Gay Baseball Player Billy Bean Dies At 60, Leaving Behind A Lasting Legacy
“Walking on a major league field has always been my goal.” – Billy Bean told the Los Angeles Times in 1987
Billy Bean, a former MLB player who became the second to come out as gay in 1999, died Tuesday at age 60. He passed away after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
Bean played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres during his six-year MLB career from 1987 to 1995. In 2014, he joined the league as its first Ambassador For Inclusion, focusing on player education, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and social justice initiatives. He later became MLB’s Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity And Inclusion.
Born in Santa Ana, California, Bean excelled in both baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the Tigers in 1986 after a standout college career at Loyola Marymount University.
Throughout his playing days, Bean struggled with his sexuality and the fear of not being accepted. He lived a double life, keeping his relationships with men hidden from teammates and the public.
After retiring in 1995, Bean came out to his family and then publicly in 1999. He became an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, working to make sports more inclusive. In his 2014 memoir, Going The Other Way, he shared his experiences as a closeted player.
“I’ve learned making an impact on someone’s life is more important than a lifetime .300 batting average.” – Billy Bean, 2001
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised Bean as “one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known” who “made Baseball a better institution, both on and off the field.”
Despite his cancer diagnosis in 2023, Bean remained committed to his work with MLB. “I just think that each and every year, each and every day, I’m in this seat, I am more humbled by the opportunity to bring people together,” he said in 2022.
Billy Bean leaves behind a legacy as a trailblazer and advocate who worked tirelessly to create a more inclusive world in sports and beyond.
