Sean Burrows, a former first-round MLB draft pick and two-time Little League World Series champion with Long Beach, Calif., died Thursday while coaching his son’s Little League game, Little League International said Friday. It was announced on . He was 43 years old.
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach with Sean the past two years and he always has a fun, friendly demeanor that kids are drawn to, a wealth of baseball skills that can get any kid out of a batting rut. He had knowledge and a humility worth emulating,” Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman said in a statement. “It is no exaggeration to say this is a huge loss.”
Sean Burrows, the son of 1974 AL MVP Jeff Burrows, made his first starring role on the Little League World Series stage. He helped Long Beach become the first U.S. league to win back-to-back LLWS titles in his 1992 and his 1993 seasons. During Long Beach’s 1993 title win, Burrows made LLWS history as the first American player to throw consecutive no-hitters. He also had a batting average of .600 at the plate.
The San Diego Padres selected Burrows with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft out of Woodrow Wilson High School (Long Beach, California). The third baseman first reached the bigs in 2002 when he hit a walk-off single in the first-ever regular season game at San Diego’s Petco Park. Burrows spent four seasons with the Padres, hitting .282/.340/.360 in 432 games.
Padres mourns the passing of former Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs Said in X’s post, formerly known as Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this extremely difficult time.”
Burroughs played seven seasons in the majors with the Padres (2002-05), Tampa Bay Rays (2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2011) and Minnesota Twins (2012). Burrows, who also played for the Seattle Mariners (2007) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2013), took a four-year break from baseball as he struggled with substance abuse issues, which he said “took away my aspirations and dreams.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2012.
He played in 528 games in MLB, batting .278/.335/.355 with 12 home runs and 143 RBIs. Burroughs was also part of Team USA’s gold medal winning team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to hear of Sean’s tragic passing,” said USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler. A member of the team, he represented our country from 2016 to 2016,” the statement said. Off the field in a first class manner. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burroughs family during this time. ”
