Bean’s death was confirmed by the MLB, which said on social media that he died after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 60, The Associated Press reported.
League Commissioner Rob Manfred said Bean was “one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known,” the tweet on X said , adding Bean was someone who “made Baseball a better institution, both on and off the field.”
Bean was a two-time All-American outfielder at Loyola Marymount and helped take the team to the NCAA Men’s College World Series in 1986.
Sports Illustrated said he was drafted in the fourth round by the Detroit Tigers in 1986.
Bean played for the MLB over six seasons from 1987 to 1995, starting with the Tigers in 1987 where in his first game he had four hits, tying the record for a player in his first game, the AP reported.
He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, as well as the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, according to Sports Illustrated .
During his six-season MLB career, he appeared in 148 games, had 66 hits, three home runs, 29 RBIs and five stolen bases.
After he left the league as a player he came out as gay in 1999, the second former major league player to announce after Glenn Burke. He told his parents he was gay in 1996, after losing his partner, Sam, to HIV-related causes in 1995, Sports Illustrated reported.
About nearly 15 years later, Bean joined the MLB commissioner’s office as the first Ambassador for Inclusion, and over ten years was eventually named the senior vice president, helping teams “advance equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees, and stakeholders throughout baseball to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and supportive workplace for everyone.”
Sports Illustrated said the job entailed working with teams on player education, LGBTQ inclusion and social justice initiatives.
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