The High Five

On October 2, 1977, Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As Baker rounded the bases, an excited rookie named Glenn Burke met him at home plate, raised his arm in the air and slapped Baker's hand. It was the first high five recorded in the history of sports. A year later, Burke was forced out of baseball amid rumours of his sexual orientation. This fast-moving short by Mike Jacobs uses the conception of the high five as a foundation to explore the larger issue of what it means — then and now — to be gay in professional sports.