Billy Bean was an openly gay former big-league outfielder whose greatest contributions to the game took place after his playing career ended. As MLB’s senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, he made it his business to travel throughout Baseball America, to big-league ballparks, to minor-league ballparks, for sessions with players, coaches and front-office personnel. Advertisement How much of a dent did he make? On Tuesday, after MLB announced Bean had passed away at age 60 following a yearlong fight with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman shared a text he received from assistant general manager Jean Afterman.
“He loved us all, such a great human,” Cashman told me over the phone, reading Afterman’s text. “I remember the first time Billy addressed our minor-league players ..
. then-minor-league player Aaron Judge made it a point to come up to Billy after his beautiful and emotional presentation, and said, ‘Thank you, brother. That meant so much.
’” 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,.
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twitter.com/dCfFM6hQlE — MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024 That’s a wonderful visual, the wide-eyed future Yankee icon personally thanking Bean for visiting camp. But not every player Bean.