David Denson, who made history in 2015 by coming out publicly as gay, has decided to end his professional baseball career.
Denson announced the news in a post on his Facebook page Monday, saying he is now trying to become a personal trainer.
Denson, 22, was drafted in the 15th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2013. The 6-foot-4 first baseman displayed some power during his minor league career hitting 29 home runs, but he was a career .229 hitter and never batted above .250 at any level, including rookie ball.
“My feelings weren’t in the game anymore,” Denson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of his decision to retire. “My passion for the game and drive for the game wasn’t there anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I love baseball. Baseball will always be in my heart. But wanting to do it as a career was no longer there for me anymore.”
Denson, who had come out to his teammates before going public with his reveal in 2015, told the Journal Sentinel he was not treated any differently after coming out.
“I think I opened the door. I showed just because I’m gay doesn’t make me any different or less of a person. If there are others who want to come out, hopefully they have my story to fall back on and see it’s OK,” Denson told the Journal Sentinel.
Not only will Denson be remembered for coming out while active, but we’ll always remember him for this 500-foot home run he hit as a teenager.
