Milwaukee Brewers prospect David Denson publicly came out as gay this weekend, becoming the first openly gay player in a Major League Baseball organization.
Denson, who was a 15th-round pick by the Brewers out of South Hills (West Covina, Calif.) High School in 2013, revealed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a phone interview that he is gay. In the interview, Denson explained the circumstances behind how he came out.
According to Denson, he walked into the clubhouse for Milwaukee’s rookie ball team in Helena last month, and a player called him a derogatory name for a gay person. Denson replied that the teammate should watch what he says, because you never know who might be gay. The entire sequence led to Denson coming out in impromptu fashion, which he says was well received.
“Talking with my teammates, they gave me the confidence I needed, coming out to them,” Denson told the Journal Sentinel. “They said, ‘You’re still our teammate. You’re still our brother. We kind of had an idea, but your sexuality has nothing to do with your ability. You’re still a ballplayer at the end of the day. We don’t treat you any different. We’ve got your back.’
“That was a giant relief for me,” Denson said. “I never wanted to feel like I was forcing it on them. It just happened. The outcome was amazing. It was nice to know my teammates see me for who I am, not my sexuality.”
Denson also came out to some of the organization’s representatives. He told the Journal Sentinel that he came out because he felt he was at the onset of a mental breakdown. He felt that not having to hide who he is or worry about people finding out would help free him as a player.
“I wasn’t able to give fully of myself because I was living in fear. What if this person finds out? What if somebody else finds out? Instead of going out and just playing, I was trying to hide myself,” Denson recalls.
Denson is 20 and playing his third season of rookie ball, which would hardly portend a successful career. However, now that he has come out, he feels like he may finally be able to reach his potential. So far so good, as Denson is batting .253/.349/.404 through 41 games at Helena this year, with 10 doubles and four home runs. He even was named MVP of the Pioneer League All-Star Game this month after hitting a home run.
Denson’s name should actually sound familiar to you. We posted about him a few years ago when he hit a 515-foot home run at Marlins Park at a prospect showcase event. Clearly he has the kind of power that makes him an intriguing prospect. Now that he is playing with a clearer head, he might start to ascend through the franchise’s system.
Photo: David Denson on Twitter
