Billy Bean, Former MLB Outfielder and LGBTQ Advocate, Dead at 60 [Video]

Billy Bean, a special advisor to commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB’s senior vice president for diversity, equality, and inclusion, has died after a yearlong fight with acute myeloid leukemia, the league announced Tuesday. He was 60. In an interview with the Miami Herald in 1999, Bean became the second player ever to come out as gay.

“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,” 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 sport, and his commitment to doing the right thing. We …