Hey Torii,

I’ve always considered you one of the more likable guys in Major League Baseball, which is why I was dismayed to read your feelings on the possibility of having an openly gay teammate.

The above quote, in and of itself, begs the question of how “thoughtful and intelligent” you really are, but I guess everything is relative, especially when it comes to professional athletes.

It always saddens me to see those who come from one group that has suffered discrimination at the hands of the close-minded and ignorant line up to do the same to another group.  I mean, you would think someone who has been unfairly judged by the color of their skin would be among the first to line up to defend others from similarly-ludicrous discrimination, but that’s obviously not the case here.

What strikes me most about your comments, Torii, is that if you replace the word “gay” with the word “black,” I’m pretty sure you could attribute the same quote to about 80% of the guys playing Major League Baseball back when Jackie Robinson was breaking into the league. Those men were “uncomfortable” and found the prospect of a black teammate “difficult” and guess what? It DID divide teams. And racist players used quotes from the Bible and their up-bringing to justify their discriminatory views.  If I were you, I’d give that some thought and think about whether those are really the people you want to align yourself with, historically speaking.

But, if that doesn’t sway you, I thought I’d educate you a little bit on what the Bible says about homosexuality (spoiler: almost nothing) since that seems to be the argument you’re really hanging your hat on.

First of all, the New Testament, the book you purport to follow by calling yourself a “Christian,” doesn’t mention homosexuality or gay marriage. Like, AT ALL. What it does mention is love, tolerance, and acceptance of those who are different from you. You may want to brush up on those things before your next interview.

Secondly, the Old Testament mentions homosexuality in only a few places, the most oft-quoted is in the Holiness Code of Leviticus, which is generally accepted as the bat-shit crazy section of the Bible. I mean, if the Bible is Christianity, Leviticus is the Westboro Baptist Church (by the way, your views also align you with those freaks, so put that little bit of information in your brain and let it rattle around for a while).

Unhappily for you, the following are also, and with equal vehemence, prohibited by the Bible:

1. Ham — hope you’re not a big fan, Torii.
2. Tattoos — I’m guessing a few of your teammates openly have tattoos. I’m sure this is equally uncomfortable for you?
3. Round haircuts — see y0u in hell, Moe.
4. Gossip — AHEM.
5. Remarriage following a divorce — UNHEARD OF in the realm of professional sports!
6. Working on Sunday — Well, that explains the horrible broadcasting choices for Sunday Night Baseball, anyway
7. Eating lobster, shrimp, and other delicious seafood — You’ve never hit up Red Lobster, have you, Torii?

Look, I could go on for days, but I’ll stop there, hoping that I’ve made my point. But before I go, one more thing:

Your feelings of “difficulty” and being “uncomfortable” at the thought of having someone in the clubhouse who (GASP!) likes to have sex with dudes, pales in comparison to the feelings of someone who is being persecuted for his innate sexual preference. I’m sure there were plenty of players on the Dodgers (and in baseball in general), who found it “difficult” and “uncomfortable” to have African-American teammates in their locker room. But guess what, Torii? It’s your job to get over your ignorant, bigoted, and discriminatory feelings, just like it was the job of Jackie Robinson’s teammates and colleagues to get over theirs.

I realize that, as a star professional athlete, you’ve been conditioned to believe that everything is about you. But trust me on this one: It’s not about you.

Some dudes like dudes. Get over it.