SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Baseball history will be made on a field of wistful dreams in Northern California's wine country Thursday with the appearance of the sport's first openly gay active professional.
Pitcher Sean Conroy, 23, is scheduled to take the mound in his first start for the Sonoma Stompers, a 22-man team that is part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs.
The Stompers recruited the upstate New York native out of college in May. General Manager Theo Fightmaster says Conroy privately shared his sexual orientation with teammates and management before agreeing to come out publicly in time for the team's home field gay pride night.