David Denson, a minor-league player on a Milwaukee Brewers' affiliate, has become the first professional baseball player to public state that he is gay.
Denson plays first base for the Helena Brewers, located in Montana. He made his announcement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently.
"Talking with my teammates, they gave me the confidence I needed, coming out to them," Denson told the paper. "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.'"
A few retired ballplayers have come out of the closet, but until now, there have been no active players to do so.