Billy Bean obit

Baseball trailblazer Billy Bean, who dedicated life to inclusion, dies at 60

 

He was not on the list.

Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of one of its own.

Billy Bean, the league’s Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, passed away at his home on Tuesday after an 11-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Bean, who was diagnosed last September, was 60 years old.

“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,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others. 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.”

A native of Santa Ana, California, Bean was the only living openly gay Major League player (current or former), having come out in 1999. Detroit’s fourth-round Draft pick in 1986, Bean played for the Tigers, Dodgers and Padres from 1987-1995, logging a total of 519 plate appearances in 272 career games.

His decision to retire at the age of 31 wasn’t easy, but 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. It wasn’t until 1999, more than three years after his final game, that Bean came out, becoming only the second player ever to do so. (Glenn Burke, who retired in 1979 and came out in 1982, died in 1995.)

Bean became a national story, with media outlets including the New York Times, CNN and ABC covering his tale. In 2003, Bean published his memoir, “Going the Other Way,” which became a national bestseller.

"Nowadays, there's so much more information," Bean said in 2018. "Self-identification happens a lot earlier, and open-hearted families and parents teach their children about everything in the world. It allows for an earlier evolution. I was living in a very stone-age space."

Bean joined the Office of the Commissioner in July 2014, hired by then-Commissioner Bud Selig as MLB’s first-ever Ambassador for Inclusion. As a senior advisor to Manfred, Bean’s role focused on player education, LGBTQ inclusion, and social justice initiatives.

“As society progressed, Billy brought that as a figurehead to Major League Baseball and institutions that never had a position like that, or a role like that, or even acknowledged it,” said Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus, who played 18 years in the big leagues and has been a close friend to Bean, dating back to their time as Padres teammates in the 1990s.

“It’s a sad day, definitely, for what he’s done in the game," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "His leadership is going to be missed in the role. Brad Ausmus is a good friend of mine, and I know Brad sent him a note today. ... For baseball, we lost an ambassador and a really, really great man.”

MLB promoted Bean to Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner in March 2017, adding anti-bullying efforts to his plate. Five years later, Bean was promoted to Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers (1987–1989), Los Angeles Dodgers (1989), and San Diego Padres (1993–1995), as well as the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 1992.

He enrolled at Loyola Marymount University on an athletic scholarship to play college baseball for the Loyola Marymount Lions. After his junior year, the New York Yankees selected Bean in the 24th round of the 1985 MLB Draft. Though the Yankees offered Bean a $55,000 signing bonus, Bean followed through with his promise to return to Loyola Marymount for his senior year. Bean appeared with the Lions in the 1986 College World Series.

The Detroit Tigers selected Bean in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB Draft. He signed with the Tigers for $12,500. Bean made his major league debut for the Tigers on April 25, 1987 and tied the major league record of 4 hits in his debut game. He had a total of 6 bases with two doubles and won over the fans in Tiger Stadium that were chanting his name in the later inning at bats. He spent most of the 1988 season in the minor leagues, where he led the Toledo Mud Hens in batting average; among his teammates in Toledo was the similarly named Billy Beane. Bean played in 10 games for the Tigers after he was promoted back to the major leagues in August 1988. He played in nine games for the Tigers in the 1989 season. On July 17, 1989, the Tigers traded Bean to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor leaguers Steve Green and Domingo Michel. He batted .197 for the Dodgers in 51 games, and was demoted to the minor leagues.