New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke on the impact and his feelings on the death of Billy Bean, the former MLB ambassador for inclusion and senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bean, one of the first openly gay former MLB players, died after a battle with cancer on Tuesday. Bean was drafted by the Yankees in 1985 and played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres in the majors.
“Really easy to talk to, really easy to be around,” Boone said. “Just a good guy, so definitely a sad day for our sport, but I think also just the guy that I think in creating the position that the commissioner created for him several years ago, I think created more tolerance in our sport and understand that there's a lot more similarities between us than when we always focus on the differences.
“Billy was definitely a guy that definitely helped bring people together and move the needle in that regard, and he's somebody that will be missed.”
Bean hid his sexual orientation and a relationship with his partner Sam until Sam’s death in April 1995 as a result of AIDS-related complications. Following the 1995 MLB season, Bean retired from baseball.
Four years later, Bean came out as gay, becoming the second former MLB player ever to publicly do so, joining Glenn Burke, who played briefly in the 1970s with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
In 2014, Bean became the first ambassador for inclusion for MLB after being appointed to the position by Commissioner Bud Selig.
“Major League Baseball is delighted that Billy, a member of the baseball family, will advise and represent our sport on a wide range of matters,” Selig said at the time. “As a social institution, our game has important social responsibilities. To this day, the vibrant legacy of Jackie Robinson revolves around inclusion, respect and equal opportunity. I believe that Billy will help us proactively cultivate those fundamental principles, and he will serve as a significant resource to our Clubs, current and future players and many others throughout our game.”
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