A Token of Appreciation: Spencer Strider

I've been a writer on Vocal for nearly a decade and always encouraged everyone to take something meaningful away from the stories I write and publish on here. Major League Baseball teams who have been participating in yearly Pride Night festivities have LGBTQ+ fans continue to show up at games. One of those teams is the Atlanta Braves and the player who has been in the news is who I'll be discussing in this story. I published my first story of me praising baseball players, which I started doing last year featuring retired MLB player Anthony Rizzo. I'll have that story in the link down below.

Pitcher Spencer Strider (shown above) deserves high praise for advocating for and acknowledging LGBTQ+ Braves fans. During Braves Pride Night, he stated that everyone deserved to be included in Atlanta and at Truist Park, which is their ballpark. Let's learn a bit more about the Braves pitcher.

Who Is Spencer Strider?

Spencer Robert Strider was born on October 28, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in October 2021, just weeks before his 21st birthday. He was selected as an All-Star in 2023 and as of the writing of this story, he's currently 27 years old. The Braves are currently leading the National League West by eight games over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Homophobia in MLB Is Still Present

What do John Rocker, Clayton Kershaw, and Blake Treinen all have in common? These three were the subject of stories I've written on Vocal for the past year and also hold anti-gay views. The latter player caused outrage online for refusing to wear a rainbow-themed Dodgers cap during the team's Pride Night event. I'll have a link to that story down below in case you missed it. As for Clayton Kershaw, during Pride Month last year, he wore the rainbow-themed hat but made sure to add a Bible verse on it that showed his displeasure of LGBTQ+ people. That's not him standing up for his beliefs. That's immaturity disguised in him being religious. He made disparaging remarks about them a couple of years prior. Kershaw retired at the end of last season, and I couldn't have been happier. To be honest, he should've called it a career two seasons ago. Because of him being exposed as a bigot, I no longer see him as one of the greatest pitchers who have played the game, and I refuse to acknowledge him as a World Series champion. He was known for throwing fits when calls towards him by umpires don't go his way. Plus, he whined about everything. I don't and will never miss him at all. Finally, let's talk about John Rocker. I wrote a couple of stories about the disgraced, controversial ex-MLB player. He's been retired from baseball for over two decades and is now in his early fifties. His infamous 1999 Sports Illustrated interview caused major outrage and backlash, where he made homophobic, racist, and other insensitive remarks about different groups of people. I won't repeat everything that he said. You'll have to look it up yourself. I didn't have the nicest things to say about him, but he reminds me of a high school bully who picks on vulnerable people. He still spews the same hateful rhetoric online nearly three decades later. Baseball is everyone's sport and every fan deserves to be included and loved.

I discussed my own team, the Texas Rangers, in one of my previous stories as being the only team in Major League Baseball that hasn't held a Pride Night. Every player on the Rangers and in the league are bigots until proven otherwise. Do I believe that all Christians dislike the LGBTQ+ community? Of course not, because there are those who are allies of people like myself that do nothing but love us unconditionally. People are entitled to their own beliefs, but constantly using Bible verses and the Bible as excuses to tear down a group of people they've probably never met a day in their lives is a constant coping mechanism of theirs. One thing I love about Pride Month is that it exposes the bigots from all walks of life, whether they are regular people or athletes. The players I mentioned earlier are clear examples of telling on themselves. They spew Bible verses and other hateful rhetoric during Pride Month to shame LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters. It screams bitterness, insecurity, immaturity, and them building resentment by pouting like little children, using us as emotional punching bags to boost their own inflated egos. Pride is for everyone, not just for LGBTQ+ people. Everyone is welcome to support us. What these bigots didn't know that straight people, families, and other people attend and partake in Pride and events related to it. You can be religious and care about other people and their plights. It's not you compromising your own personal beliefs or abandoning them. Also, it's not a radical thing or a crime to show empathy towards others. That's called being a decent human being. It's not your obligation to change LGBTQ+ people for who they are, because if they love and accept who they are, allow them to. You don't have to like it, but at least respect and acknowledge their existence. We want them to have fulfilling and prosperous lives, not making their lives harder than it already is. You may not relate to what they're going through, but again, empathy and humanity matters. Plus, they're free. Real Christians love everyone as they are and are not judgmental. These so-called Christians in MLB are hypocrites and are full of contradictions. So, I urge you to learn how to love people who are different from you and actually show a bit of humanity towards them. It doesn't make you any less of a person or an individual of faith. That what Jesus would want to see from you, right?

Final Thoughts

Spencer Strider is one of the rare players in MLB who took the mature route and showed love towards LGBTQ+ Braves fans and the community itself. He understood the assignment and demonstrated empathy and compassion, things that the rest of the players in the league need to take notes on. Not many MLB players are willing to publicly support our amazing, loving community, but Spencer Strider needs to be applauded for his latest act of kindness. One person online called him woke, a buzzword from Republicans when people show and have common sense. Call Spencer whatever you want, but caring for other people isn't a crime. It's called treating others with dignity and respect. He may have missed out on winning a World Series title with the Braves back in 2021, but whenever he does win one with them, I'll show him even more praise on here.

https://vocal.media/unbalanced/player-spotlight-anthony-rizzo

https://vocal.media/pride/the-defiant-dodger-blake-treinen