ESPN:
SONOMA, Calif. -- Baseball history was made in Northern California wine country Thursday night when the sport's first active professional player to come out as gay pitched a shutout before an enthusiastic crowd that seemed more impressed with his performance than his role as a pioneer.
Sean Conroy, 23, led the Sonoma Stompers to a 7-0 victory during his first start with the 22-man team that is part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs. The right hander struck out 11 players and allowed three hits over nine innings.
Many of Mr. Conroy's (straight) teammates wore rainbow-colored socks or armbands during last night's game.
I'm not a sports guy, but this hits a home run for me: I grew up in Sonoma County. And this...
Mark Vogler, 50, co-owner of a local company that sponsors LGBT tours and events in wine country, marveled from behind a fence not far from the catcher as he watched Conroy throw some of what turn out to be 140 pitches.
Vogler grew up in another part of Sonoma County and left as soon as he could because the anti-gay hostility was so high.
...was my experience as well. Times have changed for the better.
So while we all cheer for marriage equality, I am also celebrating a sports milestone that happened in my own back yard. All in all, it's been a good week.