Bill Bean, MLB’s vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion, throws out the ceremonial opening pitch before a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants in 2016 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Chris O’Meara/AP
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Chris O’Meara/AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Bean, the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay in 1999 before becoming the sport’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, has died. He was 60.
MLB released a statement confirming his death. Bean passed away at home on Tuesday after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
The California native played in six major league seasons from 1987 to 1995, debuting with the Detroit Tigers in a four-hit performance that tied the record for a player in his first game. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He was a two-time All-American outfielder at Loyola Marymount, leading the team to the NCAA Men’s College World Series in 1986.
Bean has written a book titled “Going the Other Way” and has also been a keynote speaker at many events. He publicly announced that he was gay in 1999, the second former professional baseball player to do so after Glenn Burke.
Bean joined the commissioner’s office in 2014, when he was hired by former Commissioner Bud Selig as MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. He spent more than 10 years working for MLB, eventually rising to senior vice president.
Bean has worked with MLB clubs to “promote equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, staff and stakeholders across baseball to ensure a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace for all.”
“Today, our hearts are broken as we mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Billy Bean, one of the kindest and most honorable individuals I have ever known,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Billy was a friend to countless people in our game and he made a difference through his unwavering dedication to others.”
