Watch CBS News

Daniel Murphy On Openly Gay Billy Bean: 'I Disagree With His Lifestyle'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Billy Bean, MLB's ambassador of inclusion, visited Mets camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Tuesday at the request of general manager Sandy Alderson.

Bean publicly came out as gay in 1999. He didn't come out during his playing career, and he shared his experiences with the club.

All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy, known for being an ardent Christian, raised some eyebrows when he addressed what Bean had to say.

Daniel Murphy's Comments

Subscribe to the Boomer & Carton Podcast »

"I disagree with his lifestyle," the 29-year-old told NJ.com. "I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn't mean I can't still invest in him and get to know him. I don't think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him.

"That, I would say, you can still accept them. But I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent. Maybe, as a Christian ... we haven't been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality. We love the people. We disagree (with) the lifestyle. That's the way I would describe it for me.

"It's the same way that there are aspects of my life that I'm trying to surrender to Christ in my own life. There's a great deal of many things, like my pride. I just think that as a believer, trying to articulate it in a way that says just because I disagree with the lifestyle doesn't mean I'm just never going to speak to Billy Bean every time he walks through the door. That's not love. That's not love at all."

Bean, 50, played in the majors from 1987-89 and 1993-95. After coming out, the outfielder wrote a book called, "Going the Other Way: An Intimate Memoir of Life In and Out of Major League Baseball."

"What's important is that if we have one or two people on a team, that we might have exposed them to something they hadn't thought about before," Bean said. "I'm not here to change anybody or tell them that they're wrong. This is our country. We're allowed to be who and what we want.

"But I think the important thing is understanding the big picture -- that if you are a player on the Mets or in a big league uniform, there's a huge responsibility that goes with that. And I think they can understand that regardless of what their personal opinion is of me. I can't be everybody's best friend."

A Mets spokesman said on Wednesday that Murphy will no longer be discussing this issue with reporters.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.