SIOUX CITY — Solomon Bates is just like every other baseball player who puts on a Sioux City Explorers uniform.
The 6-foot-2 pitcher from Oak Hills, California, has a dream to make it to the big leagues, but his dream might differ in this way: Bates wants to become the first openly gay baseball player in Major League history.
Bates earlier this month took to Instagram after being released by the San Francisco Giants, publicly coming out as gay.
He became the second professional baseball player to do so, and he’s the only active player in all ranks to be on a roster while coming out.
“Being gay in this sport you don't know what comes at you,” said Bates in an Aug. 9 Instagram post. “Gay men can play a manly sport if you give us a chance to. Thank you Giants, you guys made a new fan. But gave me a chip to keep going. I love all the new friends that I've made. I'm not going to cry. I'm going to keep pushing.”
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Bates has that post pinned on his profile, not ashamed of what he did shortly after his appearance at Double-A Richmond.
He wasn’t nervous writing that post. He felt in his heart it was the right time to speak his truth.
“It just flew out of me,” Bates said. “It just felt right. It took me two seconds. I typed it out, sent it, and that was it. I was thinking about it for the last two years, and I finally got the courage to be myself. I want to shock the world. I want to tell people that I’m gay.”
Bates said he knew he was gay since he was a little boy. He said he loved himself for being who he is, and said it unapologetically.
Bates heard slurs from people in his community growing up, but he didn’t shy away from it. Just like a curveball, he went with the pitch and hit it for a home run.
When he went to go play collegiately at Southern California, Bates kept his sexuality quiet for the first two seasons.
As a junior, Bates decided to let a few teammates he trusted, and after that, he felt a big pressure just vapor off his back.
“The only thing I wanted to do was play baseball,” Bates said. “I’ve embraced both sides (of the reactions). But, the people who are insecure about their own sexuality has to say something about me, and those who don’t think I have God for Jesus in my life, think it’s a sin and it’s not. The reactions have been a lot more positive than negative.
“If you’re mad that people are gay in 2022, then that’s something you have to talk about with yourself,” Bates added. “Why do I care that much to say something rude to them?”
The Explorers signed Bates earlier this month, right after Bates came out on social media. His new teammates welcomed him with open arms.
Bates wasn’t sure whether his new clubhouse was accepting of his sexuality, but once he put on that X’s uniform for the first time, they were more than accepting.
“They don’t care I’m gay, just as long as we’re all on one wavelength, and that’s playing baseball,” Bates said. “It’s very comforting. When I got here, I was very skeptical. I thought about, ‘OK, I have to keep to myself,’ but no, they’ve been very welcoming. I’ve been part of the family.”
Explorers manager Steve Montgomery was also happy to see his team welcome Bates in with an open mind and open arms.
“It’s absolutely outstanding,” Montgomery said. “Outstanding. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They’ve welcomed him with open arms.
“To walk in that dugout, and throw 45 pitches (on Aug. 12 at Winnipeg), when we had just two bullpen arms available, (Solomon) came up and said he could throw an inning or two, he earned my respect,” Montgomery said. “I knew he was out of gas, but he took the ball.”
Bates is familiar with bouncing around from clubhouse to clubhouse. Since becoming a Giant after being drafted in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Bates has played for all the San Francisco farm teams except Triple-A Sacramento.
In 2019 alone, he played for the Giants extended spring training team, Low-A Augusta (now with Atlanta), and what’s now known as High-A San Jose.
Bates wasn’t afraid back then of being skeptical, because he knew the Giants cared about one thing, and that was results.
While with the Giants, Bates was 17-6 with a 4.30 earned run average in 93 appearances. He said it hurt that the Giants let him go, as he said the people inside the 2021 National League West champions felt like family to him.
“If I played my game very well, it shouldn’t matter,” Bates said. “It’s all love. I still get messages from rovers, and they tell me to do my thing. I’m here to play baseball, that’s all I want to do.”
His time in Sioux City has been successful.
He is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA while allowing five runs on 12 hits, but his secondary stats tell a more successful story. In 10 innings throughout four games entering the weekend series against Lake Country, Bates has a 22-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Bates is the type of pitcher who likes to attack the strike zone. He’s looking for those strikeouts.
“He’s a Double-A arm,” Montgomery said. “I don’t know why he got released. What he does away from (Lewis and Clark Park), is totally up to him. He comes into this locker room and he puts on his pants the same way we do.”