We’ve seen our share of homoerotic stories in baseball. Who could forget Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy deflecting a baseball with his shapely rump, or a bodybuilder stripping down to his speedo to throw out the first pitch?
Just last week, we spotlighted the Seattle Mariners’ pretty gay Twitter account–filled with 💦 shots and dugout dancing.
Now, another West Coast team is showing that it’s OK to display some man-love on the diamond. Players on the San Francisco Giants have been blowing each other kisses after base hits this season.
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford was caught in the act a few days ago, and didn’t show any shame when asked about his on-field kisses.
“We’ve been doing that as a team,” he told reporters recently. “I figured it was a good time for it, right there.”
When asked to identify his intended recipients, Crawford said he was aiming for the dugout.
Don’t let Crawford’s monotone delivery fool you: this is a pretty big deal! Baseball is arguably the most conservative major sport in the U.S.; and yet, the Giants are unapologetically showing affection towards one another.
In recent years, we’ve seen a small number of Major League Baseball players and coaches break the heteronormative mold. Last season, St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Turner Ward planted a kiss on outfielder Lars Nootbar’s cheek to commemorate his 25th birthday.
The previous year, outfielder Joc Pederson (great baseball name, by the way) sported a pearl necklace during the Atlanta Braves’ World Series run.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has taken personal expression to the next level, painting his fingernails and his toenails white.
It’s appropriate for the Giants to lead the way when it comes to shattering conservative norms. For starters, they play in San Francisco!
While nearly every MLB team hosts its own Pride Night, the Giants continually go above and beyond to support LGBTQ+ inclusion. Manager Gabe Kapler once donated a rainbow Pride hat to the Hall of Fame, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants both wore rainbow-colored hats when they played each other on Pride Night last season–an MLB first.
Minor league player Solomon Bates, who publicly came out as gay last summer, played in the Giants’ minor league system.
This season, the Giants’ Pride Night is set for June 10. We’ll just sit back and wait for more kisses until then.
In the meantime, check out some shots from Crawford’s Instagram. The kiss-blowing shortstop is ruggedly handsome (and has great hair!) 💋💋💋…
Diplomat
This is great. I love it when men let the love fly.
abfab
We bet you do George.
Kangol2
Remember, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies of Atlanta beat everyone else to it with their open displays of loving affection–hugs, caresses, nuzzles–toward each other a few years ago. They’re still very close!