Wilson Returns to Throw First Pitch
SAN DIEGO—Jake Wilson, former San Diego second baseman, looked over the field. He hadn’t been there since he retired last year, and he’s proud he’s been asked back to throw the first pitch of the first home game of the season.
His son Johnnie, a baseball standout at the University of Oklahoma, and his daughter Erin, a member of the Nashville Predators front office, were back in the clubhouse catching up with the players and their children. But Wilson wasn’t on the field alone.
With him was his fiancé, Mikko Niemi.
Three weeks after retiring, Wilson stunned the baseball world with his decision to announce his bisexuality. Two months later, he attended his first public event with Niemi, a chemical engineer from Savannah, Ga.
Not all the reaction was pleasant or even polite, but Wilson and Niemi felt safe enough at the stadium to hold hands.
“I used to watch Jake play when we were in college,” Niemi said as he tells their story.
“And I used to watch Mikko sitting in the stands,” Wilson added.
It’s the classic story of reuniting with a first love, with a little baseball and marriage equality thrown in.
“We could get married while we’re here, but we’re hoping we’ll someday be able to marry at home in Georgia,” Wilson explained. “It’s going to happen. I believe it.”
Players from both teams came up to Wilson and Niemi, eager to shake their hands and offer support. A few players obviously avoided them.
“Will an active player come out? I hope so,” Niemi said. “It would be better if people could feel free to be who they really are.”
Wilson agreed. “I hope that someday no one has to feel like I did before I came out. That no one feels like they have to make a decision between love and baseball.”