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Gage: Two victories were celebrated at Comerica Park Sunday
DETROIT -- It wasn't just another day at the ballpark.
Might have started out to be -- but the innings of life have previously been to known to transcend baseball's impact.
And now they have again.
Eventually, two victories were celebrated on Sunday at Comerica Park.
One man's personal triumph, then a dramatic victory in the ninth by the Tigers.
It all began with Tony Paul of the Detroit News having something he wanted to say when he appeared on WXYZ's "Sports Cave."
But more than just wanting to say it, he felt compelled to -- on behalf of a struggle from which he now feels liberated.
Tony is gay. He said in a one-on-one conversation after the Sports Cave aired that he came out during his college years at Michigan State.
He also said he was proposed to once, but did not accept for multiple reasons -- one of them being the inequality he would have faced in a same-sex marriage.
That inequality, in the eyes of the law, no longer exists because of the Supreme Court's ruling on Friday.
It is a ruling that has changed Tony's view of the future -- because the barriers he once felt constricted by earlier have now been lowered.
His disclosure, however, makes him the first openly gay sports reporter in the Detroit market.
If that once would have been a stigma, which it would have been, it isn't anymore. Tony is a professional whose principal goal in his occupation is to conduct himself professionally -- which he does.
But the relief he feels is unmistakable, now that he has gone public with his story.
No longer must he stop and start about how he feels. To hem and haw.
"I started writing a column about this three months ago," Paul said during Sunday's game, "but I stopped it because I knew this marriage thing was coming up. My column was so much about that, that I decided I wanted to wait."
So he waited.
Once in a while, he would Tweet about gay rights, and even before his appearance on the "Sports Cave", he replied to a question on Twitter about why he was so interested in the issue by saying "do the math."
But he never has been as forthcoming as he was this time -- first on the "Sports Cave", then with FOXSportsDetroit.com.
"This issue is far-reaching," he said. "It affects people who are neighbors, friends and family. And I felt that while I don't have a huge voice in the world, I have a voice.
"I've been thinking about doing this, and the timing was perfect. I just wanted to express my personal gratitude that this country has shifted to being an equal opportunity country.
"I haven't read the comments (on the Sports Cave site), but I hear they are vulgar because every comment section is vulgar and negative. There's nothing they can say that offends me.
"But the responses that I've gotten personally have been overwhelmingly positive."
When asked if it's liberating to be able to speak about his own life in a public forum, Paul said "it is. My heart has been racing all day. I even feel a little light-headed.
"But the response has been great. Even my Republican colleagues have reached out to me."
The road to this point hasn't been as enjoyable, of course.
"I have to say, though, that when I came out in college," said Paul, "it wasn't difficult because in college you're around accepting young people.
"So I'd go home for family holidays, stay for one night, and rush back."
It was in high school that Paul made his all-important self-admission.
"Even though I dated girls all through high school," he said, "I kind of always knew. But my family has always been accepting of me -- even when I brought partners home.
"About the marriage issue, however, there've been some heated arguments on the patio -- with alcohol."
Covering sports once might have presented Paul with some challenges, within the context of his admission, but he doesn't expect any now.
"You hear a lot of offensive things in locker rooms anyway," he said. "But it's funny about the way this is viewed with sports.
"When one of my uncles heard when word was first circulating about me in college, his response was 'that's not possible, Tony likes sports.'
"I thought that was hysterical. But I don't think this will be an issue moving forward. I'm doing a job that I love to do."
Will players view him differently?
"I can't control that," Paul said, "but I'm a pretty confident person. I'm not there for my leisure; I'm there to do a job. Again, I don't expect it to be an issue."
The Supreme Court's decision changed his hope for the future, though -- that's for sure.
"I just thought I'd be in my 70's (40 years from now), when this finally happened," he said. "There was no sign of progress for a long time -- until it became a steady stream for the last five years.
"I haven't struggled, compared to my friends. And compared to people I've dated, I've had it easy.
"My parents are great, my siblings are great, no problems. But to have my doubts about ever being married all go away in one moment, and that we're all on equal footing, has been overwhelming."
About his earlier chance to marry, Paul said "I didn't want it to matter out of state, but to come back here and have it mean nothing.
"And I didn't want to do a big thing here that didn't mean anything in the eyes of the government. So it didn't make any sense to me.
"A lot of my friends were in the same boat -- but now they're able to plan their marriage.
"I'm really thankful it has come so fast."
Paul's intention has not been to be a groundbreaker within Detroit journalism, though.
"It's not like I am saying 'hey, look at me.' I don't really care. But to do it (on Sports Cave) was just the right format."
Tony Paul, a sportswriter by trade who mostly covers baseball, is a small sample of those who are happier because of Friday's ruling.
And to whom the ruling has made a major difference.
But a sample all the same.
"I'm not saying I am free, and that everything has been lifted," he said. "It's just a big victory."
One that happened to be followed by another at Comerica Park.
No, it was not just another day.
