The new collective bargaining agreement adds “sexual orientation” to its section on discrimination, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement told the Daily News.

Article XV, Section A of the MLB’s expiring Basic Agreement, in effect from 2006-2011, states: “The provisions of this Agreement shall be applied to all Players covered by this Agreement without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”

In the new agreement, which will be made public Tuesday afternoon, the words “sexual orientation” will be added to the equivalent section.

This is terrific news and a no-brainer. Baseball now joins the NFL, NHL and Major League Soccer in having such policies. The NBA is in the middle of a lockout, but I would expect any settlement to include similar language.

Rafael McDonnell of the gay advocacy group Resource Center Dallas sent a letter to baseball officials in October advocating such a position. The letter gives a good overview of the contracts of all the major sports leagues (click PDF link below to read):

MLB CBA nondiscrimination

Share on Facebook

Billy Bean, Eric Alva

Over the past decade, I have watched with bated breath as our community fought to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that would finally allow the members of our armed forces who happen to be gay or lesbian to be honest about who they are as they fight courageously for our freedom.

One of the most important people in that fight is an amazing man and former Marine named Eric Alva.  He was the first purple heart recipient in the Iraq war.  He was in charge of 11 Marines in a combat supply unit, when on March 21, 2003, he stepped on a land mine.  He ultimately lost his right leg, and sustained significant damage to his right arm as well.

I remember seeing him speak in front of Congress and feeling a mixture of emotions.  I felt sorry for him, but at the same time I was inspired by his courage and his admission that he felt “lucky” to be alive.  Perspective is a powerful ally.   It would be so easy for him to think otherwise and be angry at his misfortune, but he seemed so generous, and strong on TV that day.   My inner voice wondered what my perspective would be if life had handed me the same challenge, and I wasn’t proud of my answer.

A few months ago, I received a wonderful note from Eric on Facebook.  He wrote of hoping to meet one day. I responded with an admission that I had been thinking about that for a long time as well. I thanked him for all the work he had done to make the repeal of DADT a reality and I promised to stay in touch.

I had made up my mind that I was going to return to my hometown of Los Angeles and finally pursue some of my creative goals that I’d been pretending weren’t important to me.  One night, I was talking to my dad about it, and he offered to fly out and then ride along with me on the long drive from Miami Beach to L.A.

I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone, but as my dad nears his 70th birthday, I thought it would be a great chance for us talk and make up for all the years I’ve been gone.  The moment we set the date for our trip, I thought about the hardest part of driving across country, the long trek through Texas, and Eric popped into my head.  My dad is a former Marine as well and the chance for him to meet Eric, a former Marine and decorated war hero who was also gay, was something I knew I had to make happen.

Billy Bean, Eric Alva

I am the oldest son in a family of five boys. My dad was raised in a strict Catholic home in the Midwest, enlisted at 17, and was in law enforcement for more than 30 years after that.  I’ve struggled mightily over the past decade trying to find ways to bridge the gap between my life and his.  I know many of us are masters at “not asking and not telling” about our personal lives, myself included, but I wanted my dad to meet a real war hero who just happens to be gay.

On the third day of our drive across this great big country, we rolled into San Antonio. Eric was waiting for us at a table in a cozy little breakfast place and as we walked up to the table I reached out and we hugged like we’ve known each other forever.  I clumsily turned around and introduced him to my dad.  I was chatty like always and I asked Eric a bunch of questions. It was fascinating to hear him recount his experience in Iraq, and see my dad listening to his every word.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the two of them sharing the brotherhood that only Marines can explain.   They spoke the same military language, about rank, platoons, job descriptions and tradition.  It was all Greek to me.

My dad is a news junkie, and practically stands up and salutes the American flag whenever it comes across the television.  To say he is proud to be an American is the understatement of the century. We have talked about gays in the military many times, but quietly I’ve wondered how he really felt about it, even though he’s always been supportive of me.  He looks up to our military and I just knew that if he was able to meet someone from my world and also “his” it would open another window of understanding between the two of us.

Bean's dad Ed Kovac and Alva

I know when I first told my parents I was gay, they were afraid of the things they did not know and uncomfortable about the stereotypes that they had been exposed to during their lives.  I’ve spent the past 10 years or so trying to dispel those unfair stereotypes and show them that I am the same son they knew all along, only that I finally stopped lying to them about my sexuality.  We both have learned so much about each other along the way. I’ve been very lucky because they’ve been confronted with a lot and always stood behind me.

We spent the next hour or so together with Eric, and the conversation was amazing.  I could see my dad enjoying the experience even more than I had hoped.  Eric had a profound effect upon both of us and I felt a strong connection with him.  He and I both made a living in a world that forced us to keep our private lives a secret.  Ironically, I believe we both identified ourselves more with our work than our sexuality and for me that is not a bad thing.

I think there are many of us who have dedicated our lives to our profession and often being gay in those environments has made our lives more difficult than it should be.  That is changing, but only because of people like Eric, who is a hero in so many ways.

After our breakfast had ended, I was feeling great, knowing my dad and I would have plenty to talk about it in the car.  I felt very proud to be the son of a military man, and even prouder of my new friend, a soldier, who is gay just like me. For the first time in my life, I wanted to stand and salute a man as he walked away towards his car, so I did.

Billy Bean played Major League Baseball and came out after retiring in 1999.

Share on Facebook

Photo via Sodahead

The Boy Scouts of America does not allow gays or lesbians to serve as scouts or scout leaders, saying it  “believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed.” Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is speaking tonight at a scout gala called “Character Counts” and that has prompted the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center to call out Selig.

The center sent out this press release, where it praised Selig for past support of gay issues but said his speaking before the scout gala is a big step back:

Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig is scheduled to deliver a keynote address tonight at the annual Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) Character Counts Gala in Los Angeles. While Selig has publicly stated that “Major League Baseball is a social institution that brings people together and welcomes all individuals of different races, religions, genders, national origins and sexual orientations into its ballparks,” his appearance at a an event for an organization known for discrimination throws a major curveball at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

In response to Selig’s scheduled appearance at the “Character Counts” Gala of the Los Angeles Area Council of the BSA, L.A. Gay & Lesbian CEO Lorri L. Jean issued the following statement:

“Mr. Selig’s participation and support of an event held by the anti-gay Boy Scouts of America only sends one message — that inequality and discrimination are acceptable. In the past, Selig has taken a hard stance against discrimination and fined MLB employees for using homophobic slurs. He has publicly condemned the hateful behavior of certain players and coaches like John Rocker, Ozzie Guillen, and most recently, Roger McDowell—and almost a third of Major League Baseball teams this year participated in the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign. Mr. Selig’s outward support of Boy Scouts of America completely contradicts all of these steps forward and his claimed intolerance of discrimination in Major League Baseball.

Ironically, the Boy Scouts of America Los Angeles Area Council touts their event as one that is ‘making an investment in character’ and is themed ‘Character Counts.’ Investing in homophobia or discrimination of any kind is anything but an investment in character! At a time when bullying in schools is a major issue facing our country’s youth, to support an organization that promotes discrimination against youth only fuels the fire of bullies. If he delivers his keynote address as planned, we implore Mr. Selig to tell the Boy Scouts of America that people of true character welcome diversity and accept all for who they are.”

Share on Facebook

Game 6 hero David Freese

Update: Game 7 was so blah that it’s not worth a separate item. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers, 6-2, and are the World Series champions. The series, though, basically ended in Game 6.

Previous: The headline might seem harsh but there is no other angle to explain the Texas Rangers blowing two-run leads both in the ninth and 10th innings before losing Game 6 of the World Series in the 11th, 10-9, to the St. Louis Cardinals.

In consecutive innings, the Rangers needed only one strike to win their first title and both times they failed,  the first with ace closer Neftali Feliz giving up a game-tying triple that outfielder Nelson Cruz totally misplayed. In the 11th, David Freese hit a home run to end the game. Some history:

This collapse was unprecedented. No team had ever come from behind twice in the ninth inning and later to tie a World Series game or take the lead.

St. Louis became only the third team one out from elimination in the Series to rally and survive, following the New York Giants in Game 5 against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1911 and the New York Mets in the Buckner game in 1986, according to STATS LLC.

The game was sloppy, with five errors and 22 men left on base. But what it lacked in style, it made up for in drama. If the Rangers lose Game 7, The Rangers will forever relive the last three innings of Game 6.

Share on Facebook

I will be rooting for the Rangers, the first World Series loser to make it back since the 1992 Braves. I can’t stand baseball allowing wild cards into the playoffs since it cheapens what is a long regular season. The Cardinals got into the playoffs on the final day after the Braves collapsed, beat the Phillies in a short series and then the Brewers.

If they win, they would be a fluky champion and not the best team in baseball. It’s compounded by St. Louis getting home field because the National League won the All-Star game, a lousy way to decide something so important. Since 1985, the team with the home field advantage is 20-5.

Expect the ratings to be low, possibly the lowest ever, but they will help Fox in that time slot and to promote programs. Most fans I know are fans of a particular team, not baseball itself, so I can’t see this series grabbing people’s attention.

I am curious as to whether readers are into this series, a particular player or who will win. I will take the Rangers in six.

Share on Facebook

I met Billy this weekend and we did a terrific interview where he talks about coming out and the regrets he has over not playing longer. He says that had he simply came out to his parents, he would have played two more years, but his fears prevented that. He now urges gay athletes to reach out to someone they trust, even if they are not ready for a wider coming out. His video echos that and is quite powerful (note: this is an updated video from the one posted a week ago):

Bean’s photo for the NoH8 campaign:

Resources:

• It Gets Better Project
• GLSEN sports project
• Outsports coming out stories

Share on Facebook

The Billys: Bean and Beane

Billy Bean and Billy Beane could not be more different. Yet they also have a lot in common. For many people, though, confusion reigns.

I got this text a couple of days ago. “Hey Billy, I’m sitting here watching a movie called “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt. Is he you?” Sigh. Even my own friends are confused. No, I replied, the movie is about Billy Beane, not Billy Bean.

There’s no “e” at the end of my last name. That’s what I’ve always told them. It’s my auto response when people ask me if I’m the General Manager of the Oakland A’s baseball club. I’m not him, I’m the “other” Billy Bean, the only man alive who played Major League Baseball to acknowledge he’s gay.

The other Billy Beane just happened to be my teammate in 1988 when we both played for the Detroit Tigers Triple A team, called the Toledo Mud Hens.

From left: Billy Bean, Billy Beane and Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in "Moneyball"

I’ll never forget “that” Billy Beane. We both played in the outfield. I played center, he played left, and believe it or not, we had a right fielder named Pete Rice. Our outfield was coined “Rice and Bean’s.”

Beane struggled terribly through that season in our dismal ballpark on a last place team. On the field he seemed miserable, but in our clubhouse he was The Mayor. He would imitate Axl Rose to perfection when the hit song “Sweet Child of Mine” would play on MTV. He was “the ring leader of anarchy” among the players, and everybody loved him.

He was a smart minor league veteran who could rag players with the best of them. His crowning moment was an epic “soft shoe” performance one night while Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York” blared over the sound system during a rain delay in Buffalo. Our manager, Pat Corrales, seething with anger, seemed ready to release him right then and there (we were losing by at least 10 runs, and in last place), but the entire team was dying with laughter. It was Billy’s way of dealing with the disappointment of another bad season and a career that never happened the way it was supposed to happen for a “can’t miss” prospect drafted in the first round. It was his ninth year in professional baseball and my third.  I was still on the rise to the big leagues, full of hope. I hadn’t been damaged (yet) by disappointment, failed expectations and years of leaving my heart and soul on fields where few people were watching, and worse yet, a parent big league club that stopped looking.

We were both born in Southern California, both dark-haired, All-American looking boys who played QB in high school and taught to say all the right things. When I played for the San Diego Padres from 1993-95, at every home game people would yell from the stands, “Hey Billy, remember me from high school?” He went to Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, where he was surely one of the all-time great high school athletes in that city’s history. I’d often be signing autographs after the game and someone would politely say, “I remember you from high school,” and I’d say, “I’m sorry that wasn’t me, you’re thinking of someone else, I went to Santa Ana High School about an hour north of here.” Sometimes it just seemed easier not to embarrass them, so I’d go along with it.

I thought our paths might never cross again until about 10 years ago, when the book “Moneyball” came out. People were always asking if the book was about me. I read the book immediately and enjoyed it, but it was a stinging reminder that I had left baseball way too early. I still missed the game very much. I was very happy for Billy and it didn’t surprise me at all that he had risen to the GM position at Oakland. He quit playing very young and got himself into a great situation, working for a forward-thinking executive named Sandy Alderson. I think Sandy was extremely influential shaping Billy’s well-documented approach to evaluating players.

I remember being told by Randy Smith, who was the general manager of the Padres my first two years there, that I had a future in San Diego’s front office whenever I was ready. It was a wonderful compliment, and to this day I often wonder what my life would be like had I chose that path. Maybe I would’ve been brave enough to come out as a part of the organization and blaze a trail that may have helped my community, but I was still uncomfortable with myself, too afraid to be a hero. When my partner Sam suddenly died right before the 1995 season, it changed me and I ultimately walked away from all of it. I gave up that front office opportunity the moment I acknowledged that I was gay. Baseball wasn’t ready for that issue 15 years ago (I’m hopeful that will soon change, but that’s for another article).

After the book “Moneyball” came and went, the questions went away, and the only times I thought about Billy Beane was when I would receive baseball cards in the mail to be signed for card-collecting fans. Inevitably, there would be four or five of my cards, and always one or two of his, even though our names were spelled differently. I was lefty, he was righty, he’s at least 6’3″ and I’m barely 6 feet tall. I would never sign his cards, but I would always send them back with a short note that said, “I’m sorry … this isn’t me, he’s the other one.”

At the time, as I was becoming more and more recognized as a member of the LGBT community, I was sure that Billy was getting the short end of the stick. It was OK for me to be confused with a general manager of a Major League Baseball team, but I wasn’t so sure how he felt about people thinking that he was “the gay baseball player.” He’s a straight Republican, who’s married with kids, and I’m a gay Democrat with two Jack Russell Terriers. To make matters worse for him, my book, “Going the Other Way: Lesson’s From a Life in and out of Major League Baseball” came out in the summer of 2003. It spread through the sports world pretty quickly. It’s the one topic that catches every athlete’s attention, and not always in a good way. However, I have to say that the reaction to my book by players was mostly supportive. I was told that Billy was constantly receiving my cards for him to sign. The LGBT community in San Francisco and Oakland area was hopeful, but ultimately disappointed that I was not him.

My book rights were quickly purchased by the Showtime Network and news spread that a film was being made. The screenplay was written, and then the fun game of “who’s going to play Billy Bean?” began. I’ve been asked that question so many times that I’ve lost count, and truth be told, I was pretty anxious to find out as well. I have learned that patience is a virtue when waiting for a film to be made. Promises mean very little, and feelings get hurt often. I read that “Moneyball” has taken more than eight years to come to the silver screen, so I’ll keep waiting for my turn.

Last year, when news that the film “Moneyball” was finally happening and none other than Brad Pitt had agreed to play “Billy Beane,” it sent a wave of enthusiasm through  sports fans in the LGBT community. An avalanche of questions came my way via Facebook, e-mails, and texts, asking me how it felt to have Brad Pitt playing me in a movie. Was I excited? Many people were asking if I had met him, and what was he like? I mean, really, if anyone could pick one man on earth to play himself in a movie, Brad Pitt is the guy.

I truly wish I could have answered all of those questions, but I don’t know how it feels. Sadly, I only know how it feels to have Brad Pitt playing someone with my name, about baseball, but NOT me, in a wildly successful major motion picture. Is that surreal or what? Honestly, the feeling sucks. It’s like being told you’ve won the lottery, but then finding out that you really didn’t, because you only have the first four numbers right, but you need five to win it all.

The movie is amazing and you should go see it. One of Hollywood’s greatest writers, Aaron Sorkin wrote it, and I’m sure that Brad Pitt will finally win an Oscar for Best Actor. Not because he’s long overdue for his profession’s crowning achievement, but because it will cement my fate of having to answer this question for the rest of my life and say, no it’s not me….it’s the “other” Billy Bean(e).

Truth is, I don’t really mind the questions at all. I’m happy for Billy Beane, and his movie, but I wouldn’t trade places with him for all the money in Major League Baseball.  My friends, my family, my community. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.

Billy Bean — the one who wrote this article, not the other one — can be reached via email: billybean11@aol.com. Bean’s coming out made Outsports’ list of 100 greatest gay sports moments.

Share on Facebook

It didn’t help Boston that the Yankees blew a 7-0 lead over the Rays and lost 8-7 in 12 innings. A Yankees win would have forced a one-game playoff between the Rays and Sox. It’s almost as if the Yankees rolled over. But no matter — the Red Sox lost a 3-2 lead to the Orioles in the bottom of the ninth and their 7-20 September record is their worst in that month since 1952. They have no one else to blame.

It’s always nice to see Boston sports team collapse since their fans are the most insufferable in sports. And to see the Red Sox totally fall apart was delightful since I know it caused misery throughout New England sports fandom.

ESPN The Magazine devoted its entire last issue to a nauseating examination of why Boston sports are so superior (they literally wrote that Boston athletes are smarter). Whose smart now? The Sox choking like dogs and Tom Brady throwing four picks in a loss to Buffalo, all in the span of three days. Can you say schadenfreude?

As for the Braves, who cares? They have been the most boring good team in sports the past 20 years, so they won’t be missed.

Your playoffs are set: Yankees-Tigers; Rays-Rangers in the A.L. Phillies-Cardinals, Brewers-Diamondbacks in the N.L.

Share on Facebook

Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history.

Baseball, 1999: A restaurant review in the Miami Herald changed Billy Bean’s life. The article, in an oh-by-the-way fashion, mentioned that Bean and his partner in the restaurant were also partners in life. The item caught the attention of the New York Times, which then did a front page article on Bean, making him a national story and spawning numerous TV and speaking appearances.

Twelve years later, Bean still has regrets about how his Major League Baseball career ended after six seasons in 1995. He says that while he loves baseball, he has a hard time watching it without thinking back on his career. I spoke with him for this story and he reflected about how his fears about being outed led him to prematurely retire.

If I had only told my parents, I probably would have played two or three more years and understood that I could come out a step at a time, not have to do it in front of a microphone. And I was completely misguided. I had no mentor. I think that’s where the responsibility comes in for people who have lived that experience, and we take for granted that everybody’s adjusted and gets it. I had no one to confide in and that was the biggest mistake of my professional life was to think that if one person knew, everybody knew.

Just having some kind of ally at that time, I think I would have changed and I think I would have played so much better. You can appreciate the degree of despair when you’re hiding something and you’re on the bubble as it is. It just was a really frustrating time for me.

After he came out, the response was nothing but positive and Bean became a sought-after speaker and activist. But one conversation post-coming out with a former teammate was unsettling.

I thought about telling [teammate] Brad Ausmus, and after I came out he said, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t trust me to tell me.’ It was very emotional. We were buddies. We roomed together for two years and he’s a great guy. But I was so uncomfortable with it personally. I think that’s one of the things people don’t understand about athletes that might be gay is that they’re athletes more than they are gay at that point in their life. It was a terrifying and really disappointing realization about myself. I didn’t embrace it. I had sort of angry sex the first few times I played around with guys. It was a naïve unplanned … I just felt like I was driving into a tunnel with my lights out. I had no idea where I was going with it. I was just drawn to this sexuality part and curious but I felt I was dooming myself with my career.

Bean retired before cellphones and the Internet were part of our lives, which made him feel disconnected and isolated. When his lover Sam died, Bean — then with the San Diego Padres — felt he could tell no one and kept his grief to himself. He even went and played a game that day, something unthinkable for a straight player who lost his wife.

Bean has had some struggles since his coming out. The restaurant he and his then-partner Efrain owned went bankrupt in 2000 and Bean turned to selling real estate in Miami. “Not only was I being portrayed as this wealthy ex-big leaguer, I was hustling like nobody’s business in real estate to pay our bills. It was a lot of pressure,” he said.

He also wrote a terrific book, “Going the Other Way” in 2003 to counter some negative reaction he was getting, including from Outsports, for how he was addressing the issue of whether players should come out.

A of lot bloggers in the community are unforgiving to the varying degrees of self-acceptance and self-awareness. It’s easy to judge. I think I got ripped on Outsports for endorsing people to stay in the closet, which was the furthest things from the truth. That was the impetus for me writing my book.

I was so upset because a lot of people thought I was parading around like I was the hero and I never said that. In my book, I said I was a coward. I said the people who are the heroes are those in junior high school in middle America when they’re 15 and they tell the truth then. I was being sort of categorize as someone running around trying to make a living off of gay people, which never happened.”

Bean, though, says he can understand the pressures that keep a pro athlete closeted or leery of publicly associating with gay people and brought up an anecdote involving Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees, with whom Bean helped look for real estate.

I spent a lot of time with Alex Rodriguez when he was married to Cynthia and the truth is, is that if you’re seen with me and you are a jock, you will be accused of being gay. Us being out together, it is a risk. So I always told Alex you better bring your wife or your buddy. Alex is very comfortable being out with me.

One of the things I found quite ironic about my place in the sports world, from what I hear, everyone knows who I am. Maybe 1 percent of the people read my book. I’m the gay baseball player. That’s it.

Bean, 47, is thinking about a life change and is considering leaving south Florida for Los Angeles, where he could be closer to his family (he was born and raised in Orange County, Calif.). He has been out of the spotlight for the last few years dealing with his breakup with Efrain, but has started to become more visible by using social media. One passion is writing and I encouraged him to start a blog. Bean is a sports pioneer and still has a relevant voice.

I feel like I’m reconnecting. But I feel I’m missing out in what I’m supposed to be doing. There’s not enough of the type of voices that I think I have.

Related: Bean’s video for the It Gets Better project.

For more information

• New York Times coming out story on Bean
• Billy Bean’s book hits a home run
• Excerpts from Bean’s book

Share on Facebook

The Phillies, with the Major League’s best record, join the growing list of baseball teams that have produced the anti-bullying videos. Watch:

Share on Facebook