David Denson is a Real Hero

This year’s Glenn Burke Memorial Courage Award recipient is an amazing young man.

In the short time I have known David Denson, I have already developed an incredible amount of respect and admiration for him. Not just for how he has carried himself in the face of adversity, but for the person he is.  This power-hitting, 21-year-old Milwaukee Brewers prospect is the real deal.  He can hit throw, and play the game better than most.

So how did we decide on him for this honor? Well, it’s time now for my annual history lesson about Glenn Burke. It’s very brief this year, because you should all know about Glenn by now.

Glenn made a name for himself on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He even played in a World Series! Glenn was openly gay. His teammates knew (for the most part) and from what I understand they were supportive of him. Then management found out. They were much less supportive. General Manager Al Campanis offered to pay Glenn a cash bonus if he married a woman. Burke refused and was promptly traded to the Oakland A’s, where known bigot Billy Martin never even gave Glenn a chance to reach his potential.

Didn’t matter. Glenn Burke made no apologies or excuses for the person he was and was proud to walk away from baseball, knowing that he had not compromised his own self-worth.

A true hero never realizes what they are until someone else tells them, or at least that is what comic books have taught me. Heroes also do not ask for any praise or rewards (unless you count Iron Man, but that guy is not your typical hero is he?). They just go out, do their job to the best of their abilities, and go home. Real heroes don’t care about awards or personal accolades. In sports, real heroes care about the team and their teammates.

David Denson is the type of guy any coach would love to have on their ball club, and I am thrilled that he plays for mine (Milwaukee Brewers farm system!). He made a national name for himself by hitting the longest home run ever recorded in the Miami Marlins ballpark. The Brewers drafted him straight out of high school, so he decided to forego college and head straight to the big leagues.

When I spoke with him, he told me that it was because there was more to be learned from professional coaching. While he valued the opportunity to go to college, David wanted to be a baseball player…so he became a baseball player.

The exact details of the moment he announced to his teammates that he was gay are unimportant. What is important is how everyone responded to the news.

As David explains it…his life didn’t really change. His teammates, coaches, fans and opposing fans have done nothing but support and encourage David to continue being himself. That makes me so freaking happy! Maybe we, as a society, have finally moved on and stopped caring about people’s sexual orientation!!!

Truth is, David Denson is just a good dude. He doesn’t want anyone to “accept” him and his sexuality, he just wants them to respect his choices and decisions. Go listen to the podcast interview we did with him and try to not feel sheer and unbridled respect.

A kid, just old enough to buy his own beer, who carries himself like 15-year MLB veteran…that is David Denson. And I cannot wait to see him in the big leagues. I know he will get there.

Sometimes you talk to someone and you just know that they are going to get everything they work for in life. David is working hard and has his eye on the prize.

If Glenn Burke was still alive, I would like to think that he and David would have already been fast friends. They share the same love of the game, drive to be the best and strength in who they are. I also believe that Glenn would be thrilled that we were giving the award to David. If you are not already a fan of David Denson, you should be.

I am honored to have had this opportunity to meet him and talk to him, because this young man is going places.