Longtime MLBer Billy Bean, Advocate for LGBTQ Inclusion in Baseball, Dies at 60

Patrick Andres | Aug 7, 2024

Jun 16, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The only openly gay Major League Baseball player, BIlly Bean, is acknowledged on Pride Night prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Bean, a former MLB first baseman, outfielder and pinch hitter who served as baseball's most prominent public advocate for LGBTQ inclusion, died Tuesday, the league announced. He was 60.

Per MLB, Bean—called "one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known" by commissioner Rob Manfred—died of acute myeloid leukemia.

Bean played six seasons in MLB with the Detroit Tigers (1987 to '89), Los Angeles Dodgers ('89), and San Diego Padres (1993 to '95). He finished with a career slash line of .226/.266/.308, hitting five home runs and driving in 53 runs.

Four years after the end of his career, Bean made headlines by coming out as gay to Lydia Martin of The Miami Herald. In 2014, MLB named the Loyola Marymount product its ambassador for inclusion; he was the league's senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion upon his death.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Billy Bean, MLB’s Senior VP for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner. Billy, who fought a heroic year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, was 60.

Over the last 10 years,… pic.twitter.com/dCfFM6hQlE

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024

In MLB's statement, Manfred identified Bean as a person who "made (baseball) a better institution, both on and off the field.”