VERSUS, NBC Sports Airs Special Encore Presentation of Emmy Awards Nominated "Out. The Glenn Burke Story"

SUPERSTAR MANAGEMENT

Glenn Burke’s journey through baseball began and ended in Oakland, California. His sports career had many stops along the way, starting as a multi-sport star at Berkeley High School, followed by a brief stint at the University of Nevada, Reno as a prized basketball recruit, and then moving into professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers, being hailed by one coach as “the next Willie Mays.”
Early in his career, Burke felt he had to hide his true self from his teammates.  Later, when he began to reveal glimpses into his sexuality the baseball establishment began to close him out.  Out. The Glenn Burke Story, a one-hour documentary produced by Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, tells the dramatic tale of Burke’s legacy as the first openly homosexual Major League Baseball player.  From his Major League debut in 1976 and starting Game One of the 1977 World Series for the Dodgers to subsequently being traded to the Oakland Athletics the next season, and then walking away in 1980 from the game that he deeply loved, Comcast SportsNet follows one of baseball’s most dramatic arcs.
Many of Burke’s teammates were aware of his homosexuality during his playing career, as were members of management. And many of those teammates believe that his sexuality – and the reaction it provoked – led to the premature derailment of his baseball career.
Out. The Glenn Burke Story tells the tumultuous story of the wedge that was driven between Burke and the Los Angeles management, the ensuing similar situation in Oakland that led to Burke’s abrupt retirement, and the hero’s welcome that Burke received in San Francisco’s Castro District after he left professional baseball.
Comcast SportsNet’s narrative follows Burke through his public announcement of his homosexuality in a 1982 Inside Sports magazine article (‘The Double Life of a Gay Dodger’) and on The Today Show with Bryant Gumbel, to his subsequent downward spiral to drugs, prison, and eventually living on the same San Francisco streets where he was once hailed as an icon.

Burke’s story took on another level of tragedy when he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994.  Yet at the end of his life, the game that he claimed abandoned him so many years before reached out to one of its own. The A’s found Burke and provided him with constant support in his final months, as did some of his former teammates.
Glenn Burke passed away on May 30, 1995 at the age of 42 of AIDS-related complications.
Out. The Glenn Burke Story documents the extent of Burke’s courage, strife and friendship throughout his life, and the compassion and callousness of the sport of baseball.  The program weaves together insights from Burke’s teammates and friends, including Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes, Sports Agent Abdul-Jalil, Reggie Smith, Rick Monday, Manny Mota, Rickey Henderson, Claudell Washington, Mike Norris, Shooty Babitt, Tito Fuentes, and former Major Leaguer and gay rights activist Billy Bean. Out. The Glenn Burke Story Narrated by Dave Morey, Bay Area Broadcasting Icon and Member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010
I have attached the links to a short video documentary about a radio conversation, the live radio broadcasts on November 20, 2010 over ABC Networks’ KGO 810 FM Radio Show and on December 4, 2010 over KNBR- The Sports Leader, 680 AM and ESPN Radio “The Ticket” 1050 AM, of the discussion of the film “OUT. The Glenn Burke Story” The ABC- KGO Radio broadcast was with Shooty Babbitt, John Lambert and myself. The KNBR show was with Doug Harris, the producer of “Out. The Glenn Burke Story” on the show “Law and Sports” with host attorney Ivan Golde, whose also a legal analyst for CNN, Warner Bros- KRON, and CBS-KPIX, among others.
The on-air discussions were about Glenn, the film, society and sports. I think you will be very moved with the overall content and how Glenn’s impact has becoming a serious topic of discussion around the country. Glenn lives on!!!
Here are the links:
Short documentary about a radio conversation with Sports and Entertainment Manager-Agent Abdul-Jalil, Oakland A’s Executive Shooty Babitt and NBC Sports Broadcaster John Lambert, some of the cast members of OUT. The Glenn Burke Story. The topic of the discussion was gays in professional sports. The conversation was hosted by Rich Walcolf, and filmed at KGO 810 studios in San Francisco.

KGO Radio’s broadcast discussion of “Out. The Glenn Burke Story”
http://superstarmanagement.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-21T18_19_40-08_00
The Sports Leader, KNBR 680 AM and ESPN Radio “The Ticket” 1050 AM.
http://superstarmanagement.podomatic.com/entry/2010-12-04T21_21_33-08_00

Excerpts from Out. The Glenn Burke Story:
Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim (Childhood friend and sports agent):
On Burke’s homosexuality and the homophobia in Major League Baseball:  “It was uncompromising on both ends.  Glenn was comfortable with who he was. Baseball was not comfortable with who he was.”
Claudell Washington:
On Oakland Athletics manager Billy Martin introducing Burke to his new teammates in spring training:  “He was introducing all the players and then he got to Glenn and said, ‘Oh, by the way, this is Glenn Burke and he’s a faggot.’”
Davey Lopes:
On Burke’s trade to the A’s:  “You don’t break up, disrupt a team going as well as it was going to make changes.  I didn’t feel it was going to make us a better ball club.  Billy North was not going to make us, at that time, any better of a ballclub.  Probably not the real reason why things happened.”
Dusty Baker:
On the rumors of Burke’s sexual preference and his trade to the A’s:  “I think the Dodgers knew; I think that’s why they traded Glenn.”
Reggie Smith:
On the suspicions on Burke’s sexuality:  “I certainly didn’t want to accuse him of that, because one thing’s for sure – at that time period, it was a kiss of death for a ballplayer.  He would’ve been excused from the game, so to say.”
Vincent Trahan (Berkeley High School classmate):
On Dodger management and their suspicions:  “Al Campanis and Walter O’Malley had called him into the office and offered him $75,000 to get married.  And Glenn, being his comic self, said, ‘I guess you mean to a woman?’”
On the Dodgers’ controversial trade of Burke to the A’s:  “He was hurt because they traded him not for his baseball ability but for his life choice.”
Lyle Spencer (MLB.com, former Los Angeles Dodgers beat writer):
On the reaction of Burke’s teammates the day he was traded:  “I was shocked that he was traded… I walked into the clubhouse…and guys were visibly distraught over the trade, and that told me that my sense of how important he was to them internally was accurate.  I even remember a few players crying when they found out about it at their lockers, which is stunning.”
Billy Bean:
On dealing with discrimination:  “The closet hurts people – forever.  Everyone’s career ends, but to do it because you don’t feel you belong there when you’ve proven that you do is damaging.  And it affects everything, and I’m sure that’s why Glenn swam in the waters of drugs and alcohol – to take away his frustration.”
Claudell Washington:
On hearing about Burke contracting AIDS:  “I was stunned at that time. A person that I’d known, loved, and respected had contracted an illness like that and was suffering.”
Lutha Davis (Sister):
On AIDS:  “A lot of people were scared because I think, at the time, you didn’t know whether you can just breathe on somebody and get AIDS or just touch them.”
Pamela Pitts (Oakland A’s Director of Baseball Administration):
On Burke’s reaction to hearing the A’s would help him:  “Glenn started to cry and said, ‘I’ve been told you’re going to help me. I can’t believe someone wants to help me.’”
On Burke’s death: “I do believe he was in a much better place.  His demons were gone.”
Ted Griggs, Vice President and General Manager, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area stated, “As an East Bay native, I knew all about Glenn Burke’s legendary athletic feats at Berkeley High.  I followed his career with the Dodgers and A’s throughout the late seventies, and watched and read with great interest when he came out on The Today Show with Bryant Gumbel and in Inside Sports Magazine.  I was saddened by his tragic death and thought at the time that his was a compelling story that should be told one day.  This documentary allows Glenn’s family, friends, and teammates to tell that story, and it is enhanced with the narration of Dave Morey, one of the most respected voices in Bay Area radio.”
Out.  The Glenn Burke Story is narrated by Morey, who was recently inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in the class of 2010 after 26 years as a morning host at KFOG and nearly 40 years in broadcasting.
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will host a public screening of Out. The Glenn Burke Story at the Castro Theatre (429 Castro Street, San Francisco, California) on Wednesday, November 10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. PT.  Admission is $5.00, with proceeds benefiting Marty’s Place.  Marty’s Place once provided a homeless Burke with shelter and care as he coped with the effects of AIDS/HIV.  Tickets are available at CSNBayArea.com/pages/out.  Following the screening, the network will air a special town-hall edition of Chronicle Live from the Castro Theater at approximately 9:15 p.m. PT.  Hosted by veteran Bay Area sports announcer Greg Papa, Chronicle Live is a live one-hour program, and will feature an interactive roundtable
discussion and debate about homosexuals in professional sports.  Additional event details and panelists for Chronicle Live will be announced at a later date.
After the November 10 (8:00 p.m. PT) debut, Out. The Glenn Burke Story replays on Tuesday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m. PT.  Visit CSNBayArea.com for additional air dates and times and channel locations for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
Out. The Glenn Burke Story is produced by Doug Harris (‘Bounce: The Don Barksdale Story’ and ‘Tournament of Champions: The Legends of Northern California High School Basketball’) and Sean Maddison (‘Orange and Black: San Francisco And The Giants’ and producer of San Jose Sharks hockey on Comcast SportsNet).
Out. The Glenn Burke Story online press kit and video excerpts from the documentary are available at CSNBayArea.com/pages/out.
ATTENTION ONLINE MEDIA AND BLOGGERS
To view, share and embed video content for Out. The Glenn Burke Story, including promotional spots and bonus footage, please visit CSNBayArea.com/pages/out.
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Timeline
November 16, 1952 Glenn Lawrence Burke is born in Oakland, California.
 
1970 In his senior year, Burke is named Northern California’s High School Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Berkeley High School Yellowjackets to a 32-0 record and winning the Tournament of Champions.
 
1971 Burke attends Merritt College in Oakland where he plays baseball and basketball, eventually earning a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Reno. 
 
June 6, 1972 Burke is drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round of the 1972 amateur draft.
 
1972 Burke makes his professional debut for the Ogden Dodgers of the Rookie level Pioneer League.
 
1972 Burke is promoted to Low-A ball and plays 41 games for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League.
 
1973 Burke hits .298, splitting time between Dodgers Single-A affiliates Daytona Beach and Bakersfield.
 
1974 Burke becomes the University of Nevada, Reno’s starting point guard during the preseason.  He scores 22 points against USC in a preseason game, but an early season injury convinces him to hang up his sneakers and focus on baseball.
 
1974 In his best season in the minors, Burke is hitting .338 at Single-A Bakersfield when he is promoted to AA Waterbury of the Eastern League.
 
April 9, 1976 Burke makes his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. 
 
1977 According to Burke’s autobiography, Dodgers general manager Al Campanis offers to pay for a lavish honeymoon if Burke agrees to get married.  Burke angrily refuses, seeing the offer as a way to cover up his homosexuality. 
 
October 2, 1977  Dodgers teammate Dusty Baker hits his 30th home run of the season and is greeted at home plate by Burke whose hand is raised in the air.  Baker does the same, and they slapped hands producing the first “High Five” in sports history.
 
October 11, 1977 Burke starts Game One of the 1977 World Series against the New York Yankees. 
 
 
May 17, 1978  The Dodgers trade Burke to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for outfielder Billy North.
 
June 4, 1979 Burke plays in his last major league game and then makes an abrupt mid-season departure from the A’s that leads to his eventual retirement.
 
1980 Burke comes out of retirement and reports to A’s spring training.
 
1980  At the young age of 27, Burke permanently retires from professional baseball due to personal differences with the A’s management.

October 1982 Burke becomes the first openly gay Major League baseball player by publically acknowledging his homosexuality in an Inside Sports magazine article entitled “The Double Life of a Dodger.” 
 
  Burke is a guest on NBC’s The Today Show and discusses the Inside Sports article with anchor Bryant Gumbel.
 
August 28, 1982  San Francisco hosts the inaugural Gay Games. Burke participates and earns gold medals, in track in the 100 and 220 meter sprints and as a member of both the men’s basketball and softball teams. 
 
January 27, 1983 NBC’s “Cheers” airs the episode “Boys in the Bar,” in which Sam Malone (played by Ted Danson) supports a former teammate who publicly acknowledges his homosexuality.  The show is based on Burke’s announcement the previous year.
 
1986  Burke competes in Gay Games 2 on the men’s basketball team.
 
1987  Burke is hospitalized after being hit by a car in San Francisco, breaking his leg in four places. 
 
1988  Burke is arrested for drug possession and briefly jailed.
    
1991  Burke pleads guilty to grand theft and possession of a controlled substance and serves six months in San Quentin penitentiary. 
 
1994  After a series of medical complications, Burke is diagnosed with AIDS. 
 
November 18, 1994 Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean presents Burke’s family with a plaque and proclaims the first “Official Glenn Burke Day.”
 
May 30, 1995 Glenn Burke, 42, passes away in San Leandro, California due to AIDS-related complications.
 
July 1995 Burke’s autobiography “Out at Home, The Glenn Burke Story” is published and released.
 
 

 
Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim – Childhood friend, sports agent:
On Burke’s homosexuality:  “It was uncompromising on both ends.  Glenn was comfortable with who he was. Baseball was not comfortable with who he was.”
 
On the influence of Burke’s post-baseball friends:  “I think a lot of that dragged him down and that’s when a lot of the demons started to come out because that celebrity that he had, it had another side to it too.”
 
On Burke’s car accident and injury:  “That might have been one of the factors that led him down that slide too; he had to try to find a way to ease all these pains – physically, psychologically, emotionally, financially.  There became a lot of things that he had to address in his life.”
 
Shooty Babitt – Former Oakland Athletics infielder, Comcast SportsNet A’s analyst:
On the clubhouse mentality:  “You have to remember back in that day you couldn’t just come out and say ‘I’m gay.’”
 
On the reaction to Burke around the league:  “They ran him straight out the game.  Now, you’re gay first and a baseball player second, so until you can justify your existence being gay, there’s no way you can get a chance to justify being a major league player.”
 
On other major leaguers asking about Burke:  “You didn’t really hear people wanting to ask; it was more of a hush-hush thing because of the intimidating guy that Glenn was.”
 
On Burke’s athletic ability:  “Glenn was like a two sport star. You felt like he had the opportunity to play in the NBA as well as Major League Baseball…you figured that he was going to be a major leaguer right away because that’s just how good that he was.”
 
Dusty Baker – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Cincinnati Reds manager:
On the rumors of Burke’s sexual preference and his trade to the A’s:  “I think the Dodgers knew. And I think that’s why they traded him.”
 
Billy Bean – Former Major League outfielder, gay rights activist
On Burke in baseball:  “Baseball wasn’t ready for Glenn Burke.  He was a pioneer and he caught them off guard.”
 
On dealing with discrimination:  “The closet hurts people – forever.  Everyone’s career ends, but to do it because you don’t feel you belong there when you’ve proven that you do is damaging.  And it affects everything, and I’m sure that’s why Glenn swam in the waters of drugs and alcohol – to take away his frustration.”  
 
Marvin Buckley –Berkeley High School basketball teammate:
On Burke’s comedic personality: “He was a cross between Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.”
 
Mark Brown – San Francisco Gay Softball League player:
On Burke after retirement:  “After Glenn lost the baseball business, his life never was the same. And he never could really hold down a job. He had a lot of friends that wanted to help him, that tried to help him but his whole life was built around sports.”
 
Larry Corrigan – Former Dodgers Minor League teammate, Pittsburgh Pirates executive:
On Burke’s command of the locker room:  “The team was always thought of as the Los Angeles Dodgers but it was Glenn Burke’s team.  The personality of the team was his, the clubhouse was his.  Most people didn’t like the Dodgers…they sure didn’t like the personality that Glenn brought to the ballpark.”
 
On Burke’s turbulent personality:  “I’m not sure every manager said, ‘Hey, I’ll take Glenn Burke.’ I don’t think they wanted him, because he was a handful.”
 
On Burke’s personality:  “That’s how strong Glenn’s personality was, that he could take over a Major League clubhouse and he was a rookie.  He hadn’t even played in the big leagues.” 

Lutha Davis – Sister:
On Burke’s injured leg:  “His leg was broken in three places and they put a rod in there. They were supposed to replace it but he never went back to get it replaced, so that leg was rotting.”
 
On AIDS:  “A lot of people were scared because I think at the time you didn’t know whether you can just breathe on somebody and get AIDS or just touch them.”  
 
Tommy Hawkins – Former Los Angeles Dodgers Vice President of Communications & External Affairs, KJAZZ radio announcer:
On Burke’s personality:  “I would describe Glenn like the glistening mirror ball at a discotheque. When the light hits it, and all of these different reflections and colors flash all over the room, that was Glenn Burke.”
 
Davey Lopes – Former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder, Philadelphia Phillies coach:
On the invention of the “High Five”:  “Me and Dusty always talk about and ask each other who invented the High Five.  And to this day the only guy we can think of is Glenn.” 
 
When a friend told him Burke was gay:  “He just said, ‘I just wanted to tell you. Glenn’s gay.’ And I said, ‘Glenn who? Get the – get outta here.’”
 
On Burke being traded for A’s Billy North:  “Everybody was upset…He was the guy that kept the chemistry going in the clubhouse…I think if everybody knows the story, I think there were other reasons why he was traded.”
 
On the Dodgers decision to trade Burke:  “You don’t break up, disrupt a team going as well as it was going to make changes.  I didn’t feel it was going to make us a better ball club.  Billy North was not going to make us, at that time, any better of a ball club.  I thought it was probably not the real reason why things happened.”
 
Rick Monday – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Dodgers broadcaster:
On Burke battling personal and professional demons:  “We didn’t understand the challenges he was going through on a daily basis at the time.  You put it into perspective when you say, here is a guy that is fighting not only the opposing pitcher that was trying to get him out, he was fighting the unknown.”
 
Mike Norris – Former Oakland Athletics pitcher:
On being in the locker room with Burke: “It became pretty obvious to a lot of people that Glenn was gay and he started to make a lot of people uncomfortable in the locker room and the showers.  It was an uncomfortable situation after awhile.”
 
On Burke retiring: “Glenn was just in a no-win situation. And that was the best thing for him to do was to retire.”
 
Pamela Pitts – Oakland Athletics Director of Baseball Administration:
On Burke’s reaction to hearing the A’s would help him:  “Glenn started to cry and said, ‘I’ve been told you’re going to help me. I can’t believe somebody wants to help me.’”
 
On Burke’s death:  “I do believe he was in a much better place. His demons were gone.”
 
Richard Purcell – Founder of “Marty’s Place,” an AIDS/HIV patient safe house in San Francisco:
On Burke’s drug use:  “He told me that on the day he was on national TV and he told the truth he was loaded to the gills.”
 
On Burke becoming alienated from his friends:  “I could see why he turned so many people off. It was the addiction; it wasn’t Glenn.”
 
Eric Sherman – Author, “Out at Home, The Glenn Burke Story”:
On interviewing Burke:  “I interviewed him…on and off for about maybe a year before he died and even though we had to take breaks every…every 10 minutes or so because of the pain, and the tears, the crying…I’ll never forget I said to him, ‘Glenn, you know we put in two or three days, we don’t have to go on, you don’t have to do this.’”
 
On Burke’s lifestyle after retirement:  “He ran out of money, then he got involved with drugs. His partying escalated and his drug use escalated.”
 
Jim Skeels – Burke’s Connie Mack Baseball coach:

On watching Burke play baseball:  “Glenn was the kind of guy that if you looked out in center field, nine times out of ten you’d see a smile on his face, because you could tell he loved playing this game.”
 
On Burke and gay stereotypes:  “When I looked at Glenn and realized that Glenn had chosen that lifestyle, I said, ‘You just have burst my stereotype.’”
 
On seeing Burke before he died: “For a man that had answers on the baseball field, on the basketball court, and I think to a great degree with life. And to see him curled up, it was crushing.”
 
Reggie Smith – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder:
On the suspicions on Burke’s sexuality:  “I certainly didn’t want to accuse him of that, because one thing’s for sure – at that time period, it was a kiss of death for a ballplayer.  He would’ve been excused from the game, so to say.”
 
On possible consequences of accusing a player of being gay:  “You didn’t want to cause that for a person, but at the same time you didn’t want to say you were closely associated.”
 
On the suspicion of Burke’s sexuality:  “You were concerned of being stereotyped…that to know him must mean that you’re one…so you kept your distance.” 
 
On Burke’s interview with Inside Sports:  “He made the choice to come out, knowing in his own mind that, as far as playing baseball, his career was pretty much over.”
 
Lyle Spencer – Former Los Angeles Dodgers beat writer, MLB.com:
On Burke’s charisma:  “I’ve been around a lot of charismatic guys…just in terms of personality, I’ve never been around anybody who could light up a room like Glenn could.”
 
On the reaction of Burke’s teammates the day he was traded:  “I was shocked that he was traded… I walked into the clubhouse…and guys were visibly distraught over the trade, and that told me that my sense of how important he was to them internally was accurate.  I even remember a few players crying when they found out about it at their lockers, which is stunning.”
 
Vincent Trahan – Berkeley High School classmate:
On Dodger management and their suspicions:  “Al Campanis and Walter O’Malley had called him into the office and offered him $75,000 to get married. And Glenn, being his comic self, said, ‘I guess you mean to a woman?’”  
 
On the Dodgers’ controversial trade of Burke to the A’s:  “He was hurt because they traded him not for his baseball ability but for his life choice.”
 
On helping Burke self-medicate with crack cocaine:  “I asked Lutha, ‘I’ve known you all my life…how do you feel with me bringing crack to Glenn?’…and Lutha said to me, ‘It doesn’t bother me. Whatever is giving my brother some type of relief, I’m okay with it.’”
 
Claudell Washington – Former Major League outfielder:
On Oakland Athletics manager Billy Martin introducing Burke to his new teammates in spring training:  “He was introducing all the players and then he got to Glenn and said, ‘Oh, by the way, this is Glenn Burke and he’s a faggot.’”
 
On Burke being a loner:  “Glenn was more or less a loner. The only time we ever saw Glenn was at the gym. I don’t know what he did after. We’d finish playing the game and stuff and Glenn was just like a mirage. He was here now and gone later.”
 
On hearing about Burke contracting AIDS:  “I was stunned at that time. A person that I’d known, loved, and respected had contracted an illness like that and was suffering.” 
 
Marvin Webb – Former Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League teammate:
On Burke’s ability to make new friends:  “Blacks, Whites, Latinos, they all loved Glenn. He got along with everybody.” 
 
On when teammates asked him about Burke: “I’ll tell you this, you ought to ask him. I ain’t never seen him with a woman but you ought to ask him.” 
 
On his drug use:  “I remember hearing about how he started robbing people for drugs and extra money. It really made me feel bad.”

 
Cast List
 
Abdul-Jalil al-Hakim – Childhood friend, sports agent
 
Shooty Babitt – Former Oakland Athletics infielder, Comcast SportsNet A’s analyst
 
Dusty Baker – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Cincinnati Reds manager
 
Marvin Buckley – Berkeley High School basketball teammate 
 
Billy Bean – Former Major League outfielder, gay rights activist
 
Mark Brown – San Francisco Gay Softball League player
 
Joyce Burke – Sister
 
Larry Corrigan – Former Dodgers-Minor League teammate, Pittsburgh Pirates executive
 
Tito Fuentes – Former Oakland Athletics infielder 
 
Lutha Harris – Sister
 
Tommy Hawkins – Former Los Angeles Dodgers VP of Communications & External Affairs, KJAZZ radio announcer
 
Ken Levine – “Cheers” writer/director/producer, host of KABC radio’s DodgerTalk
 
Davey Lopes – Former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder, Philadelphia Phillies coach 
 
Rick Monday – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Dodgers broadcaster
 
Manny Mota – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
 
Mike Norris – Former Oakland Athletics pitcher
 
Nick Peters – Hall of Fame baseball writer 
 
Rickey Henderson – Former Oakland Athletics outfielder, Hall of Famer
 
Pamela Pitts – Oakland Athletics Director of Baseball Administration
 
Jerry Pritikin – San Francisco Gay Softball League player
 
Richard Purcell – Founder of “Marty’s Place,” an AIDS/HIV safe house in San Francisco
 
Jon Rochmis – Former Oakland Tribune sportswriter, journalism instructor
 
Eric Sherman – Author, “Out at Home, The Glenn Burke Story”
 
Joe Simpson — Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, Atlanta Braves broadcaster
 
Jim Skeels – Former Connie Mack Baseball coach
 
Reggie Smith – Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
 
Lyle Spencer – Former Los Angeles Dodgers beat writer, MLB.com

Vincent Trayhan – Childhood friend
 
Steve Vucinich – Oakland Athletics Equipment Manager
 
Claudell Washington – Former Major League outfielder
 
Marvin Webb – Former Los Angeles Dodgers Minor Leaguer