LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. • A former Cardinals minor league pitcher says he quit baseball because of homophobic conversations he encountered in the sport, according to a report published Wednesday on Outsports.com.
The Cardinals said they took the allegations "very seriously."
Tyler Dunnington, who is gay, told the website he had not come out yet during his time with the Cardinals. He wrote in an email to the website:
"I was also one of the unfortunate closeted gay athletes who experienced years of homophobia in the sport I loved. I was able to take most of it with a grain of salt but towards the end of my career I could tell it was affecting my relationships with people, my performance, and my overall happiness.