First out gay player welcomed in pro baseball game
Professional baseball has welcomed its first out gay player, in a minor league game.
Sean Conroy, a pitcher, took to the mound for the Sonoma Stompers last night.
He had agreed to come out publicly ahead of his team’s LGBT pride night.
While several professional baseball players have come out after retirement, 23-year-old Conroy is understood to be the first to come out and keep playing.
He joined the Stompers in May after graduating college, and was already out to his teammates and coach.
Conroy had come out to his family when he was 16, and said he wanted to be honest with teammates.
“Instead of getting the different looks or questions when I didn’t join them, I’d rather tell you the truth and let you know who I am and have real conversations instead of the fake ones,” he said.
General manager Theo Fightmaster said: “His goal has always been to be the first openly gay baseball player so he was very much in favour of telling the story, of carrying that torch.”
Some players wore rainbow socks or other items, to mark the pride night.
The Stompers are an independent minor league team, and are unaffiliated with Major League Baseball.
