Former MLB star and Olympic gold medalist Sean Burroughs died of an accidental fentanyl overdose while coaching his son’s Little League team, a coroner has ruled.
Burroughs, who was 43 when he died, was found unconscious next to his car in Long Beach after failing to show up for the start of his son’s game in May.
The cause of death was not disclosed at the time, but the Los Angeles County coroner has now ruled that she died of fentanyl poisoning.
His death has been ruled accidental and no further investigation will be carried out.
Burroughs, a former first-round MLB draft pick, played seven seasons in the major leagues. He was the son of Jeff Burroughs, the 1974 American League MVP.
Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs died from fentanyl poisoning at the age of just 43
Former San Diego Padres third baseman collapsed while coaching his son’s Little League team
The Atlanta-born third baseman spent the first three years of his professional career in San Diego after the Padres selected him out of high school in California with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft.
In the 2003 season he finally became a key member of the San Diego roster, hitting .286 in 146 games, before hitting .298 in 130 games the following year.
However, as the 2006 season began, Burroughs found himself back in the minor leagues with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who released him in August of that year. Next came a stint with the Seattle Mariners, where he would play just four games with the Triple-A Tacoma team before stepping away from the sport for three years.
“I just didn’t have the drive or the passion,” he told ESPN in a June 2011 interview about his decision to walk away from the game. “I was physically and mentally exhausted. I just wasn’t there.
Burroughs, pictured with Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick after winning the NL West in 2011, appeared in 528 major league games.
“I was emotionally drained. I still loved the game and respected it, but I didn’t have the drive to go to the park every day. I kind of lost the desire.”
During his time away from baseball, the former No. 9 overall pick suffered personal hardships and fell into alcohol and drug abuse before his eventual return at the age of 30, having achieved sobriety following a dark period in his life.
In the ESPN interview, Burroughs said that during part of his time away from baseball, he abused substances, lived in cheap motels in Las Vegas and ate out of trash cans. It 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 the house rules, and worked himself back into baseball shape.
He faced personal difficulties during a three-year period away from baseball, between 2008 and 2011.
And after conquering those demons, Burroughs, 30, returned to the major leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011, where he spent one season before a brief stint with the Minnesota Twins.
He played 79 games with the independent Long Island Ducks (2015–16), winning the Atlantic League batting title in 2015.
In his major league career, Burroughs appeared in 528 games, batted .278, hit 12 home runs and drove in 143.
In addition to enjoying several years in the MLB, Burroughs was also a member of the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.