Dale Scott put a unique spin on the old adage that "a picture is worth a thousand words."
His picture simply stated, Scott is gay.
The Scott story—of his subtle coming-out—started over the summer when Referee Magazine, a Wisconsin-based monthly magazine for sports officials, was planning a lengthy feature story on Scott who, in 2014, was working his 29th season as a Major League Baseball umpire.
The magazine had talked to some childhood friends of Scott and asked Scott for some personal, non-baseball-related pictures.
He chose a photo with his husband, Michael Rausch, and admitted there was "a lot of thought" given to sending that photo.
That's because Scott was not out to the world.
Scott was, at the time, simply an umpire. A damn good umpire, many will say. After all, Scott's 29 years in the majors has included countless milestone moments. Just consider what MLB Umpire No. 5 has done on the field:
—Has worked the World Series three times.
—Has worked the All-Star Game three times.
—Has been a crew chief for 12 years.
—Has umpired two no-hitters and numerous playoff games.
Scott wanted to include the photo with Rausch because "he's been on this journey with me since 1986." Scott said that "it just didn't seem right that they talk to friends of mine from junior high school and people I worked with at a radio station in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and that [Rausch] was not at least acknowledged."
Scott told Rausch that he wanted to send Referee a photo of the two with the suggested caption, "Dale Scott with his longtime companion Michael Rausch."
"I was well aware that, by sending the photo, even for a story in a relatively small publication like Referee Magazine it's now out there and who knows who may pick it up and who knows where this may end up," Scott said.
They agree to send the photo. "I just thought it was the right thing to do," Scott said.
"I knew I was making a statement [with the photo], so to speak, but I also knew that this was not me waving the flag and having a press conference to say, 'Look at me; I'm gay.'
It was, in reality, Scott's subtle toast to his husband. They were married last November and have been together for 28 years—for almost Scott's entire major league career.
Scott said he didn't hear anything about the photo after the publication was released, other than positive comments from fellow officials who already knew Scott was gay.
But then Outsports.com learned of the photo and sought comments from Scott.
Scott simply asked Outsports to hold its story until after the 2014 season, so as to not detract from the 2014 playoffs, "which would not be fair to baseball," he said.
Outsports agreed.
On Dec. 2, Outsports first reported that, yes, Scott is gay and happily married to a man.
The floodgates opened.
"Ever since this story broke on Outsports, it's been a ton of emails, text [messages] and phone calls—and overwhelmingly positive. I'm very happy about that," Scott said Dec. 10 in a phone interview with Windy City Times.
He's received hundreds of emails since the Outsports story, which led to countless mainstream media outlets also reporting that Scott is gay, including USA TODAY. Scott said 98 percent of the emails he's received about his coming-out are from strangers and 99 percent have been positive.
"To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect from this, nor did I know how quickly this would blow up, but within an hour after Outsports posted its story, I probably had 50 emails and 20 text messages. It was absolutely amazing how quickly this thing blew up," he said.
Scott wasn't expecting the media onslaught, despite becoming the first Major League Baseball umpire to come out while active and the first out active male official in the NBA, NHL, NFL or MLB. ( Dave Pallone was a National League umpire from 1979-1988, coming out after leaving the game. )
"I'm not naÃŻve to the fact that the Internet is lightning speed, but was amazed how fast everything happened. Before I knew it, I was fielding calls from the New York Times, USA TODAY, ABC News," and many other mainstream media outlets, Scott said.
Scott said one of the most memorable emails he's received since coming-out was from a 17 year-old from Southern California who wants to be a major league umpire, and umpires now. "He was afraid that he wouldn't have a chance because he's gay and closeted," Scott said. "He said that I was one of his favorite umpires, and now I definitely am his favorite.
"It was a very touching letter, hearing him say that, hearing him say that being gay won't be what holds him back from a chance at the big leagues, if he has the skill set and works hard."
Chicago-based transgender sportswriter Christina Kahrl said Scott is "one of the game's great umpires."
"To have a bedrock baseball guy like him come out provides a possibility model for every person in the game, something that shows how a gay man is every bit as much an intrinsic part of the game as everyone else between the lines," Kahrl said.
Scott's coming-out was not a surprise to the executives at Major League Baseball, based in New York, or fellow umpires. They knew. "This wasn't really news [to them]," Scott said.
Scott said he has not heard anything from any of the major league teams or any major league players—nor is he surprised by that fact. "I'm not usually in contact with those people," during the off-season.
The majority of those who have reached out to Scott since his coming-out have been strangers, most motivated by Scott's story, which gave them hope in their personal lives and/or their personal struggles with sexuality.
"One of these days, this will not be a story—and that will be a great day. Unfortunately we're not quite there yet," Scott said.
When will that day be?
"I have no idea, but we're getting there," Scott said. "Sports is one of the last bastions to weather this storm, if that is the correct way of putting it. I think the reason it is a story is, it's in sports. Eventually, it's not going to be a story and there will be out players on every team in every major sport in America. And then, [the coming-out story] won't be that big of a deal anymore."
Jim Buzinski, the co-founder of Outsports.com, said he "loved how Dale came out in an understated way. He was not denying his marriage to a man, yet did not want it to be a big deal. He normalized the whole issue, which was terrific."
Buzinski added, "Having been an umpire for 29 years and a crew chief for 12, with MLB knowing he is gay, [it] will show to other aspiring officials that it is possible to follow your passion regardless of your sexual orientation."
Scott said he doesn't anticipate much change come next season, his 30th in the majors. "I don't think players, coaches [or] managers are going to use this information in a negative way and, quite frankly, if they do during a baseball game, I'll take care of that, just like any other player, coach or manager when they say something that they shouldn't say; I will eject them, but I don't anticipate that," he said.
"I just think it's going to be business as usual.
"I'm sure there will be some fans who pop off. But as an umpire, you don't concern yourself with the fans; the fans are just noise. Your concern is what's on the field, the two dugouts and the game in front of you. Fans yell stuff all the time, so I don't think that will be an issue at all."
Scott downplays his coming-out on the grand gay scale, so to speak. In fact, he doesn't claim to be an over-the-top gay-rights supporter.
"I just see myself as an umpire who happens to be gay," he said.
Billy Bean, a gay former major league player who was hired this year as the MLB Ambassador for Inclusion, said Scott's courage in coming forward is "a milestone event for all sports fans."
Bean noted that the 2015 season "is going to be especially important, as it will allow us to see a true professional at the top of his sport who felt safe and secure enough to disclose his sexuality. He becomes a leader, and he will be looked up to by many. It is vital for us to support his decision, and allow him to go about his job just as he always has."
Bean added, "For other gays in sports, we are lucky to have Dale set an example for us to follow. He will surely be held to a higher standard, but I am 100 percent certain he is up to the task. The more positive images we see, the easier it will be for the next person who is ready to come forward. Until then, it is our responsibility to keep the conversation moving forward and make sure all athletes, regardless of their diversity, feel they have a fair chance to make their dreams come true."
Off The Field
It was a Monday in October, 1986, when Scott went to a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, with a friend of his. Scott was planning to move there from Eugene and the bar, CC Slaughters, which is still open, was relatively quiet that night.
Rausch was also there, along with a friend of his.
Rausch and Scott talked, and Rausch told Scott that, the next day, he should go to the restaurant where Rausch was working.
Scott did, and they have been partners ever since.
Rausch, 55, is an artist who formerly had his own catering business and also co-owned a bar-restaurant.
They were married in November, 2013.
"I joke that we had a 27-year engagement," Scott said. "It meant a lot [to get married; it], was a milestone.
"You never know when you're going to meet that significant other; that was the last thing on my mind that night, a relationship, and yet that's what happened."
Scott admitted that he never envisioned on that 1986 night that their relationship would still be alive and strong 28 years later. "I'm thankful and thrilled that it's worked out that way," he said.
Scott said he is well aware of Chicago's gay scene, particularly the Boystown section of Lake View, which is minutes away from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
"There have been numerous times when I worked a game at Wrigley [Field] and then met friends a few blocks away in Boystown," he said. "I've been to that video bar … Sidetrack. And also been to Roscoe's.
"I've been to a few of the establishments in Boystown over the years. Chicago is one of the greatest cities we go to. In fact, I think if you took a poll of all 74 major league umpires, Chicago would overwhelmingly be the favorite city …the food, the shopping, the Miracle Mile … it's just a great city."
And that comes from one of the umpires, not just the gay umpire.
