ESPN Talker Flubs Death of Ex-Dodgers Icon on Live TV

Doing live media is never easy, especially in an environment where hot-take opinions are not only encouraged but required. So, when ESPN’s Chris “Mad Dog” Russo — whose entire reputation and career are owed to knee-jerk reactions — got word of iconic ex-Dodgers outfielder Billy Bean’s death, it’s little wonder he jumped to an erroneous conclusion.

He delivered the news of the death of Billy Beane, the former Mets draft pick who flamed out in MLB and went on to become a different sort of icon as the Oakland A’s general manager and the centerpiece of the groundbreaking book and movie “Moneyball.”

“The word that we’re getting right now is that the general manager of the A’s, Billy Beane, may have passed away,” Russo said August 7 on his on “Mad Dog Unleashed” show, via the New York Post. “Wow. Was he ill? I wasn’t aware of this. I mean, he’s not that old. Geez. Was it sudden? We’ll see if we can get some information. Wow. That is a terrible story. Billy Beane of the A’s. I don’t know anything about it. This is the first I’ve heard.”

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Ex-Dodgers OF Billy Bean Became an Icon of Inclusion

There was good reason he’d not heard of the death of the former A’s GM — because he is still alive.

But Billy Bean, who played for the Dodgers in 1989 after he was traded from the Tigers in July of that year, had died August 6 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, a fast-moving cancer that had been diagnosed in December 2023. Bean was 60.

Bean had become an icon for inclusion after coming out as gay in 1999, the second former big-leaguer to do so after Glenn Burke, who died in 1995. He had spent seven years in the big leagues, mostly with Detroit and San Diego, and had batted .197 in his time with the Dodgers.

But he became a much bigger figure for MLB in 2014 after he was hired as an assistant to the commissioner for inclusion, and was eventually moved to the role as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion for MLB.

Bean spoke about the positives of his role with the Advocate in 2022, saying, “I just think that each and every year — each and every day I’m in this seat — I am more humbled by the opportunity to bring people together.”

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‘That’s Not the Billy Beane From the A’s’

On news of his death, the Dodgers posted a photo of Bean in his Los Angeles uniform — he was a Santa Ana, California, native and had helped Loyola Marymount to the College World Series — with the caption:

“We mourn the passing of Billy Bean, a former Dodger and pioneering executive who as MLB’s Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion truly elevated the culture and spirit of the game he loved.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement, too:

“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. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Billy’s husband, Greg Baker, and their entire family.”

As for Russo, after a short while fumbling with the misidentification of Beane, who still is an adviser for the A’s, finally recognized the mistake when reading the MLB statement.

“Billy, who fought a heroic year-long battle with acute leukemia — uh — That’s the wrong Billy Bean. That’s not the Billy Beane from the A’s,” he said during his reading of the statement.

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