Billy Bean, second openly gay ex-MLB player, dies at 60
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NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Bean, who became the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay in 1999 before becoming the sport’s senior vice-president for diversity, equity and inclusion, has died. He was 60.
MLB released a statement confirming his death. Bean died at home on Tuesday after a yearlong fight with acute myeloid leukemia.
The California native played in six big league seasons from 1987 to 1995, making his debut with the Detroit Tigers in a four-hit performance that tied a 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 all-American outfielder at Loyola Marymount, leading the team to the NCAA Men’s College World Series in 1986.
Bean wrote a book titled “Going the Other Way” and was also a keynote speaker at many events. He publicly came out as gay in 1999, the second former major-leaguer to do so after Glenn Burke.
