William Daro Bean, aka Billy Bean, was born on May 11, 1964, and died on August 6, 2024, after an 11-month battle with Myeloid Leukemia. He is survived by his husband, Greg Baker. They lived Upstate in Cortlandt, NY, while summering in their Cherry Grove home, “Back Bay.”
Bean grew up in Santa Ana, CA. He became a Major League player when he won an athletic scholarship to play baseball at Loyola Marymount University. After finishing his junior year, the New York Yankees selected Bean through the MLB draft, but he decided to stay on at Loyola Marymount to earn his college degree. After graduation, he joined the Detroit Tigers in 1986, then played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and finished his baseball career with the San Diego Padres, retiring in 1995.
Billy was the second former Major League Baseball player to come out as gay in 1999. In 2003, Bean authored his memoir “Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball.” He was appointed MLB’s first “Ambassador for Inclusion” in 2014 and later became the sport’s senior vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“To Cherry Grove, we lost a dear, dear friend,” wrote Cherry Grove Community Association, Inc. (CGCAI) in a special newsletter. Shortly after news of Bean’s passing, CGCAI released a statement: “Our hearts are with Billy’s husband Greg and all of his beloved friends and family.”
They further quoted the words of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred:
“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. Billy was a friend to countless people across our game, and he made a difference through his constant dedication to others.”
He loved Cherry Grove and participated in many of our community projects. We here at home plate will miss him and his cracker-jack smile.
Shoshanna McCollum also contributed to this article.
