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Ex-Yankees ace CC Sabathia: MLB is ready for its 1st openly gay player – NJ.com

It’s been almost two weeks since Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay, making him the first active NFL player to come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the league’s history.

As a result, former New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia thinks MLB is ready for its first openly gay player.

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That’s what he told USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon.

“Especially in today’s day. I mean 2021. I think the world’s for it. I think the sport world is ready for it. Obviously I’m a big Raiders fan, so I knew who Carl was and I was excited to see him be able to live his truth. I mean, that’s what it’s all about. … He’s going to help somebody else. … You know, I think the baseball world’s ready for it. I think the NBA is ready for it. I think everybody is ready for it. It’s just up to the person to be comfortable enough to come out.”

Nassib made his announcement in an Instagram video a week ago Monday.

“I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now. But, I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life. I have the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for.”

(NJ Advance Media’s Brian Fonseca contributed to this report.)

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