Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers Pitcher, Would Welcome Gay Teammate
The prospect of openly gay athletes playing professional sports has been the talk of the town in recent weeks. Now Detroit Tigers star pitcher Justin Verlander is adding his voice to the mix, saying he absolutely wouldn't mind an openly gay teammate in a CNN interview, according to Yahoo! Sports.
“I don’t think one of our players would be scared to come out. We got 25 guys, it’s a family, and our goal is to win a World Series," Verlander said in the interview. "What your sexual orientation is, I don’t see how that affects the ultimate goal of our family."
Verlander's remarks are the opposite of teammate Torii Hunter. The Tigers' outfielder noted last year that a gay teammate would make him “uncomfortable.”
On the contrary, his comments are more in line with those of Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, who recently announced that he would welcome gay players in the NFL.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/justin-verlander-says-wouldn-t-mind-gay-teammate-013558352--mlb.html;_ylt=A2KLOzKaxDlRomgAtuNNbK5_
Every time someone speaks out, it chips away at the homophobia in sports. In this case, the person speaking out is considered by some to be the best pitcher in baseball. Anybody speaking out is important, but when it's a name that is recognized it helps even more.
I never thought I'd see a pro player in football, baseball or basketball come out while playing. It will be a brave thing to do. I have seen so many things that I never thought I'd see that I no longer consider this out of the realm of possibility no matter how remote. Baseball would be my bet.
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