American baseball player Glenn Burke invented the 'high five' during a game. His career and life were not limited to such bright moments.
Before 1977, sports had a significant shortcoming. In fact, not only in sports but in the whole world. This was not a major shortcoming. Even with its invention in 1977, humanity did not progress visibly. Maybe he just took a few steps and then gave the other person a 'high five'. The 'high five', which turned into one of the greatest demonstrations of joy in the following years, was born in a baseball match almost forty years ago.
Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the American National Baseball League (MLB) teams, guaranteed the playoffs before the end of the regular season in 1977. But they had good reasons not to let their last match sit idle. The team's stars, Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, and Ron Cey, hit 30 home runs that season. The addition of Dusty Baker to these names meant that they achieved a first in history.
Glenn Lawrence Burke (November 16, 1952 – May 30, 1995) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics from 1976 to 1979. He was the first MLB player to come out as gay, announcing it in 1982 after he retired.
And in that final game, Baker hit his 30th home run. Both the stands and the players were enthusiastic. While Baker was running towards the edge of the field, young player Glenn Burke, who was considered the team's mascot, moved towards him and jumped with his hand in the air. Baker didn't know what to do at that moment and hit Burke's hand. Although there are several other accounts, this was the first high-five recorded in history!
Later, both Burke and Baker received great attention and were treated as inventors wherever they went. However, according to what Baker said in the documentary on ESPN's 30 for 30 series, the owner of the invention is clear. “All I did was respond to him,” Baker says, and with this response, he gives Burke the credit for the movement that will become a part of all of us in the future.
If the Dodgers team were asked, "If one of you were to invent a way to celebrate, who would it be?" the common answer would probably be Burke. Because no matter who described the little brother of the team, they always used the adjective 'full of life'. For this reason, Burke's transfer from the Dodgers to the Oakland A's a year later created an atmosphere of mourning in the team.
However, there were not only technical and tactical reasons behind this transfer. Burke, who revealed that he was gay without fear and opened the door for athletes in the 1970s, was sent off from the team because of his identity. However, everyone on the team was unhappy with this decision. Even coach Tommy Lasorda, who didn't want her, first offered Burke $75,000 for a cover marriage. It would later become known to everyone that his son Tommy Lasorda Jr. was gay, but the coach would not accept this fact. Just like Burke didn't accept the money.
Life was too short to hide who you were. Making statements about the issue years later, The Atlantic magazine writer Allen Barra would say that Burke spoke openly to the press at that time, but reporters were afraid to write such things in their newspapers. Burke, who is always known for his happy mood, said: “Sports is the hardest field to be gay. "Maybe being a president is a little more difficult," he summarized and ended his professional career after one year in Oakland.
Glenn Burke spent the rest of his life frequently playing softball in the city of Castro, known as the 'gay-friendly' city. His biggest high-five came after his death from AIDS in 1995.
Even today, we do not come across a second player who can reveal his identity during his active career in MLB. The league management has some efforts in this direction; One of these was hosting Burke's family at the All-Star game held in Minneapolis in 2014.
The league's press secretary, Pat Courtney, remembered Burke that day with the words, "He was a pioneer, he should be recognized by everyone." He was right, Burke was indeed a pioneer; As the inventor of the high five, he may not have changed much in the history of sports, but he took one of the biggest and most colorful steps...