NEW YORK — Billy Bean, who became the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay in 1999 before becoming the sport’s senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, has died. He was 60.
MLB released a statement confirming his death. Bean died at home on Tuesday after a yearlong fight with acute myeloid leukemia.
The former Santa Ana High and Loyola Marymount standout 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. An outfielder, he also played for the Dodgers and San Diego Padres and finished with a career batting average of .226, with 108 hits and five home runs.
Bean – not to be confused with Billy Beane, the Oakland A’ executive featured in the book and movie “Moneyball” – was a state champion at Santa Ana High and a two-time All-American outfielder at LMU, leading the Lions to the 1986 College World Series.
Bean wrote a book titled “Going the Other Way” and was also a keynote speaker at many events. He publicly came out as gay in 1999, the second former major leaguer to do so after Glenn Burke.
Bean joined the commissioner’s office in 2014, when he was hired by former Commissioner Bud Selig to be MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. He spent more than 10 years working for MLB, eventually being promoted to senior vice president.
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Bean worked with MLB clubs to “advance equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees, and stakeholders throughout baseball to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and supportive workplace for everyone.”
“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.”
Bill Bean, MLB’s vice president of Social Responsibility and Inclusion, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants on June 17, 2016, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Bean, a former major league outfielder who starred at Santa Ana High and LMU, died Tuesday after a battle with leukemia. He was 60. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File)
