August 10, 2022
Minor League Baseball Player Solomon Bates Comes Out
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Solomon Bates, a pitcher who had been a prospect for the San Francisco Giants since 2018, came out as gay on social media after being released by the team.
The news was not a shock to at least some of his fellow players. "The 25-year-old from Victorville, Calif., said he initially told teammates that he is gay in 2019," The Athletic reported.
Bates took to Instagram not long after being released, and spoke directly to his status as a gay ball player and his wish to "open doors" for other LGBTQ+ athletes.
"Being gay in this sport you don't know what comes at you!" the Aug. 9 post started. "I thank the giants for giving me the opportunity to be myself and go out there and play the game that I love the most."
"I'm still in shock on what just happened," the post continued. "But I'm not giving up on what I want to do. I'm still going to open up doors for gay athletes like me."
"Baseball I'm not done with you," Bates added. "I'm leaving on my terms and my terms only. Gay men can play a manly sport if you give us a chance to."
The post ended with: "I'm not going to cry. I'm going to keep pushing."
On Twitter Bates retweeted a post to an interview he had given to LGBTQ+ athletics site OutSports, and commented: "The love and support I'm getting after a weird day. Thank you everyone, you turned a sad day into a day full of strength."
Indeed, fans showed their support and appreciation.
In coming out, Bates "joins David Denson, who came out in 2015 before retiring in 2017, as the only other minor league players to come out as gay," NBC Sports reported. "No active MLB players have come out, though there are other professional baseball players who have done so in independent baseball."
One of those is Bryan Ruby, who came out last September.
"Bates was an eighth-round pick out of USC in 2018, and has been in the Giants' system ever since," Sports Illustrated recalled. "He pitched in 23 games at Double A this season, posting a 4.02 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings."
Leaving the closet behind marked a definitive new beginning for the right-handed 25-year-old. "Bates told Outsports he feels 'confident' he will be with a new team in the coming days," NBC Sports noted. When and if he's signed to a new team, Bates will proudly, and openly, be playing ball.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
