Billy Beane, who became the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay, has died at the age of 60 after battling leukemia.
Bean came out as gay in 1999, a few years after his playing career ended, and became Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Major League Baseball released a statement confirming that Ben died at his home on Tuesday after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
“Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague Billy Beane, one of the kindest and most respected people I have ever known,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Billy was a friend to countless people in our game, and made a difference through his tireless dedication to others.”
The California native played in six major league seasons from 1987 to 1995, making his debut with the Detroit Tigers in a four-hit performance that tied the record for a player in his first game. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He was a two-time center fielder for Loyola Marymount, leading the team to the 1986 Men’s College World Series.
Bean wrote a book, Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life in and Out of Major League Baseball, and has also been a keynote speaker at numerous events. He came out publicly as gay in 1999, the second former Major League Baseball player to do so after Glenn Burke.
He later told the Miami Herald that many of his former colleagues offered him support after he came out as gay.
“When I talked to people like Brad [Ausmus] Or Trevor Hoffman, it wasn’t like, “I can’t believe you told everyone – what exactly do you do in bed?” It was like, “Next time you come back to the West Coast, let’s go surfing again.”
Ben joined the Commissioner’s Office in 2014, when he was appointed as MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. He spent more than 10 years working for MLB, eventually being promoted to senior vice president.
Ben works with Major League Baseball clubs to “promote equity for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees and stakeholders across the game of baseball to ensure a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace for all.”
Ben is survived by his husband, Greg Baker.
