Sean Burroughs, Little League World Series winner, 2000 Olympic gold medalist and first-round MLB draft pick, has died at the age of 43.
The Long Beach (Calif.) Little League said in a statement posted on Instagram that Burroughs “tragically passed away” Thursday afternoon.
According to USA Today, Burroughs collapsed while coaching his son’s Little League team. No further details were immediately available.
“Sean was a legend in the LBLL and baseball community for winning back-to-back Little League World Series championships for the LBLL in 1992 and 1993,” Long Beach Little League wrote. “…To say this is a tremendous loss is an understatement. …We will have his family in our thoughts and prayers during this time and we will try to finish the season playing the kind of baseball that coach Sean would be proud.”
Burroughs threw back-to-back hits to help Long Beach win back-to-back Little League championships, then played at Long Beach Wilson High.
The son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs was selected 9th overall by the San Diego Padres in 1998. The third baseman made his major league debut in April 2002 and recorded the first hit for the Padres at Petco. Park in 2004 and left baseball in 2007 before returning to play from 2011 to 2012.
“I just didn’t have the drive or the passion,” Burroughs told ESPN in June 2011 about his decision to retire from the game. “I was physically and mentally exhausted. It just wasn’t there. I was emotionally exhausted. I still loved the game and respected it, but I didn’t have the motivation to go to the park every days. I kind of lost the desire.”
Burroughs told ESPN that he was a drug addict living in cheap motels in Las Vegas and eating out of trash cans. This lasted until he looked in the mirror, decided he didn’t recognize himself, and vowed to change things.
He returned to his childhood home, following house rules, and got back into shape.
Burroughs played for the Padres from 2002 to 2005 and was traded to Tampa Bay in late 2005. The Rays released him the following August. After a brief stint in the Seattle Mariners organization, he left the game.
He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 and ended his MLB career in 2012 after 10 games with the Minnesota Twins.
Burroughs played in 79 games with the independent Long Island Ducks (2015–16), winning the Atlantic League batting title in 2015.
Chosen for the 2000 U.S. team that won its first-ever gold medal in Sydney, Burroughs played in four games at the Olympics and compiled a .375 batting average.
“We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to learn of Sean’s tragic passing,” USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. “Sean was part of one of our most beloved teams and he 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.”
During his major league career, Burroughs appeared in 528 games, batted .278, hit 12 home runs, and drove in 143.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.
News Source : www.espn.com
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