May 10, 2024, 04:24 PM ET
Sean Burroughs, a winner of the Little League World Series, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist and a first-round pick in the MLB draft, has died at the age of 43.
The Long Beach (Calif.) Little League said in a statement posted to 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 LBLL and the baseball community for winning back-to-back Little League World Series Championships for LBLL in 1992 and 1993,” the Long Beach Little League wrote. “… To say this is a huge loss is an understatement. … We will have his family in our thoughts and prayers during this time and try to end the season playing the kind of baseball Coach Sean would be proud of.”
Burroughs threw back-to-back no-hitters to help Long Beach to the consecutive Little League championships then went on to star at Long Beach Wilson High.
The son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs was selected with the No. 9 overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 1998. The third baseman made his major league debut in April 2002, recorded the first walk-off hit for the Padres in Petco Park history in 2004 and was out of 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 of his decision to walk away from the game. “I was spent physically and spent mentally. It just wasn’t there. I was emotionally drained. I still loved the game and respected the game, but I didn’t have the drive to go to the park every day. I kind of lost the desire.”
Burroughs told ESPN was a substance abuser living in cheap motels in Las Vegas and eating out of trash cans. It lasted until he looked in the mirror, decided he didn’t recognize himself and vowed to turn things around.
He moved back into his childhood home, under the house rules, and worked himself back into baseball 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 walked away from 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 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 hear of the tragic passing of Sean,” USA Baseball executive director and CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. “Sean was a 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.”
In 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.
