Because they know what it’s like to be there, LGBT people are some of the bravest and most powerful change agents and leaders I’ve met, as well as the most tenacious defenders of the vulnerable and voiceless.” Ronan FarrowSo, here we will discuss some of the bravest of all beings; as we all know, homophobia is still prevalent in baseball, as it is in other sports.
Despite efforts to support the LGBTQ community, they have proven ineffective. Baseball is one of America’s five major sports, and its popularity is growing around the world. Major League Baseball appears to be lagging behind other sports leagues in terms of accepting gay players.
In Major League Baseball, players were recorded using homophobic slurs during games. The recent incident involving Reds announcer Brennaman, among others, demonstrates why.
Using 9 baseball players as examples
Page Contents
“Pride is for everyone,” brave players who came out as gay publicly in professional baseball are mostly from the minor leagues. Because of the pressure to accept pride players in baseball, homosexual players who come out as gay before or after retirement may have a short career.
We’ll look at baseball players who identify as homosexuals during or after their playing careers.
Matt Barker
Matt Barker was a high school baseball prodigy at the time. Later, the Colorado Rockies selected him with the 46th pick. The club, on the other hand, wanted him to finish college. However, he has kicked off the college team and was not drafted later.
He currently plays second base for the Denver Browns in the National Adult Baseball League. Later, during an interview with SB Nation, he revealed his sexual orientation. He chose to join the Browns because the team was already aware of his sexual orientation and it was not an issue for them.
Ryan Jordan Santana
Ryan Santana was a professional baseball player for the Golden Dodgers in Australia. I attended Christain University Azusa Pacific University, which has a policy that specifically prohibits homosexuals from enrolling.
Furthermore, Santan made headlines in 2017 when he came out as gay in front of his mother and teammates while filming This Is Life, a TLC documentary.
He later retired from baseball and joined Phoneix’s gay softball club. Despite this, Santan had always had plans after coming out as gay. He refuses to play baseball.
John Dillinger
In 1992, the Pirates drafted John Dillinger. He bounced around five minor league teams for 11 years during his professional career. Dillinger revealed his sexuality to Outsports in 2012. However, Dillinger also states that he had no intention of informing his teammates after hearing gay slurs.
Similarly, he only told his family members about dating a man in 2007. He later became involved with Gregory Fisher. Furthermore, former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy inspired him to publicly come out as gay.
Tyler Dunnington
Tyler Dunnington is a former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league team. He was the 28th overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft. Dunnington, however, retired from baseball after only one year in the league. Before retiring, he had not revealed his sexual orientation to any of his teammates or the general public.
Later, in an interview with SB Nation Outsports, he says hearing anti-gay slurs from teammates in the locker room or during games felt like a knife in the heart. He also stated that comments made by coaches and players about “killing gay people” broke his spirit. Later, despite a promising debut season, he abandons baseball due to a lack of support.
However, with the encouragement of his family and friends, he found the strength to return to the sport he had loved since childhood. Dunnington later attended the MLB Diversity Business Summit in Phoenix in 2016.
Jason Burch
Jason Burch has been a member of four different MLB franchise-affiliated teams. He started his career in 2008 and retired in 2008. His mother has always told him that he should never answer if no one asks him a question. He grew up with the same mantra. Despite telling his teammates about his sexuality, he did not publicly come out until 2015, when he spoke with Outsports.
Brunch also says he should have revealed his sexual orientation during his playing days. During his minor league career, he dated men on every team for over 6 years. He earned a law degree after retiring from baseball. Brunch later met his current partner, Drew Raines, in 2012.
David Denson
David Denson is a former professional baseball player from the United States. In addition, he was a minor league outfielder and first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. Denson was the 15th overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
However, he spent his first two seasons with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Later that year, in the 2015 season, he faced Helena Brewers. Denson returned to Wisconsin the following season and played outfield. Denson also revealed his sexuality to his Wisconsin teammates in 2015. He was relieved to see his teammates’ support.
Later that month, in August 2015, Billy Bean assisted Densen in contacting the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to publicly come out as gay. Furthermore, he was the first major league-affiliated player and the second active professional baseball player to publicly come out as gay.
David Denson, 22, unexpectedly retired from baseball in 2017. He also stated that previous announcements about coming out as gay had no bearing on his decision.
Sean Conroy
Sean Conroy is a former major league baseball player. In the minor leagues, he was a member of the Sonoma Stompers. Furthermore, he is the first baseball player to publicly declare his homosexuality. Conroy announced his sexuality on June 25, 2013, during a pride night match at his debut.
He pitched the entire game in the historic game, striking out 11 batters. Conroy finished that season with a 5-3 record. Conroy first told his parents about his sexuality when he was 16 years old. His high school and college teammates also knew.
Stompers were unaware of his sexual orientation when he signed his contract. However, after his arrival, he informed his teammates and owner. Conroy was fully supported by the team, and everyone wore rainbow socks during the memorable game.
Later, all of his teammates signed the scorecard from his historic start, and his jersey was displayed in the Hall of Fame. Similarly, he was surprised to learn that he is the only professional baseball player to come out publicly. Conroy also stated that he has heard many homophobic languages during his career and that the main reason for coming out is to educate people.
Conroy announced his retirement from baseball in 2017, just two years into his professional career. According to the search graph, Sean Conroy appeared to be the most searched after the others mentioned before him.
Billy Bean
Billy Bean is the second MLB player to publicly declare his homosexuality. Bean was selected in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers. During his professional career, he played outfield for MLB teams such as the Tigers, Dodgers, and Padres from 1987 to 1995.
However, he revealed his sexual orientation only four years after retiring in 1999. In an interview with the Miami Herald, he revealed his sexual orientation. During his time in Padres, however, he told his parents. Furthermore, he had previously been in a relationship with a woman. He married Loyola Marymount, but the marriage ended in divorce three years later.
Furthermore, Bean stated that he was 28 years old when he had his first sexual experience with a man. Later, he met Efrain Veiga, the founder of the Yuca restaurant. They lived together in Miami Beach for 13 years before splitting up in 2008. Since coming out as gay, Bean has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights, particularly in sports.
Going the other way was written by Bean in 2003 in response to criticism and hope of gay athletes being accepted by others in sports. During that time, his book became one of the USA’s best sellers. He was named the first MLB Ambassador for Inclusion in 2014. Later, he got promoted to vice president, social responsibility, and Inclusion position.
He also serves on the board of the Gay and Lesbian Foundation. In addition, each year, Bean spends time speaking with current MLB players about LGBTQ issues. Billy Bean doesn’t fall far down the popularity scale, as evidenced by the search graph.
Glenn Burke
Glenn Lawrance Burke is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his early career, from 1976 to 1978, he was regarded as a talented star for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also made his debut in the 1977 World Series. However, injury hampered his career. He later played for the Oakland Athletics before retiring in 1980.
Burke is also the first MLB player to open up about his sexuality. He did not, however, speak out in the media. He did, however, inform his Dodgers teammates and owners that he is gay. Inside Sports magazine published gay articles in 1982, which prompted him to make a public announcement. He was mistreated after joining Oakland.
Burke informed the players that they were hesitant to take a shower with him. In addition, he claimed that the manager was homophobic. Burke is also credited with inventing the high five.ESPN aired The High Five, which detailed every aspect of the event and how it came to be. He continued to compete in sports even after he retired.
Burke competed in gay games in track and baseball in 1986. Furthermore, in the first-ever gay games in 1982, he won medals in both the 100 and 200 meters. He did, however, develop drug problems and tested positive for HIV and Aids. He died of Aids in 1985, at the age of 42.
Later, in 2013, he was inducted into the first class of the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. Similarly, many books about his biography have been published.
Also Read: Simon Sinek Motivating Speech On Wife, Relationship
