SONOMA, Calif. (AP) -- Baseball history was made in Northern California 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 Thursday night 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.
''He wanted to be that guy, and coming out here and doing this shows you what kind of man he is,'' Tim Livingston, the team's radio broadcaster, said after a ground ball ended the game and Conroy's teammates jogged over to hug him.