MLB: Mets Daniel Murphy Not Okay with the Gay Lifestyle

New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy's opinions on the gay lifestyle have surfaced after the team invited openly gay Major League Baseball executive, Billy Bean to attend one day of spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. During his visit, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson asked Bean, 50, to suit up and spend his time on the field with the other players.

Bean, who is MLB's first every ambassador of inclusion, is making his rounds to the camps that have reached out to him to provide some insight on how players and other members of the team can help support people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

"We're trying to reach out to people and we are there if they reach back," Bean explained. Alderson was the first general manager to approach Bean.

Although Bean was welcomed, Murphy believed that Alderson's decision to invite the executive was "forward thinking." Murphy, who is a devout Christian, added that he is not opposed to working with Bean even though he does not believe in the gay lifestyle at all.

"I disagree with his lifestyle," Murphy said according to 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."

The 29-year-old added, "Maybe, as a Christian, that we haven't been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality. We love the people. We disagree about the lifestyle. That's the way I would describe it for me...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."

"In my opinion nobody should be run out of a game or doing something that they're good at based on something that doesn't matter out on the field," teammate Michael Cuddyer said. "In that respect, I think baseball has a whole would be willing to accept that."

Bean has commented in regards to Murphy's statement, saying that he appreciated the player's honestly. Bean played in the MLB from 1987 to 1995 for three teams. In 519 career plate appearances, he batted .226 with five home runs.

A spokesperson for the Mets announced Wednesday that Murphy will no longer talk about this particular issue with reporters.