During a July 16, 1993, day game against the Phillies, Padres outfielder Billy Bean uncorked the first home run of his career – an eighth-inning, pinch-hit rocket off of reliever Larry Andersen at Jack Murphy Stadium.
That night, the pounding on the door of his Del Mar condo startled him. The voices on the other side absolutely terrified him. Trevor Hoffman and Brad Ausmus surprised Bean, lugging beers to celebrate with their recently divorced teammate.
“It was heart-attack city,” Bean recalled Friday at Petco Park.
Bean’s life wasn’t about surprises. It was built around planning and contingencies, plausible explanations and alibis.