Was this the first high five in history? How an iconic gesture made in 1977 by the first openly gay player in MLB went on to become a symbol of pride Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke high fived in 1977 while playing for the LA Dodgers It was an iconic moment and would become a signature of the team's players It is recognized as the first high five in history or at leas what made it famous Burke - the first openly gay player - made the gesture a symbol of gay rightsBy Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline Published: 14:02 BST, 19 April 2019 | Updated: 14:03 BST, 19 April 2019 Viewcomments After National High Five day on Thursday, the origins of the gesture have been traced to a 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers baseball match in Los Angeles. Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker came in for a home run and slapped hands with his teammate Glenn Burke in what is widely regarded as the first high five in history. But not only was it an iconic high five, it was to become a symbol of gay rights in San Francisco as Burke was the first openly gay player in MLB's history. Baker had just struck his 30th homer of the season against the Houston Astros - making the Dodgers the first team to have four batters hit 30 each in Major League history. When Glenn Burke (left) raised his hand Dusty Baker 'didn't know what to do, so he slapped it' Dodgers historian Mark Langill told ESPN documentary The High Five: 'The way the legend goes … Glenn put his arm high in the air, and Dusty didn't know what to do, so he slapped it.' Although slapping hands is impossible to date, the pair's up-high gesture was iconic and seared into people's imaginations. Dodgers fan Lyle Spencer told ESPN: 'It was such a moment. It was the energy of it, and it was just this explosion of emotion.' The Dodgers soon adopted the high five as their signature and continued to do so to the joy of their crowd, Business Insider reported. A poster from the LA Dodgers 1980 season says: 'It is given customarily following a home run, good defensive play or Dodger victory' Burke - who was openly gay - was traded from the Dodgers to Oakland Athletics in 1978, despite his talents and he claimed it was down to his sexuality. The decision caused fury among his teammates, including Davey Lopes who said the next day: 'He was the life of the team, on the buses, in the clubhouse, everywhere.' His career faltered at Oakland and a knee injury sent him to the minor leagues and he stopped playing professionally aged 27. A poster from the LA Dodgers 1980 season says: 'It is given customarily following a home run, good defensive play or Dodger victory' But this transformed the high five into a symbol for the gay community in San Francisco's Castro area. In 1982, Inside Sports magazine wrote that despite Burke's tarnished career there had remained 'a legacy of two men's hands touching, high above their heads.' Burke died of an AIDs-related illness in 1995 aged 42 having been the first ever MLB star to come out to his teammates and the first to publicly reveal his homosexuality. Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility