Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's
(MLB) ambassador for inclusion, says he respects New York Mets second
baseman Daniel Murphy's honesty in saying he disagrees with Bean's
sexuality.
Bean, who publicly announced he's gay
in 1999, roughly four years after he retired from the sport, recently
visited the Mets.
Murphy told NJ.com that he “disagrees
with the fact that Billy is a homosexual.”
(Related: Daniel
Murphy says he “loves” Billy Bean but disagrees 100% with his gay
“lifestyle.”)
“He was brave to share his feelings,
and it made me want to work harder and be a better example that
someday might allow him to view things from my perspective, if only
for just a moment,” Bean
said in an op-ed.
“It took me 32 years to fully accept
my sexual orientation, so it would be hypocritical of me to not be
patient with others,” he added.