2018 LGBT Pride Nights At Major League Baseball

As warm weather finally truly arrives in the month of May, sports fans know we are in the heat of baseball season.

And (most) LGBT baseball fans can look forward to at least one night out where their local team hosts an event just for them.

Outsports reports that 21 of the 30 MLB teams will be hosting some type of Pride event especially for their LGBT fans.

And if you're a Chicago Cubs fan, you get two LGBT nights (Pride Day - June 10; Out at Wrigley - August 26).

For the most part, however, the events are scheduled to coincide with Pride Month in June.

The majority of these events are coordinated with the team and local organizations, although some, like the Kansas City Royals, have a grassroots-organized Pride Night.

Nine teams, unfortunately, do not have plans to hold any special night for LGBT fans. Those include the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers.

What's

According to Outsports, only three teams have never had any type of Pride Night: Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees.

Click here for a complete list (at this writing) of Pride Night events hosted by MLB teams this season.

And even if you don't understand the game all that well, remember there's other reasons to take in a baseball game - like the players :)

A post shared by Bryce Harper (@bharper3407) on Dec 31, 2017 at 8:51am PST

Every body has a story #espnbodyissue #shotoniphone7 #portraitmode #JB9 #ElMago #TeamBaez #VoteBaez

A post shared by Javier Báez ⚾ (@javy23baez) on Jun 20, 2017 at 8:06am PDT

Plus, you never know who's gonna get caught on the Kiss Cam:

Why Did Trump Turn Down "First Pitch" For Washington Nationals?

MSNBC's Joy Reid wonders aloud why President Trump turned down the Washington Nationals offer to throw the ceremonial first pitch.

According to a 2014 interview, Trump said he was "the best baseball player in New York" when he played back in high school.

Of course, that was the same time the New York Yankees won the World Series with folks like Roger Maris, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle.

"Best player in New York?"

Says Reid, “Could it be, that Trump, clearly no Mariana Rivera, wants to avoid the potential boos and hisses that could greet him at the Nationals Park, given that a whopping 90% of DC voters chose Hillary Clinton over him? Trump may not be so popular with the players either. Close to 30% of the players on the rosters of MLB’s opening rosters were born outside the United States.”

Baseball 101: Keep Your Eye On The Ball(s)

(image via BosGuy)

I really want to know what they're looking at.

New York Mets To Announce First Ever LGBT Pride Night

Might be hearing some "Hey batta batta batta, swing batta batta" from a lot of LGBT New York Mets fans soon as the team is planning a press conference for Tuesday to announce their first ever LGBT Pride night at Citi Field this season.

From Page Six:

The Mets in the past have hosted events from Fiesta Latina night to Jewish Heritage Day. Other major league teams have hosted LGBT nights.

The Mets will unveil details (including the date) at a press conference Tuesday, with Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Rep. Steve Israel and LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick.

“I’m proud to be making this announcement — one, as a lifelong Met fan, and two, we get to beat the Yankees on this,” Kilmnick joked to us.

He added that the team’s “making sure that everyone is welcomed and celebrated at Citi Field.”

Over 5,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fans are expected at Pride Night, he said, and a portion of all ticket sales will go the LGBT Network’s anti-bullying programs.

The game will be NY Mets vs. San Diego Padres on August 13th - click here for tickets.

Major League Baseball Mourns The Passing Of Yogi Berra

We mourn the passing of Yankees icon and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. pic.twitter.com/60mwHGj33R

— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2015

We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Yankees legend and American hero, Yogi Berra. pic.twitter.com/Bf8uXxUPzR

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 23, 2015

3-time MVP. 10-time World Series champion. American hero. Yogi. http://t.co/kiIKhuCIyc pic.twitter.com/jN2J5nwpvx

— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2015

Milwaukee Brewers Minor Leaguer David Denson Comes Out

Brewers minor leaguer David Denson becomes first open, active, MLB-affiliated gay player - http://t.co/jTMq0LFcrT pic.twitter.com/QzGRnCBupr

— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 16, 2015

David Denson, first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league team in Helena, Montana, has come out to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The news-making announcement makes Denson the first openly gay player affiliated with Major League Baseball.

Benson explained that he actually came out to his teammates some weeks ago when one of his teammates jokingly called him a "fag," and David answered:

"Be careful what you say. You never know."

That led to a conversation that led to other players gathering around, and soon, Denson was out.

"Talking with my teammates, they gave me the confidence I needed, coming out to them.

"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. 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 Milwaukee Brewers organization issued this statement of support:

Watch This Amazing Catch By Anthony Rizzo Of The Chicago Cubs

Amazing catch by Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs makes the catch of the summer.

Seriously - watch this.

And bonus - Rizzo is a cutie, too  :)

Crowds Cheer Gay Couple On LA Dodgers "Kiss-Cam"

This is pretty amazing. Wow how times have changed.

From Deadspin:

Back in 2000, two women were kicked out of Dodger Stadium for kissing.

The team and the world have changed since then.

Between innings of Saturday’s game, the stadium’s Kiss Cam team found two men, not as a joke, but a couple. It’s cool that this wasn’t the still-prevalent homophobic gag of forcing two platonic male friends to awkwardly recoil at the thought of kissing another dude.

It’s also cool that the reaction from the crowd was a genuine cheer. Reader Steven, who was in the ballpark, says he was “proud of the loud, enthusiastic response from the crowd. Not one person around me groaned or made derogatory remarks, and seemed genuinely pleased with the moment.”

The Dodgers have held LGBT nights in recent years, and while it’s great to publicly announce that everyone’s welcome, there’s nothing quite like being normalized by dorky in-stadium entertainment to make everyone feel included.

First Active Major League Baseball Umpire Comes Out

Outsports shares one of the best, yet surprisingly casual coming out stories ever.

Major League Baseball umpire Dale Scott - veteran of three World Series, three All-Star games and six league championship series - allowed himself to be profiled in a Referee Magazine interview this past October. And while he's always been out in his private life, he's never made an issue of being gay at work. However, when the profile was being written about him he thought it would off-key to not include his husband Mike, with whom he's been with for 28 years, in some small way.

"My thought process was," Scott told Outsports in his first interview on the subject, "is that there's a story about my career and how I got started in umpiring and they're talking to people I have known since junior high and it didn't seem right to have a whole story and pictures without a picture of Mike and I, someone who's been with me through this entire process. We met the October after my first year in the big leagues.

"Obviously, when I sent that picture to Jeff, I knew exactly what it meant. In a small way, this was opening that door in a publication that wasn't going to be circulated nationwide. It could be picked up, but it's not Time magazine. I made that decision to go ahead and do it because I felt it was the right thing to do.

Regarding his work with MLB, Scott says, "I am extremely grateful that Major League Baseball has always judged me on my work and nothing else."

Best sports mascot bit ever

Make sure you get to the 1:00 mark...

Post by Nova 106.9.

Los Angeles Dodgers 2nd Annual "LGBT Night Out" - August 22

Los Angeles!  Show your pride and join the LGBT community on Friday, August 22 for the second annual LGBT Night Out when the Dodgers take on the New York Mets.

Arrive early for special pregame activities, including a performance of the National Anthem by Mary Lambert and a ceremonial first pitch by Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Stay after the game and enjoy a Friday Night Fireworks show from the field, set to the music of DJ Manny Lehman.

And, if you're doing a night of baseball you've got to do this -  there's an All-You-Can-Eat seating option which includes unlimited Dodger dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, Coca-Cola products and water!

Plus, there's the Bud Light Bar, Think Blue BBQ and Tommy's Trattoria are just a few steps away.

Click here to buy tickets - a portion of these proceeds will go to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).

Major League Baseball hires out former MLB-er Billy Bean as "Ambassador For Inclusion"

Former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean

OutSports' Cyd Zeigler is reporting today that Major League Baseball has recruited out athlete and former MLB player Billy Bean to head up a new program designed to add support to MLB's commitment to inclusion and diversity as related to sexuality, race and gender.

A major focus of Bean's work with the League will be to help end homophobia in the locker rooms, front offices, on the fields and in the stands. Bean will visit all 30 MLB teams within the next year and talk with players, coaches and front-office executives about steps they can take to end homophobia in their ball clubs. He will also be tasked with building partnerships and developing a complete program that will make baseball a model for LGBT inclusion.

"It's ironic that I am returning to baseball to help erase the same reason I left," Bean told Outsports in an exclusive interview. Bean left baseball in 1995 shortly after his then-partner passed away. Bean skipped his partner's funeral to play in a game for the Padres, lest someone discover he was gay.

Bean has been inducted into the Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, and has served as Vice-chairman of Ben Cohen's StandUp Foundation.

Asked if having the support of an "Ambassador For Inclusion" would have helped him during his time with the San Diego Padres, Bean said: "It would have allowed me to believe that I did belong in the majors. It would have meant I could achieve my full potential as a player. It would have allowed me to feel pride for realizing my childhood dream, instead of a never ending disappointment of what I threw away. I would have never quit.

"My baseball talent got me to the big leagues, my inner struggle is what got in the way. Those days are over."

Read the full report at OutSports.

Dad catches home run baseball coming out of tunnel while carrying his child

Well, what a Father's Day gift to himself.

From Huffington Post:

As Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki's home run made its way to the stands in left field, a father holding his baby was making his way back to his seat.

As the man emerged from the tunnel, he reached out and casually caught the home run with one hand with the baby in his other arm. Then he calmly headed up the steps as if it wasn't a big deal.

Grown up snags a ball tossed to a kid during Yankees/Red Sox game

And then he gives the kids a "screw you" look.

Way to keep it classy, loser.

Outfielder Grady Sizemore - best naked selfie pic taker in MLB - signs with Red Sox

Three-time All-Star Grady Sizemore has apparently inked a deal with the Red Sox to the tune of $750,000 that can be worth up to $6 million based on performance bonuses.

In addition to his baseball skills, Sizemore has developed a talent for the ever-popular "internet selfie." And let's face it when you look like he does, why not?

(source)

Baseball play of the week

Best line from the play by play call: "At least it's padded back there, right?"

(h/t Towleroad)

LGBT night with LA Dodgers

"Dodger dogs" all around!

The Los Angeles Dodgers has announced its first LGBT night, to be held September 27, 2013.

The Dodgers’ LGBT Night OUT will feature “a celebrity First Pitch” and “the National Anthem performed by a surprise guest with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles,” according to an announcement on the team’s website. There will be fireworks after the Friday night game, in which the Dodgers play the Colorado Rockies.

The Dodgers are partnering with Tom Whitman of Flip Events for the event. He said the Dodgers "have been standing on the right side of history from the days of Jackie Robinson through today."

Dodgers executive Lon Rosen issued a statement saying, “We welcome all fans to Dodger Stadium throughout each season. We are especially proud to welcome and recognize the LGBT community of Los Angeles, an integral part of the city and of the Dodgers community.”

Other major league teams have hosted similar events.

More at Advocate.com

Mets Matt Harvey asks NYers what they think of Matt Harvey

This is good for a mid-day laugh.

All-Star Mets pitcher Matt Harvey asks New York fans what they think about Matt Harvey -- and they don't realize they're talking to the ACTUAL Matt Harvey.

Harvey handles the folks really well. Good sense of timing.

And then there's my favorite pic of Harvey from the ESPN Magazine Body issue: