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Trailblazing gay baseball athlete Billy Bean passes away at age 60
The MLB star played for teams like the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Billy Bean, the trailblazing baseball player who came out as gay and paved the way for future generations of athletes to be their most authentic selves, died on Tuesday, August 6 (via CNN). In 2023, Bean was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (ALM). After a hard-fought battle with cancer, the retired athlete reportedly passed away.
Born in Santa Ana, California, Bean played for high-profile teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). Namely, he played the Detroit Tigers (1987-1989), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1989), and the San Diego Padres (1993-1995), as reported by ESPN. During his debut playing for the Tigers, Bean had an impressive "four-hit performance that tied a record for a player in his first game."
Bean slowly came out to the public in the late 1990s, as reported in The New York Times. The MLB star said at the time, "For nine years, I felt as though I had one foot in the major leagues and one on a banana peel," noting that he was concerned about embarrassing his family and his baseball team at the time.
The official Instagram account for Major League Baseball (MLB) shared a statement on Bean's passing that reads as follows:
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Billy Bean, MLB's Senior VP for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner. Billy, who fought a heroic year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, was 60. Over the last 10 years, Billy worked passionately and tirelessly with MLB and all 30 Clubs, focusing on player education, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and social justice initiatives to advance equality in the game for all.
"Billy's 10-year playing career included six Major League seasons with the Tigers, Dodgers, and Padres. Commissioner Rob Manfred called Billy 'one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known' and someone who 'made Baseball a better institution, both on and off the field.'"
We're sending our condolences to Billy Bean's loved ones as they process this tragic loss.
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Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
