Billy Beane, the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who became Major League Baseball’s first chief diversity officer, died Tuesday at the age of 60.

The cause was acute myeloid leukemia, Major League Baseball said in a statement, but did not provide details on the location.

Beane was the second major league player to come out as gay. Glenn Burke, a center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics, came out after retiring in 1982. Beane retired in 1995 after playing for the Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres.

His tenure as Athletics general manager and his pioneering application of statistical analysis to baseball were the subject of Michael Lewis’ best-selling book Moneyballwhich was adapted into a film of the same name and nominated for Best Picture by director Bennett Miller. Brad Pitt played Ben in this film.

Beane was named MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion in 2014. Since 2022, he has served as the organization’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. He has worked with all 30 clubs to educate players on inclusion and social justice initiatives, and led an anti-bullying campaign on social media to support LGBTQ youth.

“He made baseball a better institution, both on and off the field, through the power of his example, his compassion, his communication skills, his deep relationships inside and outside of our sport, and his commitment to doing the right thing,” Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the statement.

Of his retirement, which came in part to hide his gay relationship, Beane said: “I knew baseball wasn’t ready for someone like me.”

No information was available about the survivors.

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