What if a pro baseball player came out of the closet?
In Richard Greenberg's play ''Take Me Out," a major league ruckus ensues when a star ballplayer announces he's gay. Given that no active player has actually done that, the Globe wondered what those involved with the sport thought the reaction would be if that occurred today. So we asked around: ''What do you think would happen if a major league player publicly came out?"
CATHERINE FOSTER
Jim Bouton
FORMER YANKEES PITCHER
AUTHOR OF ''BALL FOUR"
''I would say that the better a player you are, the more gay you would be allowed to be. I would say you could be quietly gay if you hit between .275 and .300 or won 10 to 15 games. You could be flamboyantly gay if you hit anywhere over .330, drive in 100 runs, win 20 games. Because winning is more important than anything else."
Johnny Damon
RED SOX OUTFIELDER
''If he came out years ago, there definitely would be some harassing or whatnot, but I think in today's day and age, it's normal -- not so much normal in the baseball aspect but normal as in life. If someone came out on the baseball field I don't think it would be a big deal, just as long as there was respect on both ends. . . . If I had a gay teammate I'm sure we'd keep slapping each other on the butt."
Bronson Arroyo
RED SOX PITCHER
''I don't think it would be accepted that much. Most of the teams I've played with, probably half the team are pretty religious guys. For me personally, I couldn't care less. . . . It would matter [how good a player he was]. If it was a guy who was young in the league and kind of like a rookie, I'm sure it would be a lot harsher than if Manny Ramirez came out. If Manny Ramirez came out today and said, 'I'm gay,' you know what? Most people probably would accept it and it would be like, 'Well, that's just Manny.' "
David Halberstam
AUTHOR OF ''THE TEAMMATES"
AND ''SUMMER OF '49"
'If he was really good, the local fans would cheer and his teammates would appreciate him, and other fans would be incredibly cruel. If he was not good, his teammates and local fans won't be very good. Everyone eventually gets over it. The key to Jackie Robinson -- and this is an apples-and-oranges situation and a different kind of prejudice and a not-so-insidious prejudice -- was that he was not only the first, but very, very good."
Howard Frank Mosher
AUTHOR OF ''WAITING FOR TEDDY WILLIAMS"
''Ten years ago anyone who declared himself to be gay would have had a tough time. Now I'm not so sure. . . . If you got the Red Sox together and said, 'There's a pitcher who has a 105-mph fastball and a curve that breaks 3 feet that he can pinpoint control to within 2 inches and he has a killer change-up . . . and he's gay, do you want him to join the team?' I'll bet the vote would be unanimous. Bring him in. That's how much they want to win."
Brendan Lemon
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF OUT MAGAZINEAND OUT.COM
''If someone did it tomorrow and prepared the way by talking with his teammates and the organization, I think that would be a more potentially positive situation than if they hadn't. . . . In terms of how the baseball world in general would react, it would have to do with how much preparation had gone into this. Then you see the chips fall where they do. I don't think anyone can completely predict the reaction."
Jason Varitek
RED SOX CATCHER
''It probably would be tougher if you found out afterward rather than if you found out while they were playing. I think that honesty in that situation is key. I can't really say how I'd react unless it actually happens."
