Former San Diego Padres infielder Sean Burroughs – the team’s first pick in the 1998 draft, who went on to play four years for the team – has died at age 43.
Burroughs collapsed and died Thursday while coaching his son’s Little League team, according Bob Nightengale of USA Friday. The Padres announced his death on social media later in the day.
“Condolences to the Burroughs family on Sean’s tragic passing,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “A former Padre, and just a really sad thing. Our hearts, for the entire organization, are with the family.”
According to the Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner, a person listed as Sean Burroughs, with the same date of birth as the former MLB player, died at 5:34 p.m. Thursday in the 4500 block of East 23rd Street in Long Beach.
No other details were available. A cause of death was not immediately known.
Burroughs, the son of Jeff Burroughs, who played in the major leagues from 1970-85, first rose to stardom as a slugger and pitcher on a Long Beach team that advanced to the Little League World Series in 1992 and 1993.
He continued to dominate at Long Beach Wilson High School, from which he was selected by the Padres with the ninth overall pick in 1998.
He made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2002, becoming a regular for the team in the 2003 season. After four seasons in San Diego, Burroughs spent one year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and one year each with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins. His last major-league game was in 2012.
In addition to his big league career, Burroughs was also a member of the 2000 USA Olympic team which captured a Gold Medal in Sydney, Australia.
– Updated 7:45 p.m. May 10, 2024