Former San Diego Padres star and Team USA gold medallist Sean Burroughs tragically lost his life in the worst way possible.
Sean Burroughs, a first-round MLB draft pick and former Little League World Series hero who played seven big league seasons, passed away on Thursday at the age of 43.
Burroughs passed away, and Long Beach (Calif.) Little League confirmed the news on their Instagram page. Subsequently, the Long Beach Press-Telegram revealed that the former MLB player passed away from cardiac arrest; he had dropped off at his son’s game and was found unconscious next to his car. At the scene, he was declared deceased.
CPR was performed on Burroughs in hopes of reviving him, but he remained unresponsive and was pronounced dead.
Little League president Doug Wittman and board of directors released the following statement on social media:
“It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this message to inform you that yesterday afternoon, one of our Coaches, Sean Burroughs, tragically passed away. 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. While he left LB to play for several clubs in the MLB, he returned to his home fields at Stearns Champion Park to coach his son.
“I have had the privilege of coaching with Sean for the past two years and he always came with a fun es’ friendly attitude the kids were drawn to, a wealth of baseball knowledge that could get any kid out of a batting rut and humility worth emulating. To say this is a huge loss is an understatement. But what makes LBLL special is our community, we are a family. Families celebrate the highest highs and lift each other up during the lowest lows.
“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.”
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“It was very shocking,” Wittman told The Orange County Register. “It’s a real sense of family at Long Beach Little League. So when we lose one of our own, it hurts.”
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The former MLB star is best remembered in his younger days for throwing back-to-back no-hitters to help Long Beach to consecutive Little League championships, then went on to star at Long Beach Wilson High.
Forner San Diego Padres Sean Burroughs Had a Solid MLB Career That Led To Him Winning a Gold Medal With Team USA
He would go on to make a name for himself in the MLB as the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs was selected with the No. 9 overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 1998.
In April 2002, the third baseman made his major league debut. In 2004, he recorded the Padres’ first walk-off hit in Petco Park history. In 2007, he took a break from baseball, but he resumed playing in 2011 and 2012.
Burroughs was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 2000, which won gold in Sydney. Burroughs’ Major League Baseball league career lasted all of 528 games and saw him bat .278/.335/.355.
