Minor league pitcher Solomon Bates came out publicly as gay in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Bates told Outsports that he came out to his teammates in 2019.
“I haven’t been out as my complete self because I’ve been hiding myself,” Bates said. “I’m a masculine man who loves the sport of baseball, and now I want to open up doors for gay athletes like me.”
Bates, an eighth-round pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2018 draft, was released by the organization earlier in the day on Tuesday. In 43 ⅓ innings for Double-A Richmond, he pitched to a 3.74 ERA.
“Being gay in this sport you don’t know what comes at you,” Bates wrote on Instagram. “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. 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. Still will strive to be one of the greatest to do it. I ended on a high note from getting hurt to going out there and pitching my ass off.
“Baseball I’m not done with you. I’m leaving on my terms and my terms only. Gay men can play a manly sport if you give us a chance to. Thank you Giants, you guys made a new fan. But gave me a chip to keep going. I love all the new friends that I’ve made. I’m not going to cry. I’m going to keep pushing.”
On Twitter, Bates noted that an outcry of support helped turn “a sad day into a day full of strength.”
Bates is the second minor league player to come out as gay. David Denson, a former Brewers prospect, became the first openly gay player in affiliated baseball in 2015. No active MLB players have come out as gay.
In 93 career minor league appearances, Bates carries a 17-6 record and a 4.30 ERA.