Baseball player who quit because of homophobia returns to team - Australia Gay News Network

A gay Minor League Baseball player will return to the game he loves after leaving it because of homophobic attitudes among his teammates. Tyler Dunnington told Outsports.com that wants to get back into baseball after spending one season in the Minor Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.

He quit in 2015 after hearing a coach and teammates talk about killing gay people.

“I experienced both coaches and players make remarks on killing gay people during my time in baseball,” he wrote, “and each comment felt like a knife to my heart. I was miserable in a sport that used to give me life, and ultimately I decided I needed to hang up my cleats for my own sanity.

“After a little over a year of being gone from the game I've come to realize I thought I was choosing happiness over being miserable. That is not necessarily the case. My passion still lies in baseball, and removing myself from the game didn't change that. Most of the greatest memories I have are with this sport.”

Dunnington is now looking to get back into baseball in a team administrative position.

“I not only wanted to share my story but also apologize for not using the stage I had to help change the game,” he told Outsports.com.

“Quitting isn't the way to handle adversity, and I admire the other athletes acting as trailblazers.”

Author Andrew Shaw