Kieran Lovegrove

Kieran Lovegrove (b.28 July 1994) is a former Minor League Baseball player who is known for advocating for better working and living conditions for minor league players as well as for being one of the first openly bisexual professional baseball players.

Early life

Lovegrove was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 28, 1994.^[1] His family moved to Southern California when he was 5 years old.^[2] He attended Los Angeles Dodgers games as a child.^[2]

He was a right-handed pitcher for the Mission Viejo High School team. In 2012, he ended the season with a 2.35 ERA and an 8-4 record, with his team winning the Sea View League title.^[3]

Minor League Baseball career

Lovegrove was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians (then the Cleveland Indians) in the third round.^[4] He pitched in the Cleveland system through 2018. In 2018, he represented the World Team during the All Star Futures Game.^[5]

He also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Angels organizations.^[1] He retired from professional baseball in 2021.^[6]

Advocacy for Minor League Baseball players

In July 2021, while in the Los Angeles Angels' Minor League Baseball system, Lovegrove spoke to ESPN about the living conditions for Minor League Baseball players.^[7] Lovegrove's publicity of this caused players to begin conversations about how to change their living conditions.^[8] Lovegrove met personally with Angels leadership to share more details and offer recommendations.^[8] At the end of that season, as Lovegrove decided to retire from professional baseball, he reached out again to ESPN to share more of his story.^[8]

Lovegrove joined the Advocates for Minor Leaguers, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on collective action and organizing among Minor League Baseball players, funded by the Major League Baseball Players Association and the Ford Foundation.^[9] This advocacy led to players being given free housing. ^[9] In 2022, Major League Baseball voluntarily recognized the MLBPA as the union for minor league players as well.^[6]

Bisexuality

Lovegrove came out publicly as bisexual in an article published by ESPN in September 2021.^[4] He had not told teammates until 2019.^[8] At the time, he was the second Major League Baseball-affiliated active player to openly identify as LGBTQ, following David Denson.^[8] Lovegrove indicated most teammates were open to hearing about his sexuality.^[10]