Friday night, the Dodgers organization somehow did the impossible: They politicized baseball to the point of ruin.

As two thousand protesters gathered in parking lot 13 of Dodger Stadium chanting “Save our children” and “Respect my religion” hours before the opening pitch against their division rival San Francisco Giants, the feeling that the game could be plagued with poor decisions started to creep in.

And, it seemed that the team wanted the fans to arrive to the game blissfully unaware of any protest, as they sent an email to ticketholders urging them to avoid the route where the largest amount of protesters were gathered.

After an introduction of the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” to an empty stadium, an early hook of debut pitcher Emmet Sheehan who was nursing a no-hitter, and a Giants rally that would lead to a 7-5 San Francisco victory, it was abundantly clear that poor decisions would underscore the night. It was also clear that despite framing from progressive sports writers about how the gay community is “under attack,” it is religious groups who feel attacked by the re-invitation of a group called the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.” The issue is a case study in cognitive dissonance and circular reasoning.

Joshua, 35, and Brandon, 40, are a Los Angeles gay couple who attended Pride Night and said the so-called “Sisters” were a “great way to bring awareness to issues we’re facing in this country” when I interviewed them. When I asked what those issues were, they said, “the anti-LGBTQ agenda.” A tautology. The “anti-LGBTQ agenda” is the reaction to the offensive group invited; therefore, we must invite the offensive group in order to bring awareness to this issue.

Clayton Kershaw is a Los Angeles icon and pitching ace who has never spoken out against Pride Night until the “Sisters,” a group who essentially makes a mockery of Christianity by combining gay sexual performances with Catholic rituals, was invited to be honored before the game. Kershaw wasn’t alone in his condemnation and has been joined by a wide range of figures, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio and official representatives of religious groups.

The Dodgers shouldn’t shoulder the entire blame for this Pride Night failure; they are, after all, following the lead of Major League Baseball, a league riddled with Pride Month conflicts — and we’re only halfway through the month designated for its celebration. Just a few days into June, the decision to quietly remove a “pride” version of the MLB logo from social media was universally mocked. Then came controversies involving players who’ve been outspoken about whatever the MLB is trying to accomplish with their pride plunge.

The Boston Red Sox designated pitcher Matt Dermody for assignment for what they determined was a “homophobic tweet,” even though it was posted back in 2021. Once the team “learned” of the tweet during Pride Month, they required him to attend anti-discrimination training. Even worse was the Anthony Bass debacle in Toronto, where the Blue Jays dismissed a player who previously apologized for a post the team determined was hateful to the gay community because he later said he didn’t believe the post was at its core “hateful.”

So far, none of the Dodger players who have spoken out against the team’s Pride Night celebration have been punished for their comments – which perhaps is the Dodgers’ lone good decision they’ve made throughout all this. Blake Treinen gave perhaps the strongest condemnation of all players saying:

Inviting the Sisters 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.

If it were up to some sports writers, Kershaw and Treinen would indeed face consequences for their beliefs.

Take, for example, Mike Freeman of USA Today, who said:

“What baseball has to do in the future is make sure its teams show zero tolerance for this type of discrimination.”

But this witch hunt described by Freeman is what should be avoided.

This gentleman was surrounded by LAPD during the Dodgers game because Pride Night attendees wouldn’t tolerate his wardrobe pic.twitter.com/Tre9HTblgM

— R.C. Maxwell 🇺🇸 (@BlackHannity) June 17, 2023

Modern sports writing has become a liberal profession where sports journalists “enforce an unapologetically liberal code,” this is a quote from progressive sportswriter Bryan Curtis, and he’s right. Unfortunately, the media shapes reality, and as a result, sports finds itself becoming an unapologetically liberal industry. Friday night’s festivities proved this is a BIG problem. Liberal sports writers are nerds, for lack of a better term (not that there’s anything wrong with that, I’m a type of nerd myself). But left-leaning sports nerds view athletes as almost alien-like and, therefore, problematic. They are, after all, usually womanizing macho men who live the life of evil capitalists with high-income status. They thank God when they win things and rely on rage as a motivator for their success.

Liberal politics and sports do not mix. Whether or not the MLB finds this out before it’s too late is the question of the month.

(Guest commentator R.C. Maxwell is a writer, media consultant and TPUSA Brand Ambassador who also serves as Communications Director of the O’Keefe Media Group.)