Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs has died at the age of 43. The seven-year major leaguer collapsed while coaching his son’s minor league team on Thursday. according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Burroughs was the first-round pick (No. 9 overall) of the San Diego Padres in 1998. He played four seasons with the Padres and one with the Tampa Bay Rays, one with the Arizona Diamondbacks and one with the Twins. Minnesota.
After his time with the Rays in 2005, Burroughs was out of baseball for several years as he battled drug addiction and alcoholism. Then D-backs general manager Kevin Towers, who was the Padres’ general manager when Burroughs was drafted, gave him a chance back in 2011.
During 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 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.
Burroughs also had a successful youth sports career. He was part of two consecutive Little League World Series championship teams in 1992 and 1993 with Long Beach, California. In the 1993 Little League World Series, Burroughs threw two consecutive no-hitters, recording 16 strikeouts and batting .600.
“Sean was a legend in the LLBL and the baseball community,” said Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman. wrote on social media. “While he left (Long Beach) to play for various MLB clubs, he returned to his home fields at Stearns Champions Park to coach his son.
“I have had the privilege of training with Sean for the past two years and he always came with a fun, friendly attitude that appealed to kids, a wealth of baseball knowledge that could get any kid out of a hitting rut, and a humility that is worth emulating. To say that this is a great loss is an understatement.”
Little League International noted Burroughs’ death on your website.
Burroughs also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
“We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to learn of Sean’s tragic passing,” said USA Baseball CEO and CEO Paul Seiler. said in a statement. “Sean was part of one of our most beloved teams and 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.”
Burroughs was the son of Jeff Burroughs, a 16-year-old major league player who was the number one pick in the 1969 MLB Draft by the Washington Senators and won the American League MVP award in 1974 with the Texas Rangers. .