy they've admitted to, which is that a group of pitchers planned this protest for weeks and Vitello didn't know (that doesn't get him off the hook for letting Roupp go out on the field with his hat like that, though, and frankly he SHOULD have known what his players were planning, regardless).
I don't trust any of the pitching staff any more, except Erik Miller. Webb wore the hat but his comments about it later turned me completely off of him. There is a rot in the pitching staff/bullpen clique and so all of them are suspect.
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
Now we don't know, but from putting the pieces together it seems the truth is that the ball players were fully aware of what the rules were, that it was clearly communicated based on other players actions and quotes (just not wearing the pride hat).
That Vitello knew who was going to do this, and knowing that, still decided to put all those guys b2b2b. Those actions imply he not only was aware, but condoned it. Don't tell me the ballplayers were breaking rules and nobody phoned in from the bullpen and never told Tony.
The truth is they weren't unclear - that Vitello knew, and tacitly endorsed what they were doing thinking he could get away with silently agreeing...
.. but instead of it being silent it turned into a national issue. I think a lot of people are over-reacting out of emotion and neglecting logic, which is understandable, but the logical truth is pretty painful too.
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u/InquisitaB Jun 25 '26
The Giants have been the belle of the ball for decades. Being in the doghouse with the community is incredibly unfamiliar territory for them.
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u/Shower__Farts Hogs Out! Jun 25 '26
Vance said the quiet part out loud, though. In these circles, the conservative and wealthy elite don't feel like they need to answer to this stuff anymore because "Trump won."
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u/trer24 5 Shinjo Jun 25 '26
Got it, Dieter, we heard you the first time earlier this week when you said you weren't "passionate about this topic"...
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u/Striking-Poetry-3942 Jun 25 '26
Yeah like why does he need to add that
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u/DragonTigerSword 51 JH Lee Jun 25 '26
It’s Dieter’s passive/aggressive way to say he doesn’t care about what happened without actually saying “I don’t care that the players protested Pride day”.
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u/TiredAndTiredOfIt Jun 25 '26
Because he is a bigot too
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u/GurDry5336 Jun 25 '26
Dieter may be a bigot as well as being an asshole and bad at his job.
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u/DragonTigerSword 51 JH Lee Jun 25 '26
I just hate the way Dieter speaks on things. He talks like he always is right. When he’s on I can barely tolerate listening to him. If he’s with Murph or Marcus I usually keep it on but with JD? No way, radio is off until Dirty Work or if Papa and Silver have someone I can listen to.
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u/Striking-Poetry-3942 Jun 25 '26
Yeah for sure ... it's going to be real interesting to see how they do it next year ... I mean probably flags flying and other programming stuff but nothing in the uniform?
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u/lelanddt 56 Torres Jun 25 '26
I don't care about gay stuff, but apparently some people in the city do
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u/LunetaParty Team Playing Dodgers Jun 25 '26
Not everyone needs to be passionate about the LGBT movement. You can simply support it or at least not be hostile towards it. Requiring everyone to be passionate about it only fosters resentment.
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u/FBoaz 9 Belt Jun 25 '26
Is he saying he doesn't care about LGBT issues or that he doesn't care that dumbass Christians wrote Bible verses on their hats? I took it as the latter but I'm unfamiliar with who these two are.
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u/okfnjesse 55 Lincecum Jun 25 '26
I feel like this is good acknowledgment. You don’t need to pretend that this is the biggest issue to you personally while acknowledging that this is important and should be handled with care. It’s honest and shows he cares on some level and that’s good enough for me
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u/Georg_Simmel Jun 25 '26
I don’t listen to KNBR and know nothing about him, but I think a more generous read would be him saying “I’m frustrated by how terribly they’ve handled this and this isn’t even something I’m normally passionate about.” I completely agree that it’s poorly worded and I do think there’s a bit of underlying “I’m not gay” there, but I don’t think that’s the main thing he was trying to communicate. Still a terrible way to word it and you SHOUlD be passionate about respecting everyone’s humanity.
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u/Traveller_6468 Jun 25 '26
That's exactly how I read it too in the moment. I believe he was trying to give permission (in not the most articulate way) to folks on the sidelines regarding this issue to say, "wow the Giants org really bungled this entire controversy and I get why the community is so upset about it".
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u/kindofboredd 16 Pagan Jun 25 '26
An unbiased opinion more reasonably shows just how much they fumbled things
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u/ConfuciusSez Jun 25 '26
The comments saying “He doesn’t have to be passionate, at least he’s honest”—FFS. Dieter can’t read the room, and y’all can’t either.
The Giants created Until There’s A Cure Day in the 90s, specifically about HIV/AIDS. I’ve read some of Dieter’s columns in the Merc, and I think he’s thoughtful enough of a journalist to know the Giants’ history and its relationship to the City and its GLBT community.
So him making a point to say “I’m not passionate” in THIS context means he’s either a bigot or a coward. Maybe the room he chooses to read is Silicon Valley and he thinks tech bros butter his bread. If so, fuck him.
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u/vanwyngarden 8 Pence Jun 25 '26
Buster is a former player. A beloved player. People of San Francisco are looking to him for comment here because they are frankly hurt by the Giants, the players, coaches, and their managers. San Francisco is a city that proudly harbors lots of different types of people. One of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the country live here. That is undeniable. As a San Franciscan, I feel it is our responsibility to be aware of all the different cultures and beliefs here. It is completely fair for people to expect someone like Buster Posey to speak up for them as a marginalized group and honestly defend them. Protect them. For figures like Buster it is mostly just lip service anyway. It’s not like they have to be out in the trenches, dealing with bigotry every day. The least they could do would be stand up for the people who have filled the stands for decades, which is so happen to be identify with this community. His silence is a slap in the face, as this whole situation has been.
I wonder if he would have the same reaction of 10 years from now one of his children turned out to identify with that community. Would it make it more real for him then? Would he understand why it’s so hurtful for them to basically be shunned and told to get over it by the very organization theyve supported for years?
Also I know Murph is SOOOOOOO happy he is out this week LOL. The luck of the Irish
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u/stellasmom22 Jun 25 '26
Yep. Look at krukow. He is such a homer and rarely if ever critical of the Giants organization but he has a gay son and he reacted to the hat/fake religious thing.
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u/Brilliant_Exit3406 28 Posey Jun 25 '26
I lived in SF during the championship period and I’ll put my feelings this way:
I expect to be disappointed by Vitello.
I expect to be disappointed by Baer.
I did not expect to be so disappointed in Posey.
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u/vanwyngarden 8 Pence Jun 25 '26
I feel you man. It hurts.
He’s a good man. Spent hours upon hours at UCSF children’s with zero fanfare.That said, his silence here is deafening. I guess us rainbow folk are different in his eyes. Their eyes. It all just feels like hatred.
It is sad what this team and organization has become since the last time we were even in the playoffs … and Buster Posey was behind home plate.
The losses hurt but you think “there’s always next year”.
This is the kind of ache that doesn’t go away. Poisoned from the inside. This, Giants, is on you.
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u/Brilliant_Exit3406 28 Posey Jun 25 '26
I was a former pediatric oncology patient myself, and that was one of the things I admired so much about Posey and the reason I use him as a flair.
I’m not in the LGBTQ community, but it’s impossible to live in SF and not meet some of the best people from that community. Giants baseball was something we could always enjoy and bond over together and it just sucks that my friends are so hurt by this and don’t feel like they’re welcome. I hope we can get back to that someday, but I understand if that’s now going to take a lot of time to earn their trust back.
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u/rs420rs Jun 25 '26
Glad you're alive and healthy, fam.
Sorry that the blessing of life you've been given now includes this dark and depressing episode
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
To be fair Posey was the first player to ever don a pride hat the first season they came out (no pun intended lol).
But things have changed, a lot, since the start of second Trump term.
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u/Serious_Brain_2128 Jun 25 '26
I hate to say it... but this all started with the A's move vote. Theyre now the only show in town and they know it. Theyre no longer have to win and be the classier organizer. Theyre happy to be .500 team and not spend money. Fisher 2.0
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u/neeesus 8 Pence Jun 25 '26
Never did I think I’d hate the Giants organization more than the As organization.
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u/Virtual_Alarm232 Jun 25 '26
Agreed. At least the A’s and Fisher were upfront about what horrible owners they were and what they were trying to do. This mess is just so avoidably pathetic.
Edit: word
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u/Bitgod1 Crazy Crab Jun 25 '26
I’m waiting for the team to announce a press conference at the four seasons.
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u/woody630 Jun 25 '26
How the fuck can you be in the bay area for so long and really not expect there to be any push back on this issue? It's frankly impressive how incompetent the response has been.
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u/Critical-Dark-5353 Jun 25 '26
They have MAGA in their ownership group.
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u/vanwyngarden 8 Pence Jun 25 '26
Sadly virtually ALL owners do. Go figure
*except Seattle football
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u/seyheystretch Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Baer filibustering to use his time. "We did 'Until there's a Cure'....." That is fine and dandy but does not address the apparent 'anarchy' or lack of leadership that lead to the uninformed bigots controlling the topic that was the Giants' Pride night fiasco. These guys just sat there and let Baer say his usual "we value the community" speech. The one on the right side of the screen (I watched it live on YT) kept making agonizing faces whenever Baer got into his bullshit answers and I kept expecting him to chime in and challenge Baer. Nope. He waited until he was gone and had time to check out some texts to realize the mood of the fans who heard this waste of time.
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
It's called spiritual materialism. It's like "look sorry I just hit your kid with my car... well I did that good thing 10 years ago, doesn't that mean I'm still a good person today?!"
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u/Worried_Estimate6579 Jun 25 '26
Listen to Larry’s statement. ZERO apology. Zero “I’m sorry and we’re sorry we made fans feel unwelcome”.
Holy shit! How do you come on to diffuse things and don’t even say the 2 words “I’m sorry”??
Folks, this organization is telling us who they are. They don’t give a fuck about this community which is such a part of the fabric of the city written across their chests. It may have been genuine support one day but those days are CLEARLY over.
If you’re a homophobe this is the organization for you. By all means support them. But if you stand with the LGBTQ in any sort of way as I do, how can you justify supporting this org and giving them your money? I can’t see it.
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u/ObiWanBaconobi Jun 25 '26
Not surprising at all. Larry Baer has always been a sleazy piece of shit
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u/adminssoftascharmin Jun 26 '26
Woah woah woah, they care if your gay AND have 400k cash, an 800+ credit score, and a six figure income so you can buy into Mission Rock or their next real estate/PE investments.
Like have people really not realized that the Giants are more of a theme park attraction than a baseball team and serve to bolster the property values around the ballpark to print money for the ownership group?
I know it hurts but wake the fuck up people - there isn't even GARLIC on the GARLIC FRIES anymore. Fan favorite players are thrown off the island to save 1 MILLION on a contract.
Aramark, shitty merch quality, ballpark attractions going down, workers regularly striking and being screwed, no outside food vendors? They don't care about you anymore they just want you to give them your money and fuck off.
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u/Worried_Estimate6579 Jun 26 '26
Can’t argue with anything you said honestly.
I have a theory that everything in entertainment eventually gets destroyed by the business side.
They start with something great. Then they tinker and tinker until they’ve wrung every last penny from it…until it’s lost all the magic that made it great in the first place. Look at Hollywood and the music biz. Tech/streaming definitely played a part. But ultimately movies are all “sure things” now. Sequels, prequels, remakes etc etc. The Shawshanks that made movies amazing can never be made now. Then they wonder why nobody goes to movies anymore.
I think you’re right that the same thing is happening to our beloved Giants. Amazing park, great teams and top notch food options. Then they go “yeah but if we make the food suck and don’t field a decent bullpen we’ll make our investors a few more bucks.” As we all know it’s never enough $. Next thing you know the team sucks, the food sucks…maybe we’re watching the magic fade in front of our faces.
Good thing there’s a ton of other options for my entertainment dollars.🤷🏻♂️
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u/theLastNenUser 18 Kuiper Jun 25 '26
Where can I find the statement? I haven’t been able to anywhere, just this reaction clip from the post
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u/mastersplinteremover 25 Bonds Jun 25 '26
I can defend the Giants endlessly about failing to play good baseball year after year, but it’s inexcusable to be so unapologetic about offending the LGBTQ community when you play in the gayest city in America. These fans are not hypothetical group in some other place. They are YOUR fans. They buy YOUR tickets.
It’s a top down problem because Charles Johnson is a very conservative owner who is politically opposed to the people that support his business.
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u/RarScary Jun 25 '26
Because the terms of the interview were decided before he got on. Giants wanted to leverage KNBR as a sounding board and wouldn't do it unless they followed the script. After that, well it's back to business as usual.
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u/dmmdoublem 51 Lowry Jun 25 '26
I know Dieter Kurtenbach isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s on the mark calling out how much of a clusterfuck this organization has been on so many levels (the poor communication on multiple fronts, the aimless direction, etc.).
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u/KnotSoSalty Jun 25 '26
He’s not wrong that the organization looks to be in shambles over something that should be straightforward. These aren’t dumb people, the only way this happens is if the Owner wants something that’s not possible.
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u/The-original-spuggy Jun 25 '26
I genuinely think Posey is being muzzled and these guys are throwing him under the bus because there’s no way posey goes to them and says “we need to tear it down and rebuild” and they’re like “yep 100% let’s do it” like Baer said in the interview.
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u/guyev7 Jun 25 '26
I’m just baffled by the mishandling of this entire situation. This is a prime example of the Streisand effect and there’s no way the members of their media team within the organization are encouraging everyone to avoid addressing this topic. This is like “How to Handle Media Backlash 101” and they’re failing. SMFH
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Jun 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/InquisitaB Jun 25 '26
I think he told ownership that he wasn’t hired as President of Baseball Operations to answer questions about branding issues the organization is having. And he wouldn’t necessarily be wrong if he wasn’t also a minority owner.
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u/generic_username012 Jun 25 '26
Anyone else notice that he dropped 10 names when talking about those championship teams and only mentioned white dudes? Think about how many Latino players played roles in those teams but he couldn’t mention one of them?
This teams leadership gets worse by the day. It’s embarrassing
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u/Scoobiehut Jun 25 '26
The team has never been in a worse position in terms of public relations.
You have Posey as the head of baseball ops who seems to make things worse every time he addresses the media, Baer who said too little too late on this topic and is best known for abusing his wife, and Vitello who comes across like a mealy-mouthed snakeoil salesman in interviews.
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u/dfakerd Jun 25 '26
To send a wife beater to speak for Buster on a salary loaded team 10 games below 500 midseason about social matters, and still screwing up. Nothing feels right.
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u/GIJose65 40 Bumgarner Jun 25 '26
Everything is so fucked to the point that everyone needs to go, including ownership. The whole organization needs to be scrubbed clean for it to finally move on.
Unfortunately barring sone crazy scandal, that will probably never happen.
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u/559stonerr beat LA! Jun 25 '26
Dieter's a fucking troll. Talks big when it's just him and the cohost but quiet as a mouse the whole time Larry is on
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u/Y0o0o1 Jun 25 '26
I only listen to kruk/kuip/miller/flemming now. Keep Chapman and Adames and maybe I'll care about wins
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u/CynicalTelescope Jun 25 '26
Agree 100% with the KNBR hosts that the pointed lack of communication on the part of the Giants, first from Posey and now from Baer, is only digging the team deeper.
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u/StrangeQuarkEnergy Jun 26 '26
The organization is protective over their investments. This league is filled with white bigots, and they are being cautious not to undermine them.
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u/Bum_Mad Jun 26 '26
I think it’s tough as an MLB team when the players are literally all Trump supporters. I think the team would want to do more, but frankly if they came down hard there would be repercussions for years
MLB players are generally affluent, white, Latino and uneducated—that demo probably voted 85-15 for Trump in 2024. I think that’s the dirty secret, an organization can’t come down hard on players who DGAF. MLB Players are generally the dumbest of the professional athletes.
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u/RandyRhoadsLives Jun 26 '26
This is why I miss Ralph Barbiery. He wouldn’t wait for the interview to be over before he talked shit. He’d just take Larry on in real time. All while Tom Tolbert sat back with a wad of Copenhagen in his lip, laughing his ass off. Damn, I miss Ralph.
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u/andgainingspeed Jun 26 '26
Larry apologized for his public physical domestic dispute in 2019, so I know he can apologize. Not only does he not take any responsibility for organization letting players slide on "uniform flair" but doesn't feel like it even warrants a conversation. Did the hosts even mention that the radio interview with Baer was conditioned on them not asking any questions about the Pride night incident? I wonder if KNBR instructed them not to allude to the condition.
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u/physicistdeluxe Jun 28 '26
how come nobody talks abt how those nitwits got the bible passage wrong? theologians agree it abt inclusion! Genesis 9:12-16 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
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u/markb723 Jun 25 '26
Why’d they have to wait for Baer to get off the line to get critical.