It was a sad day for the sports community on Aug. 6, 2024, when it was announced that former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean had passed away at the age 60. Bean played for the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring at 31 in 1995.
Bean came out as gay in 1999, only the second MLB player to do so, and in 2014, he was appointed as the organization’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. He served as the MLB’s senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion from 2022 until his passing. MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred described Bean as “one of the kindest and most respected individuals” he’s ever met in a statement that mourned his passing.
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.
Billy Bean’s health
In December 2023, Bean revealed that he had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Before his diagnosis, he’d lost a lot of weight and felt fatigued but attributed it to stress. After a check-up, however, he discovered that he had AML, an aggressive type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
Bean spent three weeks in the hospital to get treatment and wasn’t allowed to have visitors because of his weak immune system. “It was a very isolating experience, especially when you don’t know what the outcome is,” he said. According to reports, Bean died of complications related to AML. He is survived by his husband, Greg Baker.