Major League Baseball announced the death of Billy Bean, its second player to come out as gay and its first-ever Ambassador for Inclusion.
The league announced in a press release Tuesday that Bean succumbed to acute myeloid leukemia after a year-long battle. He was 60.
Bean played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres over parts of six seasons from 1987-95.
“Our hearts are broken today as we mourn our dear friend and colleague, Billy Bean, one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others. 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 …