Baseball Welcomes First Openly Gay Pro

The first openly gay professional baseball player took the mound in a minor-league game in California on Thursday. Pitcher Sean Conroy, 23, played for the Sonoma Stompers, which is a part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs. Conroy is thought to be the first active player to disclose his sexual orientation, while several other baseball players have done so after retirement. “I’d rather tell you the truth and let you know who I am and have real conversations instead of the fake ones,” Conroy said.