Billy Bean, the second former professional baseball player to come out as gay and who went on to work in the commissioner's office, died August 6. He was 60.
According to Major League Baseball, Mr. Bean had fought an 11-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
"Our hearts are broken today as we mourn our dear friend and colleague, Billy Bean, one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known," Commissioner Rob Manfred stated. "Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others. He made baseball a better institution, both on and off the field, by the power of his example, his empathy, his communication skills, his deep relationships inside and outside our sport, and his commitment to doing the right thing. We are forever grateful for the enduring impact that Billy made on the game he loved, and we will never forget him. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Billy's husband, Greg Baker, and their entire family."
Mr. Bean had most recently been MLB's senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He joined the commissioner's office in July 2014, hired by then-commissioner Bud Selig, as MLB's first-ever ambassador for inclusion, according to the league.
MLB promoted Mr. Bean to vice president and special assistant to the commissioner in March 2017, adding anti-bullying efforts to his plate, an article on MLB's website noted. Five years later, Mr. Bean was promoted to senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a senior adviser to Manfred, Mr. Bean's role focused on player education, LGBTQ inclusion, and social justice initiatives.
The California native played in six big league seasons 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, according to the Associated Press. 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, AP reported.
It wasn't until 1999, more than three years after his final game, that Mr. Bean came out, becoming only the second player ever to do so, MLB stated. (Glenn Burke, the former Oakland A's player who retired in 1979 and came out in 1982, died in 1995.)
Mr. Bean became a national story, with media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, and ABC covering his coming out. In 2003, Mr. Bean published his memoir, "Going the Other Way," which became a national bestseller.
Nine years ago, after Mr. Bean was named MLB's ambassador for inclusion, he spoke with then-Bay Area Reporter sports columnist Roger Brigham.
For eight years Mr. Bean played ball and kept his sexuality secret before finally abandoning his career in his chosen sport, Brigham wrote. Mr. Bean said he left "for all the wrong reasons," believing there was no way he would be accepted if he disclosed his sexuality. All that changed when MLB announced his hire.
"MLB saw what was happening with players in other sports coming out — players like Jason Collins and Michael Sam," Mr. Bean told the B.A.R., referring to the former professional basketball and football players, respectively. "They felt the need to be in front of the curve. My hiring is about the idea of empowering people. If they had something like this when I was a player, I would not have quit. I would have felt someone out there actually cared about me."
In the interview, Mr. Bean said the homophobia he experienced in and out of baseball was often unspoken but never out of sight.
"Homophobia is inherent in so many parts of our culture that it still seems okay and we have to unlearn what is ingrained in us," he said. "In 10 years of playing professionally, no one called me a bad name. But my father was an ex-Marine and he used the word 'faggot.' I wasn't being called names as a player, but I was hiding a big secret. Our ultimate goal now is to put the best, healthiest product on the field."
After receiving his diagnosis last September, Mr. Bean made it public in December, the MLB article noted. MLB's annual Winter Meetings Charity Auction supported Stand Up to Cancer, which was selected after Bean and Catalina Villegas, MLB's director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, were both diagnosed with cancer in 2023.
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