Billy Bean dies at 60 as MLB leads tributes with emotional statement

Former MLB player Billy Bean , the second professional American baseball player to come out as gay, passed away at the age of 60.

Bean was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last September and died in his home Tuesday night after an 11-month battle. Bean had been serving as the senior VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the commissioner's office of Major League Baseball .

Former commissioner Bud Selig appointed Bean back in 2014 to focus on player education, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and social justice initiatives. “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," said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred .

“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."

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Bean is not the same man as former Oakland Athletics general Billy Beane, who was portrayed by Brad Pitt in the the popular baseball film "Moneyball." Bean was born in Santa Ana, California in 1964.

The outfielder played his college baseball at Loyola Marymount University before the Detroit Tigers selected him the fourth round of the 1986 MLB Draft, with whom he agreed to a $12,500 signing bonus. He was promoted to the Tigers in 1987 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1989.

After a stint in Japan with the Osaka Kitetsu Buffaloes in 1992, Bean finished his career with the San Diego Padres from 1993 to 1995. In 272 career MLB games, Bean record 108 hits, hit five home runs, drove in 53 runs, and notched a .226 career average.

Bean came out as gay publicly almost four years after his last game in an interview with the Miami Herald in 1999, becoming the second MLB player to come out as gay following Glenn Burke in 1982. Neither men were active at the time of their announcements.

“I’ve learned making an impact on someone’s life is more important than a lifetime .300 batting average,” Bean said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2001. “The more positive role models that people see, the less sensational the whole idea of diverse sexuality becomes.”

Almost every MLB team posted on social media honoring the late Bean, The Toronto Blue Jays held a moment of silence prior to Tuesday's game in his honor.

"We are forever grateful for the enduring impact that Billy made on the game he loved," Commissioner Manfred said. "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."