Our Gay Baseball Thread (split from day off check)

[Guest sharpie]

It is shocking that Tommy Lasorda is grand marshall in SF. I lived there through most of his tenure as Dodger manager and there wasn't a more hated person in SF at the time, other than Steve Garvey.

[Guest AG/DC]

Also widely considered to be a notorious homophobe among those without an inning's interest in sports.

[Guest Kong76]

Is it me, or has AG been beating the gay drum an awful lot?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

="KC"]Is it me, or has AG been beating the gay drum an awful lot?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Who's the homophobe? Lasorda?

[Guest Iubitul]

KC wrote: Is it me, or has AG been beating the gay drum an awful lot?

Well, he has been a gay icon since he donned those orange pants...

[Guest AG/DC]

KC wrote: Is it me, or has AG been beating the gay drum an awful lot?

It's relevant, though, isn't it? Lasorda marching through the streets of San Francisco, after having been reviled by the gay community?

The Berenyi thing is relevant also. Isn't it amazing that almost nobody in the baseball world seems to know that Bruce is out except those on our site.

[Guest Kong76]

Just busting your little light loafers here ... gay on.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="AG/DC"]It's relevant, though, isn't it? Lasorda marching through the streets of San Francisco, after having been reviled by the gay community?

I'm not at all aware of this. Why is he reviled? Was it something he said? Was he palling around with Anita Bryant back in the day?

="AG/DC"] The Berenyi thing is relevant also. Isn't it amazing that almost nobody in the baseball world seems to know that Bruce is out except those on our site.

I did a Google search on "bruce berenyi" +gay and didn't come up with much that seemed solid. We're getting this from a single UMDB post from three years ago:

http://leaptoad.com/mets/profile.php?PlayerCode=0361&tabno=7

(Scroll down to Bob Schwartz, 9/21/2005.)

There's also a link from around the same time from 2001. the original page at gaysoftball.homestead.com is now disabled, but Google has a cached version that says, simply:

"Among the Stingers' roster is a gay ex-major leaguer who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1980 - 84) and the New York Mets (1984 - 86) - Bruce Berenyi - now 47."

I'm also surprised that Berenyi hasn't gotten more attention for being out. It's possible that whoever wrote that page about the Stingers got his story wrong, and it spread, four years later, to somebody who posted on the UMDB.

Johnny Lunchbucket seems to be able to track down and talk to former Mets. Maybe he can talk to Bruce himself to get the straight (or not-so-straight) scoop.

If he really is gay, and nobody cares, then that's a nice sign of progress, isn't it?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'm afraid I might fall in love if I reached out to Bruce. I was really gay for the 84 Mets.

[Guest AG/DC]

I think Bruce B.'s just flown under the radar. Scoops from gaysoftball.homestead.com don't tend to get picked up by AP. I think we're sitting on a story here.

As for Lasorda, as his son Tommy Jr. died of AIDS (and one of those really ugly deaths from the pre-therapeutic drug era), he virulently denied that his son had AIDS or was gay. Reports from the time tended to be accompanied by photos of Tommy, Jr. ("Spunky") queening it up, and seemingly puttting the lie to Tommy, Sr.'s denials.

Glenn Burke claimed to have been traded because Tommy, Sr. suspected he had befriended a then-young Tommy, Jr. Billy Bean claimed that the notoriously foul-mouthed Tommy, Sr. filled the locker room with gay slurs even as his son was fading.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Huh. I'm sure I must have been aware of it at the time, but it's completely slipped my memory.

I looked Lasorda up on Wikipedia, and according to his entry, the gay son business occurred in 1991:

]In 1991, Lasorda's son Tommy Lasorda, Jr. (commonly known to friends and family as "Spunky") died of complications related to AIDS. Lasorda was estranged from his son at the time of his death, and refuses to acknowledge his son's homosexuality and the nature of his illness. According to sportswriter Bill Plaschke, when asked about the cause of death Lasorda insists that it was cancer.

And here's a post from baseballthinkfactory.org:

] 23. Repoz Posted: December 26, 2004 at 01:44 PM (#1041314) From Billy Bean's book, on "Spunky" Lasorda... Having spent most of his adult life in the world of gladiators, Tommy must have found it difficult to deal with the truth about his son. It must have been equally hard for Spunky -- having spent his youth in this same world -- to accept himself. and more from an old East Bay Express... Glenn Burke soon found a particularly effective way to get Lasorda's goat. He befriended Tommy's effeminate son, Tommy Jr., who would eventually die of AIDS in 1991. Rail-thin with wispy blond hair that fell over one eye like Veronica Lake's, Tommy Jr. was known in the gay world of Los Angeles as Tomasina. His straight nick-name was Spunky. Burke and Spunky became running buddies, frequenting the gay bars of Los Angeles. Lasorda, a Christian Bigot, was embarrassed by his gay son. As a practical joke, Burke and Spunky planned to show up at Lasorda's house for dinner in drag with their hair in pigtails but backed out at the last minute. "Tommy first would have shot us both in the head. Then he would have had a heart attack and died." Burke writes.

[Farmer Ted]

Glenn died of AIDS, too. I recall Dusty Baker claiming he "invented" the High-5, but Burke said he did it or some such nonsense.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Am I the only one here that didn't know about Berenyi? When did he come out?

[Benjamin Grimm]

We only know about it because of the UMDB post and the softball page mentioned above.

[stevejrogers]

AG/DC wrote: The Berenyi thing is relevant also. Isn't it amazing that almost nobody in the baseball world seems to know that Bruce is out except those on our site.

Not really, considering those who remember Berenyi at all probably consists of this site!

He is the type of player that you'd only recall while flipping through an old program or baseball cards.

The "not the A's GM" Billy Bean and Glenn Burke were outed, but I don't think the public would have cared if they didn't do it on the grand scale that they did. Bean with his book, and Burke from dying with AIDS.

It would have to take either a long time star, or even a player who was briefly at the pinnacle (think of a guy who hit 50 homers once for whom I'm casting aspersions on) for people to notice if they were outed the way Berenyi is.

[stevejrogers]

AG/DC wrote: I think Bruce B.'s just flown under the radar. Scoops from gaysoftball.homestead.com don't tend to get picked up by AP. I think we're sitting on a story here.

To be fair of course, I'd rather we sit on it. No doubt he wouldn't want to be outed just because some Met message board has info from a long defunct softball website, and one random post on the UMDB. If he has a story to tell, he'd tell it to a bigger source.

[Benjamin Grimm]

True. But if he joined a gay softball league, then he's not keeping it a secret either. We wouldn't be "outing" him. But I agree that there's no need for us to spread the story. Let him live his life.

[Guest themetfairy]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Am I the only one here that didn't know about Berenyi? When did he come out?

I wasn't aware.

NTTAWWT

[Guest Iubitul]

SteveJRogers wrote: The "not the A's GM" Billy Bean and Glenn Burke were outed, but I don't think the public would have cared if they didn't do it on the grand scale that they did. Bean with his book, and Burke from dying with AIDS.

Actually, Burke was out long before he died. I remember a story in one of the first editions of Inside Sports in the early '80s that told his story.

[metirish]

Funny how things go , I never heard the story before yet in playing along today his name popped into my head.


Bullpen coach might be too high a profile gig for him , bullpen pitcher it is then.

[Guest AG/DC]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="AG/DC"] The Berenyi thing is relevant also. Isn't it amazing that almost nobody in the baseball world seems to know that Bruce is out except those on our site. Not really, considering those who remember Berenyi at all probably consists of this site! He is the type of player that you'd only recall while flipping through an old program or baseball cards.

Wrong. I remember him well. Berenyi had a better career than either Bean or Burke.

I'm not arguing for the aggressive further spreading of Berenyi's story without his consent. I'm saying we're privy to something that would be considered noteworthy --- increasing the known gay population of ballpayers by 50% --- if it got further exposure.

I wouldn't advocate running with the story without talking to BB (and Adam, if you're reading, I hope you agree). It's nonetheless worthy of note, and moreso if he joined the Mets coaching staff.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Yeah, I agree with what Edgy said. I think it'd be a compelling and really important story if Berenyi wanted to tell it. More than just noteworthy.

Any of you read Bean's book?

Who's Adam? Why do I feel so lost today? Where are my keys?

[Guest Kong76]

Don't feel bad about being lost, Willets is still posting in the NBF thread.

[Guest AG/DC]

Adam Rubin, Daily News columnist and occasional CPF reader.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Thanks.

[Guest AG/DC]

I think of Bruce every time a pitcher is pulled after a rain delay. He's the only guy I know of who ever hurt himself trying to stay in a game after a rain delay --- tearing his rotator cuff warming up.

[Fman99]

AG/DC wrote: I think of Bruce every time a pitcher is pulled...

Is this a gay quip?

Sorry. I am an insensitive ass.

[soupcan]

themetfairy wrote: ="A Boy Named Seo"]Am I the only one here that didn't know about Berenyi? When did he come out? I wasn't aware. NTTAWWT

Had no idea until I read it here.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You can be forgiven for forgetting (especially since I myself had no memory of Spunky Lasorda) but we did discuss it here back in 2005.