History was made in baseball yesterday night when the sport’s first openly gay active professional player took on the start of the game as pitcher in a minor league in California.
23 year-old Sean Conroy inspired his team Sonoma Stompers to a 7-0 victory last night as he took the mound for the Stompers during the gay pride night held at the team’s home stadium (Arnold Field). He obliterated 11 players and allowed three hits over nine innings.
The Sonoma Stompers is a part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs.
Conroy joined the team from college in May and had disclosed his sexual orientation to the team prior to this.
“The first conversation I had with Sean was, ‘I want you to know this organization supports you, we respect who you are,” said general manager Theo Fightmaster.
“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,” he added.
It is confirmed that Conroy is the only active player to have admitted being gay, according to Major League Baseball (MLB) historian John Thorn.
Other notable gay players that include Glenn Burke and Billy Bean came out of the closet when they retired.
“Of course that over the years there have been rumours of this Major League player or that one being gay, but that’s just idle chatter and count for nothing,” Thorn said.
“In terms of an openly gay player as the pitcher in your neck of the woods, we haven’t had one yet.”
Conroy, whom came out to his parents as gay at the age of 16, regarded honesty as the most important aspect in life.
“People would talk about their girlfriends and who they were going out to see that night. 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,” Conroy explained.
On about his aspirations to be scouted for the major league, Conroy said “I’m just looking to play well and do as well as I can wherever they put me.”
Photo credits: ww1.hdnux.com
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