Trailblazing Former MLB Star Dead at 60

Billy Bean, who played for nearly a decade in the MLB and was the league's second openly gay player, has died at age 60.

Former MLB outfielder Billy Bean has died at 60 after a brief battle with cancer, The New York Post and ESPN reported.

In addition to his tenure with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres, Bean was the MLB’s senior vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and was special assistant to the league’s commissioner, Rob Manfred. During an interview with The Miami Herald in 1999, Bean became the second MLB player to publicly come out as gay.

Some outlets have misreported the spelling of Bean’s name. He is not Billy Beane, the former MLB star and current minority owner of the Oakland Athletics who was portrayed by Brad Pitt in the film Moneyball.

“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,” Manfred said in a statement.

Bean was a fourth-round draft pick by the Tigers in 1986. He went on to play with the Dodgers and then the Padres before his retirement in 1995 at age 31.

Bean made the decision to retire after his long-term partner, Sam, died of a cardiac arrest from AIDS-related complications in April 1995. Because of the cultural disposition in the '90s, Bean was afraid of their homosexual relationship coming to light and tarnishing his career. So that fans would not identify him, Bean took his grievously ill partner to a hospital far outside of town. After Sam died, Bean did not attend his public funeral for the same reasons.

"He decided that living as a closeted baseball player was untenable, and he believed that neither he nor the game was ready for an openly gay player," the MLB noted (via Fox2 Detroit).

“Think if you lost your wife or partner, went to work and didn't tell anybody?" Bean told People. "But I thought the world would stop spinning if I came out.” 

Bean later met Greg Baker, with whom he was partnered until his death.

“Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others,” Manfred continued. “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. We are forever grateful for the enduring impact that Billy made on the game he loved, and we will never forget him. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Billy’s husband, Greg Baker, and their entire family.”

In 2014, Bean was appointed as the MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. For the last decade, Bean worked closely with the league on issues of inclusion, social justice, and player education. He revealed his cancer diagnosis in December 2023, three months after he was diagnosed.