MLB's Diversity Leader Billy Bean Dies at 60 After Battle with Leukemia on Tuesday

Aug 6, 2024, 10:11 PM

Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner, passed away Tuesday at the age of 60 after an 11-month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Bean, a former MLB outfielder who made his debut with the Tigers in 1987, was a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in the sport and the second MLB player to publicly come out as gay. His efforts significantly advanced diversity and inclusion within baseball. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and numerous baseball organizations have expressed their condolences, highlighting Bean's substantial impact on and off the field.