Sean Burroughs, a former Major League Baseball player and two-time Little League World Series champion, has tragically passed away at the age of 43. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Burroughs, who also won an Olympic gold medal, had a promising career in baseball that was interrupted by struggles with substance abuse.
Burroughs was found in full cardiac arrest at Stearns Champions Park in Long Beach, California, where he grew up and was coaching a Little League game. Despite the best efforts of the Long Beach Fire Department, he was declared dead at the scene.
Doug Wittman, president of Long Beach Little League, expressed his grief over the loss of Burroughs, who had been coaching with him for the past two years. Wittman described Burroughs as a person with a "fun & friendly attitude the kids were drawn to," and a "wealth of baseball knowledge" that could help any player improve their game.
Burroughs first made his mark in the Little League World Series, leading the Long Beach team to become the first U.S. squad to win consecutive titles. His performance in the 1993 LLWS, where he pitched consecutive no-hitters, is still remembered as a historic feat.
The son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, Sean Burroughs was born in Atlanta when his father played for the Braves. He was selected by the San Diego Padres with the ninth pick in the first round of the 1998 MLB draft, forgoing his commitment to play baseball at the University of Southern California.
Burroughs had a career batting average of .278, with 12 home runs and 143 RBIs, playing for the Padres, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and Minnesota. He was also named the most valuable player of the 2002 All-Star Futures Game.
His career, however, was not without its challenges. After the 2005 season, Burroughs was traded to Tampa Bay and saw limited playing time before being optioned to the minors. He was out of baseball for four years while battling substance abuse issues that, as he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2012, "took away from my aspirations and my dreams."
Despite his struggles, Burroughs made a comeback in 2010, signing a minor league contract with Arizona. He played for multiple independent minor league teams from 2013 to 2017.
Burroughs' death has sent shockwaves through the baseball community. Paul Seiler, USA Baseball executive director and CEO, said in a statement, "We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Sean. 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."
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