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First Openly Gay Affiliated Minor Leaguer

G-Fafif Aug 15 2015 10:39 PM

Brewers farmhand David Denson comes out. For so long, David Denson desperately wanted to reveal to his baseball teammates that he is gay. He just never envisioned it happening in such impromptu and unstructured fashion. A first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers' rookie affiliate in Helena, Mont., Denson had just entered the clubhouse a month or so ago when a teammate jokingly referred to him using a derogatory term for a gay male. It was the kind of profane, politically incorrect banter heard in that environment since team sports have been around. That teammate had no way of knowing Denson actually is gay, but the 20-year-old slugger of African-American and Hispanic descent quickly seized the opportunity. "Be careful what you say. You never know," Denson cautioned the player with a smile. Before he knew it, Denson was making the emotional announcement he yearned to share, and the group around him expanded to the point that he soon was speaking to most of the team. Much to Denson's relief, when the conversation ended he was greeted with outward support and understanding instead of condemnation. "Talking with my teammates, they gave me the confidence I needed, coming out to them," recalled Denson. "They said, 'You're still our teammate. You're still our brother. We kind of had an idea, but your sexuality has nothing to do with your ability. You're still a ballplayer at the end of the day. We don't treat you any different. We've got your back.' "That was a giant relief for me," Denson said. "I never wanted to feel like I was forcing it on them. It just happened. The outcome was amazing. It was nice to know my teammates see me for who I am, not my sexuality." The more Denson thought about it, though, the more he came to realize that a clubhouse confession wasn't going to be enough. Until he came out publicly as gay and released that burden, Denson didn't think he could truly blossom and realize his potential on the field. With the help of former major-leaguer Billy Bean, who last year was named Major League Baseball's first Ambassador for Inclusion, Denson reached out to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to tell his story in a telephone interview. In doing so, he becomes the first active player in affiliated professional baseball to reveal he is gay.

MFS62 Aug 16 2015 07:52 AM Re: First Openly Gay Affiliated Minor Leaguer

With the load of secrecy off his shoulders, has he played better since his announcement? He's hitting .253, but is he considered a good enough prospect to be a major leaguer some day? Just asking. The article didn't provide answer. Later

Frayed Knot Aug 16 2015 11:44 AM Re: First Openly Gay Affiliated Minor Leaguer

A 15th round draft pick who's hitting a combined .238 across parts of three seasons at the lowest levels of the minors -- which puts the odds of him breaking through are long, though he's still just 20 y/o so it's certainly too early to write him off at this point.

Edgy MD Aug 16 2015 02:49 PM Re: First Openly Gay Affiliated Minor Leaguer

He's ranked 27th among Brewer prospects, which sounds to me like even money or so whether he'll ever take the field as a big leaguer.