Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs has died at age 43. The seven-year-old major leaguer collapsed while coaching his son’s little league team on Thursday, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Burroughs was a first-round pick (No. 9 overall) of the San Diego Padres in 1998. He played four seasons with the Padres and one each with the Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins.
Following his stint with the Rays in 2005, Burroughs was out of baseball for several years as he battled drug addiction and alcoholism. Then-D-backs general manager Kevin Towers, who was the Padres’ GM when Burroughs was called up, gave him a comeback opportunity in 2011.
During his career, Burroughs hit .278 with a .690 OPS, 68 doubles, 12 home runs, 143 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 528 games. His best season was 2003, his first full major league season. He hit .286 with a .755 OPS, 27 doubles, seven home runs, 58 RBI and seven steals that year.
In addition to his time in the MLB, Burroughs also had a successful youth sports career. He was part of two consecutive Little League World Series championship teams in 1992 and 1993 with Long Beach, California. In the 1993 Little League World Series, Burroughs threw two consecutive no-hitters, recording 16 strikeouts and batting .600.
“Sean was a legend in the LLBL and the baseball community,” Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman wrote on social media. “As he left [Long Beach] to play for several MLB clubs, he returned to his home at Stearns Champions Park to coach his son.
“I’ve had the privilege of coaching with Sean the past two years and he always comes with a fun, friendly attitude that draws kids in, a wealth of baseball knowledge that could get any kid out of a hitting rut, and a humility that’s worth emulating . . To say this is a huge loss is an understatement.”
Little League International noted Burroughs’ death on its website.
Burroughs also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
“We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to learn of Sean’s tragic passing,” USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. “Sean was part of one of our most beloved teams and represented our country on and off the field in a first-class manner. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burroughs family during this time.”
Burroughs was the son of Jeff Burroughs, a 16-year-old major leaguer who was the No. 1 pick in the 1969 MLB Draft by the Washington Senators and won the American League MVP award in 1974 with the Texas Rangers.
