MLB player Sean Burroughs (2002-2012) passed away at the age of 43 on May 9, 2024. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner, it has now been ruled that the cause of death is from a fentanyl overdose.
Burroughs coached his son's little league team, but authorities were first contacted when he was found passed out at a Long Beach, California parking lot, before one of the games.
Doug Wittman, who is the Long Beach Little League president, said CPR was performed at the time, but Burroughs was unable to regain consciousness and remained unresponsive as he was tragically pronounced dead shortly after.
The Long Beach Little League has confirmed in a statement on Instagram that Sean Burroughs died yesterday. pic.twitter.com/GYyWI1nlb2
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) May 10, 2024
Burroughs actually played in the Long Beach Little League, and was a 2x winner of the Little League World Series (1992,1993). Notably, he was the first American-born pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters, which landed him an appearance on the David Letterman show in 1993.
OBITUARY: The Long Beach baseball world is in shock and mourning after the tragic sudden passing of Sean Burroughs.
The two-time Little League World Series champ and MLB player passed suddenly at Stearns Champions Park, where he was coaching his sonhttps://t.co/8VYxxjk5SU pic.twitter.com/suDUrh6P1W
— The562.org (@562sports) May 10, 2024
Later on at 17 years old, Burroughs was selected with the ninth overall pick by the San Diego Padres in the 1998 MLB Draft. He played five seasons (2002-2006), before taking a five-year hiatus, as at the time Burroughs opened up to ESPN about his struggles with substance abuse throughout his playing career.
"I was hanging out with some bad people and had done some bad things," Burroughs said in a 2011 interview. "That was more important my last couple of years playing ball, and the last few years."
"Whatever I had or needed, I would find and take it... I wasn't an out-on-the-town type of guy. I would just try to fill myself with as much substances as I could, legally or illegally."
The third baseman seemingly made a comeback returning to play in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Overall for his career, Burroughs had a .278 batting average, with 463 hits, 12 home runs, 143 RBI's, and 187 runs in 528 games, playing for the Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Minnesota Twins.
Here is my tribute to #SeanBurroughs. In the first regular season game at Petco Park, he hit a walkoff single. His career didn’t pan out the way we all hoped, but the hype was real and so fun to watch in the #Padres’ brand new stadium. #RIPSeanBurroughs pic.twitter.com/UsoVz5mUdX
— Defiant Baptist (@DefiantBaptist) May 10, 2024
Related: 15 Athletes Who Died Before Their Pro Careers Ended
