Billy Bean, Ex-MLB Outfielder and LGBTQ+ Pioneer in the League, Dies at 60

Billy Bean, one of Major League Baseball’s first openly gay former players and a longtime advocate for equality in sports, died Tuesday after a yearlong battle with acute myeloid leukemia, according to the league. He was 60. “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,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others.” Bean played in the league as an outfielder over six seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres, retiring from baseball after the 1995 season. In 1999, he became the second former MLB player to come out as gay. Glenn Burke was the first. Bean was appointed MLB’s first inclusion ambassador in 2014. He became its senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion two years later, working with clubs to ensure “an equitable, inclusive, and supportive workplace for everyone,” the league said. He is survived by his husband, Greg Baker, and other family, according to Manfred.

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