Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs suffered from fentanyl poisoning when he collapsed and died in the parking lot of a Long Beach, California, baseball field in May, the Los Angeles County medical examiner revealed.
Burroughs’ death was ruled accidental two months after he was found unconscious next to his car after dropping off his son, Knox, for a Little League game. The 43-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after remaining unconscious following CPR attempts to revive him.
Burroughs was selected ninth overall by the San Diego Padres in the 1998 MLB draft. He played four seasons with the Padres and one each with the Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins.
After his stint with the Rays in 2005, Burroughs was away from baseball for several years due to his drug and alcohol addiction. Former Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers, who was the Padres’ general manager when Burroughs was drafted, gave him an opportunity to return to the game in 2011.
Over his career, Burroughs hit .278 with a .690 OPS, 68 doubles, 12 home runs, 143 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 528 games. His best season was in 2003, his first full season in the major leagues. He hit .286 with a .755 OPS, 27 doubles, seven home runs, 58 RBIs and seven steals that year.
In addition to his MLB stint, Burroughs also had an accomplished youth sports career. He was part of the Long Beach, California, team that won back-to-back Little League World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
In the 1993 Little League World Series, Burroughs threw back-to-back no-hitters, striking out 16 times 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. “While he left (Long Beach) to play for several MLB clubs, he returned to his home field at Stearns Champions Park to coach his son.
“I had the privilege of coaching with Sean for the past two years and he always demonstrated a fun, friendly demeanor that drew kids in, a wealth of baseball knowledge that could get any kid out of a rut at the plate and a humility that was worthy of emulation. To say this is a tremendous loss is an understatement.”
Little League International noted Burroughs’ death on its website in May.
Burroughs also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
“We at USA Baseball are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Sean,” USA Baseball executive director and CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. “Sean was a member of one of our most beloved teams and represented our country on and off the field in a top-notch manner. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burroughs family during this difficult time.”
Burroughs was the son of Jeff Burroughs, a 16-year-old major leaguer who was the first overall pick in the 1969 MLB draft by the Washington Senators and won the American League MVP Award in 1974 with the Texas Rangers.
News Source : sports.yahoo.com
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