Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball where it’s a shame Billy Bean never taught Josh Hader how to google “stylists near me…”
Two years after coming out, Anderson Comás’ attempt to climb the minor league ladder has hit a bit of a snag.
After leaving the White Sox organization, Comás signed with the New England Knockouts of the independent Frontier League for the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, the team’s nickname described his first few games on the mound all too aptly, as Comás was hit hard in three appearances out of the bullpen at the start of his Knockouts tenure.
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Once he began starting, his results continued to be a mixed bag. Comás appeared to find a comfort zone in some outings, allowing only one earned run in 6.0 innings against Evansville on July 6th and going 6.1 innings of two-run ball in Tri-City on the 30th.
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However, those encouraging performances were interspersed with genuine clunkers, like the August 9th contest with Quebec where Comás lasted only 2.0 innings and was bombed for nine runs on 11 hits.
Bouncing between starting and relief work, Comás was winless on the year, finishing 2024 with an 0-4 record and an unsightly 6.70 ERA.
It was only his third season as a pitcher after the White Sox converted him to the mound in 2022. His performance over the previous two years provided hope that there was something exciting in Comás’ left arm but 2024 was undeniably a step back.
At age 24, Comás still young in “every industry but baseball” terms so it’s hard to say where his career goes from here.
Regardless, he will always have a special place in LGBTQ sports for being one of only a few players in baseball history to come out publicly while still active and show that his team could celebrate him for doing so.
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s fitting to pay tribute to Comás’ important role in the story of gay athletes in baseball. In a sport that reveres legends from Roberto Clemente to David Ortiz to Juan Soto, Team LGBTQ Hardball is justifiably proud to honor Comás as one of our own.
As long as Comás wants to continue playing, he’ll always have enthusiastic supporters in this space.
Schadenfreude: Making Baseball a Better Place to Be
In a tribute to Billy Bean by The Athletic’s Sam Blum and Ken Rosenthal, Josh Hader offered some thoughtful words about how Bean compassionately worked with him after his racist and homophobic tweets went viral.
That’s a good thing and we always want to give space for athletes to prove to us they can change for the better.
Then during the Wild Card Series on Wednesday, with the Houston Astros clinging to their postseason lives, Hader entered a tie game in the eighth inning and promptly gave up a bases loaded series-losing double to Detroit’s Andy Ibañez.
Two things can be true at the same time.
The best possible result is for Hader to eventually show us he’s changed from his homophobic past and he’s become inspired to work harder with the hopes of becoming an ally for our community.
But while we’re waiting for that, watching him choke away Houston’s playoff chances is a pretty good consolation prize.
Someone at MLB needs to set that clip to “Thank U, Next.”
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MLB Playoff Thirst Trap of the Week
As I’ve mentioned previously, the preponderance of locker-room clinching celebrations this month annually turns October into Christmas for MLB Thirst Traps.
But with the Phillies having a first round bye, you’d think it might be a little tougher to find a good pic for this section.
Dear reader: Fernando Tatís Jr, Manny Machado, and the San Diego Padres just threw down THE GAUNTLET.
After four decades of watching baseball, I finally understand why they’re called The Swinging Friars.
I am officially calling for a Pads vs. Slutty Phils NLCS that ends with MLB declaring that both teams won.
In fact, let’s just eliminate the games and declare that the NL Pennant will go to the winner of MLB’s first ever Locker Room Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza.
The smart money’s on Kyle Schwarber.
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