Gay baseball trailblazer Billy Bean dies aged 60

Billy Bean, who became the second Major League Baseball (MLB) player to come out as gay, has died at the age of 60.

MLB confirmed in a statement early Wednesday (7 August) that the California star died at his home after a year-long fight with acute myeloid leukaemia.

The league’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, described Bean as “one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known.”

“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.”

Playing in six big league seasons between 1987 and 1995, Bean made history after becoming the second former major leaguer to come out as gay, with the first being Glenn Burke.

Following his storied baseball career, in which he played for the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Diego Padres, Bean made a career out of advocating for LGBTQ+ equality in MLB and beyond.

He joined the commissioner’s office in 2014 as an ambassador for inclusion, where he worked more than 10 years to advance equality across the sport.

“We are forever grateful for the enduring impact that Billy made on the gamer he loved,” Manfred said. “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.”

His memoir, Going the Other Way, became a national besteller in 2003 after his coming out became a national story.

In 2018, Bean commended the progress that society had already made, saying that “nowadays, there’s so much more information.”

“Self-identification happens a lot earlier, and open-hearted families and parents teach their children about everything in the world,” he said. “It allows for an earlier evolution. I was living in a very stone-age space.”

Bench coach of the Yankees, Brad Ausmus, who was a close friend to Bean, said that Bean had helped baseball move with society in that progress.

“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,” he said.