Billy Bean and Billy Beane Shared More Than Just a Similar Name — They Were Once MLB Teammates

Amid the news that former MLB player Billy Bean passed away in early August 2024, some folks were confusing his name with another sports star who shares the same monicker with just a slightly different spelling.

In fact, sports radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo even mixed up the names live on air, announcing the death of the wrong person.

Here's what to know about Billy Bean vs. Billy Beane , who were actually once teammates on the same MLB team.

Billy Bean vs. Billy Beane, explained.

Billy Bean , who passed away on Aug. 6, 2024, following an 11-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia, was a former baseball star whose decade-long playing career included stints with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres. Bean was diagnosed with leukemia back in September 2023, per MLB .

The second former major league player to come out as gay , Bean went on to become the MLB's senior VP for diversity, equity, and inclusion (commonly known as DEI).

Another well-known figure in the sports world is Billy Beane (note the extra "e" at the end of his last name), who is two years older than Billy Bean and also used to play baseball. He is the former general manager of the Oakland Athletics and current senior adviser to the team's owner John Fisher, and he previously played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and, of course, the Athletics.

And yes, while Beane was with the Tigers, he did overlap with Bean in 1988. In fact, reports say that Bean had a hard time breaking out in baseball because he shared the name with Beane, who would later be portrayed by Brad Pitt in the 2011 film Moneyball .

As for the late Billy Bean who passed away, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he was "one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known," and that he would not be forgotten.

"Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others," he also said. "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."

When did Billy Bean retire from professional baseball?

Billy Bean's last MLB game was in 1989. He retired at the age of 31, deciding to step away from the game after realizing "that living as a closeted baseball player was untenable," according to the MLB. Because Billy felt it wasn't the right moment to come out as a gay player, he waited more than three years to share his true self with the world.

Glenn Burke was the first MLB player to come out as gay, having followed a similar timeline as Billy (retiring in 1979 and coming out three years later).