Major Baseball player will be announcing he is GAY....

DarkFudge · 05-21-2002, 05:56 AM

...guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week?

I think it's Mike Piazza, he and Sam Champion, the weatherman for ABC news, were in my neighborhood looking at houses in Alpin, NJ together last week....which I thought was a little odd....seeing them 2 together, house shopping.

MizzouRah · 05-21-2002, 06:11 AM

My wife swears Jim Edmonds is gay.

<img src="http://espn.go.com/media/mlb/2000/1007/photo/a_jedmonds_i.jpg" alt="" />

Todd

[ 05-21-2002, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: TrueCardinalFan ]

spleen1015 · 05-21-2002, 06:14 AM

It's going to be Derek Jeter. Mariah hurt him too bad and scared him away from women. He and Posada are together.

Subby · 05-21-2002, 06:20 AM

So fugging what?

I can't think of a bigger non-news item.

Khaos · 05-21-2002, 06:32 AM

Exactly. I'm with O'Reilly on this subject. You're gay? That's nice, now would you please shut the #@$% up about it already.

Jermanfu · 05-21-2002, 06:36 AM

You know, these people that "Come out of the closet" really get me peeved. I mean, us Heterosexuals don't go around saying, "Hey! Look at me, I'm straight!" Why should it be a big deal to share with the world who you want to sleep with? I thought that was suppose to be personal?

Scott Vibert · 05-21-2002, 06:42 AM

I agree its a non-issue...

and apparently the rest of the news world (except for his source) thinks its a non-issue, because I don't see mention of it anywhere...

methinks someone is possibly just trying to provoke a reaction.

Jason Moyer · 05-21-2002, 06:58 AM

I think it's pretty damn cool that he's coming out of the closet (if it's true), although calling a press conference or whatever about it would be pretty silly. Even if the player doesn't make a big deal about it, I'm sure the media will be all over it. Several athletes have come out after retiring but I can't think of any off the top of my head who did it while still in the sport. When you consider how closely linked athleticism and homophobia tend to be in this country it is a pretty big step for a baseball player to publically out themselves.

Also, on a side note, Ken Griffey Jr has to be the most flaming heterosexual who has ever played the sport of baseball. I didn't realize he was married until recently and it seriously blew my mind.

Jason

Maple Leafs · 05-21-2002, 07:44 AM

First I've seen of it. It would be big news, since I can't think of any other major athletes who've come out during their careers.

Remember last year when a magazine dropped hints that it's gay editor was dating a major leaguer? They mentioned that it was an east coast team, that it was a well-known player, but that he wasn't the best known player on his team.

But they never mentioned who it was, so I guess we'll never (cough, Brady Anderson, cough) know for sure.

Hammer755 · 05-21-2002, 08:13 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Maple Leafs:
Remember last year when a magazine dropped hints that it's gay editor was dating a major leaguer? They mentioned that it was an east coast team, that it was a well-known player, but that he wasn't the best known player on his team.

But they never mentioned who it was, so I guess we'll never (cough, Brady Anderson, cough) know for sure.<hr /></blockquote><img src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/spo/hs/mlb/sm/5864.gif" alt="" />

ESPN Radio has been covering the topic today. Bobby Valentine was asked in an interview in Details magazine how a gay player would be received in the clubhouse and Valentine said it wouldn't be a problem at all. According to ESPN, rumors have been circulating that a star player on the Mets (read - Mike Piazza) is gay, and Valentine is trying to make the player more at ease should it be revealed by his comment.

The whole topic is worthless, in my opinion, because if it's true - Who Cares?, and if it's not true, a player's reputation is being damaged. People may ask why is it OK for me to talk about it and it's not OK for ESPN to do the same, but the difference is my words have no influence over anyone's opinion, while a large media outlet like ESPN does.

[ 05-21-2002, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Hammer755 ]

One51 · 05-21-2002, 08:35 AM

Wasn't Mike Piazza scoring some Model a while back? Or Playboy centerfold?

I realize this should be a non-issue, but it's cool trying to guess who it is...

CMH · 05-21-2002, 09:19 AM

i think it is an issue. not a bad issue, but an issue nonetheless. the man had decided to share a piece of his personal life with others. i congratulate him.

you cant say, i'm pissed off with gay men b/c they always declare their sexuality while we, heterosexuals dont. uh excuse me???

there are soooo many insecure men in this world that always make sure to let others know they are straight. why? b/c of the negativity flowing around being gay.

whoever this player is is doing the right thing. not for others, but for himself. its tough for a gay person to be accepted in society. i'm sure this man has kept his sexuality secret for a long time and VERY WELL b/c no one knows it but i'm sure his boyfriend, if he has one, and maybe his close family. by releasing this statement he'll be letting go of alot of weight and probably feel more at ease. its no wonder this guy, whoever he is, is not the best player on his team. cant you all just step back a bit and imagine how tough it must be to keep a secret like that.

oh you say, "i dont care, he should have been told everyone if it was such a concern" yea that may seem like the right thing to do, but like i said before, its not easy to tell the whole world that you are gay. gays are still criticized everywhere on TV, MUSIC, SPORTS, etc.

so i say congratulations to this guy.

anywayz on a side note, my dad thought it was david cone when the statement from a year ago came out. whether or not its him, i dont care. whoever it is, i'll still accept as a good baseball player or a crappy one if he is crappy to begin with.

D Love · 05-21-2002, 09:30 AM

Non-issue, but it would be cool. I mean, there is not ONE openly gay player in the 4 major sports. What are the chances of that? Whoever does break the barrier has to be a star or else risk being blacklisted or dumped or something.

Btw, if I had a nickel for everyone person or friend of a friend I've heard from that "knows" that Mike & Sam looked for/bought a house in their neighborhood, I'd be rich.

CamEdwards · 05-21-2002, 11:32 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by DarkFudge:
...guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week?

I think it's Mike Piazza, he and Sam Champion, the weatherman for ABC news, were in my neighborhood looking at houses in Alpin, NJ together last week....which I thought was a little odd....seeing them 2 together, house shopping.<hr /></blockquote>DF, what's your source on a player "announcing" he's gay? I've read the Details comment made by Bobby Valentine and it's easy to infer that he's wanting to let one of his players know it's okay to come out of the closet... but what if Valentine's comments were made in response to a question from Details like "Could a major league baseball player be openly gay today?"

Draft Dodger · 05-21-2002, 11:38 AM

well, I, for one, think it's going to be pretty important if/when a gay athlete comes out, considering that it effectively has not happened yet in team sports.

this isn't a movie star or a singer. this is an athlete; someone who's supposed to be tough, and there are probably lots of people who think that a gay man can't be a tough, physical athlete. (never mind the fact that a team's comradarie will be put to the test - let's be honest, there are some straight athletes who are not the most enlightened in the world. tell Bubba from Oklahoma (sorry for the stereotype) that he's sharing a locker room with a gay teammate - unfortunately, even in this day and age, not everyone is going to be ok with that.

that's why I think it's much more important for a ballplayer to come out than Rosie. It's important for people to be able to get over their misconceptions. If that ballplayer is a stellar, tough performer, like a Piazza or a Troy Aikman, then it's even better, IMO.

SoxWin · 05-21-2002, 12:05 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr /> guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week? <hr /></blockquote>Not that there's anything wrong with that

Cheers

Rich

CamEdwards · 05-21-2002, 12:07 PM

No offense taken DD. Actually, it's funny because I was talking about this on the air this morning when some guy called up and in his Billy Bob accent said "I think it's disgusting. Why don't you talk about a real sport, like stock car racing."

I'm not sure if he was implying that baseball is disgusting and not a real sport.. or gay athletes are disgusting. Regardless, we kept talking about it. This WOULD be an important story, no matter what people might say.

Raven · 05-21-2002, 12:59 PM

For a professional athlete to openly say that he is gay is a huge issue, in my opinion. Maybe not to the world or the general public, but for him, his teammates/future teammates and some of the rest of the guys in the league it is.

If you have spent any time getting to know the "true" personality of professional athletes (as opposed to the "smile a lot and sign autographs" personality)you will know why. I am not saying the majority of guys are going to hold it against him, but there will be guys that do. And if you dont believe this, you are very naive. It may not be an issue to you that Joe in accounting is gay, but you dont have to get naked and shower with him 162 times a year either.

Subby · 05-21-2002, 02:56 PM

You are absolutely right - it is an important issue and it is a legitimate news item. My initial reaction was more of a knee-jerk response to all of the homophobic reaction I expected (and still expect) to see...

I hope it is someone like Piazza. A good guy who has done a lot for his community...

Lamorak · 05-21-2002, 03:21 PM

1) "Piazza denies being gay, says MLB is ready for gay player"
<a href="http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,5357849_52,00.html" target="_blank">http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,5357849_52,00.html</a>

2) Unless you give more credit to jock-sterotypes than statistics, there must be scores of gay MLB players.

3) If a ballplayer wants to come out- fine. But he should wait until retirement. Or at least free agency. First and foremost players are athetes, there personal life should distract the team from it's goals.

05-21-2002, 05:56 AM	#1
DarkFudge Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 60	Major Baseball player will be announcing he is GAY.... ...guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week? I think it's Mike Piazza, he and Sam Champion, the weatherman for ABC news, were in my neighborhood looking at houses in Alpin, NJ together last week....which I thought was a little odd....seeing them 2 together, house shopping.

05-21-2002, 06:11 AM	#2
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Troy, Mo Posts: 6,266	My wife swears Jim Edmonds is gay. <img src="http://espn.go.com/media/mlb/2000/1007/photo/a_jedmonds_i.jpg" alt="" /> Todd <small>[ 05-21-2002, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: TrueCardinalFan ]</small>

05-21-2002, 06:32 AM	#5
Khaos Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canfield, OH Posts: 473	Exactly. I'm with O'Reilly on this subject. You're gay? That's nice, now would you please shut the #@$% up about it already. __________________ squish

05-21-2002, 06:36 AM	#6
Jermanfu All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Baton Rouge, LA. Posts: 899	You know, these people that "Come out of the closet" really get me peeved. I mean, us Heterosexuals don't go around saying, "Hey! Look at me, I'm straight!" Why should it be a big deal to share with the world who you want to sleep with? I thought that was suppose to be personal? __________________ "I took the two most expensive asprins in history." - Wally Pipp on his decision to sit out a game with a headache which let Lou Gehrig into the lineup for the first time. http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a121/Jermanfu/

05-21-2002, 06:58 AM	#8
Jason Moyer Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5,111	I think it's pretty damn cool that he's coming out of the closet (if it's true), although calling a press conference or whatever about it would be pretty silly. Even if the player doesn't make a big deal about it, I'm sure the media will be all over it. Several athletes have come out after retiring but I can't think of any off the top of my head who did it while still in the sport. When you consider how closely linked athleticism and homophobia tend to be in this country it is a pretty big step for a baseball player to publically out themselves. Also, on a side note, Ken Griffey Jr has to be the most flaming heterosexual who has ever played the sport of baseball. I didn't realize he was married until recently and it seriously blew my mind. Jason __________________ "I pretty much popped everything cold turkey. We were doing steroids they wouldn't give to horses." -- Tom House "I was very fortunate to have a pitching coach by the name of Tom House...Tom, I really miss those days that we spent in the weight room and out on the field working together." -- Nolan Ryan's HoF Induction Speech

05-21-2002, 06:14 AM	#3
spleen1015 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6,008	It's going to be Derek Jeter. Mariah hurt him too bad and scared him away from women. He and Posada are together.

05-21-2002, 06:20 AM	#4
Subby Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 375	So fugging what? I can't think of a bigger non-news item.

05-21-2002, 06:42 AM	#7
Scott Vibert Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: My Computer Posts: 8,264	I agree its a non-issue... and apparently the rest of the news world (except for his source) thinks its a non-issue, because I don't see mention of it anywhere... methinks someone is possibly just trying to provoke a reaction.

05-21-2002, 07:44 AM	#9
Maple Leafs Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 234	First I've seen of it. It would be big news, since I can't think of any other major athletes who've come out during their careers. Remember last year when a magazine dropped hints that it's gay editor was dating a major leaguer? They mentioned that it was an east coast team, that it was a well-known player, but that he wasn't the best known player on his team. But they never mentioned who it was, so I guess we'll never (cough, Brady Anderson, cough) know for sure.

05-21-2002, 08:13 AM	#10
Hammer755 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,348	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Maple Leafs: <strong>Remember last year when a magazine dropped hints that it's gay editor was dating a major leaguer? They mentioned that it was an east coast team, that it was a well-known player, but that he wasn't the best known player on his team. But they never mentioned who it was, so I guess we'll never (cough, Brady Anderson, cough) know for sure.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"><img src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/spo/hs/mlb/sm/5864.gif" alt="" /> ESPN Radio has been covering the topic today. Bobby Valentine was asked in an interview in Details magazine how a gay player would be received in the clubhouse and Valentine said it wouldn't be a problem at all. According to ESPN, rumors have been circulating that a star player on the Mets (read - Mike Piazza) is gay, and Valentine is trying to make the player more at ease should it be revealed by his comment. The whole topic is worthless, in my opinion, because if it's true - Who Cares?, and if it's not true, a player's reputation is being damaged. People may ask why is it OK for me to talk about it and it's not OK for ESPN to do the same, but the difference is my words have no influence over anyone's opinion, while a large media outlet like ESPN does. <small>[ 05-21-2002, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: Hammer755 ]</small>

05-21-2002, 08:35 AM	#11
One51 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 49	Wasn't Mike Piazza scoring some Model a while back? Or Playboy centerfold? I realize this should be a non-issue, but it's cool trying to guess who it is...

05-21-2002, 09:19 AM	#12
CMH Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5,057	i think it is an issue. not a bad issue, but an issue nonetheless. the man had decided to share a piece of his personal life with others. i congratulate him. you cant say, i'm pissed off with gay men b/c they always declare their sexuality while we, heterosexuals dont. uh excuse me??? there are soooo many insecure men in this world that always make sure to let others know they are straight. why? b/c of the negativity flowing around being gay. whoever this player is is doing the right thing. not for others, but for himself. its tough for a gay person to be accepted in society. i'm sure this man has kept his sexuality secret for a long time and VERY WELL b/c no one knows it but i'm sure his boyfriend, if he has one, and maybe his close family. by releasing this statement he'll be letting go of alot of weight and probably feel more at ease. its no wonder this guy, whoever he is, is not the best player on his team. cant you all just step back a bit and imagine how tough it must be to keep a secret like that. oh you say, "i dont care, he should have been told everyone if it was such a concern" yea that may seem like the right thing to do, but like i said before, its not easy to tell the whole world that you are gay. gays are still criticized everywhere on TV, MUSIC, SPORTS, etc. so i say congratulations to this guy. anywayz on a side note, my dad thought it was david cone when the statement from a year ago came out. whether or not its him, i dont care. whoever it is, i'll still accept as a good baseball player or a crappy one if he is crappy to begin with.

05-21-2002, 09:30 AM	#13
D Love All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 904	Non-issue, but it would be cool. I mean, there is not ONE openly gay player in the 4 major sports. What are the chances of that? Whoever does break the barrier has to be a star or else risk being blacklisted or dumped or something. Btw, if I had a nickel for everyone person or friend of a friend I've heard from that "knows" that Mike & Sam looked for/bought a house in their neighborhood, I'd be rich.

05-21-2002, 11:32 AM	#14
CamEdwards Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 25	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by DarkFudge: <strong>...guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week? I think it's Mike Piazza, he and Sam Champion, the weatherman for ABC news, were in my neighborhood looking at houses in Alpin, NJ together last week....which I thought was a little odd....seeing them 2 together, house shopping.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">DF, what's your source on a player "announcing" he's gay? I've read the Details comment made by Bobby Valentine and it's easy to infer that he's wanting to let one of his players know it's okay to come out of the closet... but what if Valentine's comments were made in response to a question from Details like "Could a major league baseball player be openly gay today?"

05-21-2002, 11:38 AM	#15
Draft Dodger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: formerly of the OTBL Posts: 4,113	well, I, for one, think it's going to be pretty important if/when a gay athlete comes out, considering that it effectively has not happened yet in team sports. this isn't a movie star or a singer. this is an athlete; someone who's supposed to be tough, and there are probably lots of people who think that a gay man can't be a tough, physical athlete. (never mind the fact that a team's comradarie will be put to the test - let's be honest, there are some straight athletes who are not the most enlightened in the world. tell Bubba from Oklahoma (sorry for the stereotype) that he's sharing a locker room with a gay teammate - unfortunately, even in this day and age, not everyone is going to be ok with that. that's why I think it's much more important for a ballplayer to come out than Rosie. It's important for people to be able to get over their misconceptions. If that ballplayer is a stellar, tough performer, like a Piazza or a Troy Aikman, then it's even better, IMO. __________________ Draft Dodger (Anarchy: Anything goes. The Draft Dodger viewpoint.) Sophmoric[sic] Member of the OOTP Boards (It's not OOTP; it's your computer) 15 GB Webhosting for $6.95 a month IMO we are best off abandoning that sinking ship that is Off Topic to the rats infesting it and just starting a whole new Baseball Forum from scratch.

05-21-2002, 12:05 PM	#16
SoxWin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Blissful ignorance Posts: 3,315	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> guys did you hear the news about a major baseball player that will be announcing he is gay this week? </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Not that there's anything wrong with that Cheers Rich __________________ It's called partying. When you do a lot of it, you're bound to be places where the police show up. I smoke a lot of pot and drink a lot of beer. I also graduated Suma Cum Laude. ****ing sue me. - Luis Rivera

05-21-2002, 12:07 PM	#17
CamEdwards Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 25	No offense taken DD. Actually, it's funny because I was talking about this on the air this morning when some guy called up and in his Billy Bob accent said "I think it's disgusting. Why don't you talk about a real sport, like stock car racing." I'm not sure if he was implying that baseball is disgusting and not a real sport.. or gay athletes are disgusting. Regardless, we kept talking about it. This WOULD be an important story, no matter what people might say.

05-21-2002, 12:59 PM	#18
Raven Minors (Single A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 94	For a professional athlete to openly say that he is gay is a huge issue, in my opinion. Maybe not to the world or the general public, but for him, his teammates/future teammates and some of the rest of the guys in the league it is. If you have spent any time getting to know the "true" personality of professional athletes (as opposed to the "smile a lot and sign autographs" personality)you will know why. I am not saying the majority of guys are going to hold it against him, but there will be guys that do. And if you dont believe this, you are very naive. It may not be an issue to you that Joe in accounting is gay, but you dont have to get naked and shower with him 162 times a year either.

05-21-2002, 02:56 PM	#19
Subby Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 375	You are absolutely right - it is an important issue and it is a legitimate news item. My initial reaction was more of a knee-jerk response to all of the homophobic reaction I expected (and still expect) to see... I hope it is someone like Piazza. A good guy who has done a lot for his community...

05-21-2002, 03:21 PM	#20
Lamorak Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 195	1) "Piazza denies being gay, says MLB is ready for gay player" <a href="http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,5357849_52,00.html" target="_blank">http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,5357849_52,00.html</a> 2) Unless you give more credit to jock-sterotypes than statistics, there must be scores of gay MLB players. 3) If a ballplayer wants to come out- fine. But he should wait until retirement. Or at least free agency. First and foremost players are athetes, there personal life should distract the team from it's goals.