Billy Bean, the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay, has died of leukemia at age 60.
Bean came out in 1999, a few years after his active career ended, and later became MLB’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
MLB released a statement confirming his death. Bean died Tuesday at home after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
“Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Billy Bean, one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Billy was a friend to countless people across our sport, and he made a difference through his unwavering dedication to others.”
The California native played in six seasons in the major leagues from 1987 to 1995, making his debut with the Detroit Tigers in a four-hit performance that tied a 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 wrote a book called Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life in and Out of Major-League Baseball and was a keynote speaker at many events. He came out publicly in 1999, becoming the second former major leaguer after Glenn Burke.
He later told the Miami Herald that many of his former teammates supported him after he came out.
“When I talked to people like Brad [Ausmus] or Trevor Hoffman, it wasn’t like, ‘I can’t believe you told everyone — what do you even do in bed?’ It was like, ‘Next time you’re on the West Coast, we’re going surfing again.'”
Bean joined the commissioner’s office in 2014, when he was hired as MLB’s first ambassador for inclusion. He worked for MLB for more than a decade, eventually being promoted to senior vice president.
Bean worked with MLB clubs to “advance equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees and stakeholders across baseball to ensure a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace for all.”
Bean is survived by his husband, Greg Baker.