Burke-Bean exhibit honors trailblazers

The careers of former Dodger outfielders Glenn Burke and Billy Bean are honored with a Centerfield Plaza display unveiled on Friday prior to the 13th annual LGBQTQ+ Pride Night at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. The families of Burke and Bean attended the unveiling. (Mark Langill/Los Angeles Dodgers)

by Mark Langill

With family members donning the respective jerseys of former outfielders Glenn Burke and Billy Bean, the Dodgers on Friday unveiled a tribute to the LGBTQ+ trailblazers who were among the first professional athletes to identify as gay.

The afternoon ceremony in the Centerfield Plaza was part of the 13th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, presented by Blue Shield of California.

Along with the Burke and Bean families, members of the Dodgers’ Pride Business Resource Group gathered with other representatives of the Los Angeles front office to celebrate the legacies of Burke and Bean, who both played for the Dodgers.

The display features pictures and memorabilia from their respective careers and text explaining the duo’s contributions to Major League Baseball and professional sports.

Burke was the Dodgers’ 17th round selection in the June 1972 MLB Draft out of Merritt College in Oakland. He appeared in 124 regular-season games with Los Angeles between 1976 and 1978. Burke also played both the 1977 National League Championship Series against the Phillies and the 1977 World Series against the Yankees.

Burke played 101 games with the Oakland Athletics in 1978–79.

Burke passed away in 1995 at age 42.

“My baby brother Glenn was basically a happy guy who loved life,” says Lutha Burke, who was accompanied by sisters Joyce Henderson, Paula Hunt, and Carol Maas. “He was a caring person who loved and appreciated his friends. From childhood, he was always that way. I think he and Billy (Bean) would’ve been good friends if they had the chance to connect during their lifetimes.”

Lutha Burke was asked what she would like modern-day fans to know about her brother, who is credited for the first “high five” celebration on the final day of the 1977 season. As the on-deck hitter at home plate, Burke greeted Dusty Baker after his 30th home run of the season, which gave Los Angeles the first 30-homer quartet in MLB history with Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32) and Ron Cey (30).

“Glenn was a good guy, and that’s what I’d like people to know more than anything else,” Burke said. “I loved his athletic ability, but more than that, his outlook on life and people was something to be admired.”

Bean, a six-year MLB veteran who played 272 career games with three teams, spent part of the 1989 season with the Dodgers after a trade with the Detroit Tigers. The Santa Ana native and Loyola University product was selected in the fourth round of the June 1986 MLB Draft.

Bean, who later became MLB’s first Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, passed away at age 60 in 2024.

Bean’s husband, Greg Baker, fought back tears while speaking at the ceremony, glancing at the 1989 portrait of a smiling Bean in a Dodgers cap and jersey.

“On a personal level, I have so much pride,” Baker said, “I’m honored to see Billy’s work and his efforts immortalized, so to speak. At the same time, I’m not surprised because he deserves every ounce of recognition that he gets. He was one of the most hardworking, passionate, and kind people.

“Yes, I am so honored and so moved. I wish I could share this moment with him. Personally, I wish I could give him a hug and a kiss and tell him how much I love him.”