The Baseball Report: MLB Participates In NYC Pride Parade
Ryan Mayer
Cities throughout the country held Pride Parades on Sunday afternoon, celebrating the strides that the LGBTQ community has made over the years in their fight against discrimination. In New York City, Major League Baseball entered a float into the parade for the first time in its 49-year history, joining several other major sports leagues in doing so. The NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, MLS and NWHL all had representatives at the parade on Sunday, making it, what OutSports called the sportiest Pride March ever.
For MLB, 175 employees of the Office of the Commissioner, MLB Network and MLB.com participated in the march, with the league entering a float in the parade.
Included among those in the MLB contingent was Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner Billy Bean. Bean, a former MLB player and openly gay man, was proud of the turnout from employees of the league, telling MLB.com the following:
"It's just an indescribable feeling," Bean said. "We've come so far so quickly. A lot of people are really determined and dedicated to continuing to grow an inclusive and accepting workplace in MLB and throughout baseball. ... I think a lot of people are going to learn something about the beauty of what this day represents. It's just about unity. It's not political or specific in every context. It's about people reaching out and giving a giant hug to all the wonderful diversity that makes up the great city of New York."
Participants from the league wore shirts bearing the hashtag #MLBPride and tossed baseballs with the same words emblazoned on them to the crowd.
As for the on-field action, the New York Mets woes continued as they were swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. In Sunday's game, the Mets set a record for most home runs given up in a single game at home by allowing the Dodgers to blast seven long balls in an 8-7 extra-innings win. The Dodgers continue their red-hot play since early May, stretching their record out to 25-9, while the Mets have been woeful since that 11-1 start, recording a 20-43 record, and are in the midst of a six-game losing skid. For more on the biggest stories from the past week in baseball, check out the video above.
