![]() “And I think that it’s more about a business decision than a cultural one at the moment. “Baseball is a really hard game,” he continued. “And that is how an athlete would be defined.” “It’s really hard to play in the big leagues and you don’t get into the big leagues in 2023 unless you are front and center a baseball player first,” Bean told the AP. When it comes to the timing for the majors’ first active openly gay competitor, Bean said he understands why a player would want to focus on his career instead of dealing with the challenges that go along with breaking that barrier. ![]() No way,″ he told the AP.īean, 59, said he doesn’t think the absence of an openly gay player is the right way to evaluate inclusivity in the major leagues, just like he doesn’t think the sport should be evaluated by a comment that might not be supportive. ![]() Glenn Burke’s sexual orientation was known within baseball, but the former big league outfielder did not come out publicly until 1982.īurke, who died in 1995 at age 42, felt he was blackballed by the sport. He declined an interview request made this week by the AP.īean came out after his playing career. Speaking to reporters on June 2, the 23-year-old Comás cited the help he received from the organization as a key element of his decision to come out. Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker, Mets outfielder Mark Canha and Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino responded with supportive messages on Twitter. Anderson Comás, a minor league pitcher in the White Sox organization, announced that he was gay in an Instagram post in February. “If you’re around really good teams, World Series teams, teams in other sports that achieve at the highest possible level, you will see that the only way to build a team like that is to have zero bias as it relates to where people are coming from, what they look like, what their beliefs are, how they choose to spend their time away from the field.”ĭale Scott became the first out major league umpire in 2014, and there have been a handful of out players in the minor leagues. “It is our belief that to win at the level we want to win at, at the major league level, means that we simply can’t discriminate,” Cherington said. “That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do - for both our fans and our employees,” the team said in a statement.įor Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, access to the best possible employees - on the field, in the front office, everywhere in the organization - is a major reason why LGBTQ+ inclusivity is important. It’s about showing up when things are difficult and scary.”Īsked about not holding a Pride Night, the Rangers said they are committed to making everyone feel welcome and included. ![]() “I really truly hope the Dodgers are using this experience to learn more about allyship,” said Dunn, who identifies as nonbinary and works for the Massachusetts LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. Dunn wrote an anguished post on Facebook after the Dodgers rescinded their invitation to the Sisters, and then expressed relief when the team changed its mind. Texas is the only big league team that isn’t holding a Pride Night this month.įor Mason Dunn, who grew up in a diehard Dodgers family in Southern California, it has been an emotional couple of weeks. “Everyone should be able to express their feelings and views, so I think that’s what we’re seeing and I don’t think it’s causing a barrier to the acceptance of the Pride community.”īass was booed loudly by Toronto fans after his social media post, and others seem wary of how far their favorite teams are willing to go in terms of LGBTQ+ support. “I wouldn’t say it’s causing a barrier,” Bass said before he was cut by the Blue Jays last week. Asked if MLB’s inclusivity efforts with the LGBTQ+ community had stalled, Bass referenced baseball’s “many different beliefs” and ”many different walks of life.” ![]()
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