A year ago I wrote an open letter to Daniel Murphy regarding his offensive comments about having a gay teammate. Since then a lot has changed. First off, Murphy is no longer a Met; he signed with the NL East rival Nationals (so now we can all "boo!" him). The Mets are now the defending National League champions -- yay! And this year the Mets will be hosting an LGBT Pride Night at Citi Field; a first for a major sports franchise in New York.
The reaction to my letter was extremely heartwarming as well as motivating. I heard from all types of people from across the country, including many gay people but also many family and friends of gay people. Their stories warmed my heart but also reminded me that discrimination against the LGBT community is still very prevalent.
The Mets were great too. Upon reading my letter they invited my eight-year-old son, Sammy and me for a behind the scenes look at Spring Training. We had the privilege of sitting in the Mets dugout, watching warm-ups and getting autographs and pictures from many of their star players. For two lifelong Met fans it was truly an amazing and unforgettable day.
But our fifteen minutes of fame didn't stop there; it also yielded several teachable moments for my son. One in particular had to do with acceptance and sharing my own experience growing up as a Jewish immigrant boy in Brooklyn in the 80s. Back then I took comfort connecting to baseball legends Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax as they were also Jewish. It brought me closer to the game and gave me a feeling of pride and acceptance reinforcing I was not an outsider.
Unfortunately today young LGBT athletes and fans don't have that same connection, due to the fact there are no "out" MLB players. I am certain that that will change soon but for now inclusion and acceptance is a very positive message in baseball (thank you Billy Bean!). And that is why I see the Mets LGBT Pride event as a great step forward in breaking down divisions and saying to all fans "you are welcome".
That welcome message is about respect and that's the type of team I want to cheer for. I certainly don't need a baseball team to validate who I am, but when they stand up for what is right it makes me stand taller with them. And again this year I will be cheering very loud and proud in Port St. Lucie as well as at Citi Field -- maybe even a little louder.
Finally, I don't know if Sammy will grow up to like boys or girls -- it doesn't matter. But what I do know is that he will be a respectful, honest and a loving man. And as his dad I would love him no matter what -- even if he rooted for the Yankees.