MLB

Ex-MLB infielder Sean Burroughs dead at 43 after collapsing during son’s Little League game

Former MLB player Sean Burroughs passed away on Thursday after collapsing while dropping off his son for a Little League baseball game, according to the Orange County Register

He was just 43 years old. 

Burroughs, who was an assistant coach for his 6-year-old son, Knox, reportedly fell unconscious next to his car and after he was unresponsive while CPR was administered at the scene, he was pronounced dead.

His mother, Debbie, told the OC Register that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

The son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, Sean had a long history in baseball. 

Getty Images

As a youth, Burroughs starred for his Long Beach, Calif. Little League team, leading them to two straight titles in 1992 and 1993.

In 1998, Burroughs was drafted No. 9 overall by the San Diego Padres and would make his big league debut with the team at 21 years old in 2002. 

Before making it to the majors, Burroughs won a Gold Medal with the United States during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. 

Burroughs would go on to play seven seasons in the big leagues, playing in 528 games overall while putting up a .278/.335/.355 slash line. 

He spent his first four seasons in the show with San Diego from 2002 to 2005. 

Burroughs had the best season of his career in 2003 when he hit .286/.352/.402 with seven home runs and seven stolen bases in 146 games as the Padres’ starting third baseman. 

Infielder Sean Burroughs #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks in action during the Major League Baseball game against the New York Mets at Chase Field on August 14, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Infielder Sean Burroughs #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks in action during the Major League Baseball game against the New York Mets at Chase Field on August 14, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. Getty Images

In 2006, Burroughs joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but played in just eight games before being released. A year later, he had a minor league stint with the Seattle Mariners but never made it out of Triple-A. 

Out of baseball from 2008-10, Burroughs entered a dark place as he struggled with addiction, “abusing every substance he could ingest,” as he told ESPN, before making a triumphant comeback to the diamond.

After three years away from the field, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Burroughs to a minor league contract ahead of the 2011 season. He would play in 78 games that season.

Burroughs got one more chance in the majors with the Minnesota Twins.

He played in 10 games during what would be his last appearances at the highest level.