Two months after former MLB star Sean Burroughs died at age 43, his cause of death has been revealed.
The Los Angeles County Coroner revealed that the third baseman died of fentanyl intoxication, according to multiple outlets. Burroughs’ death was also ruled an accident.
Burroughs was found unresponsive next to his vehicle after dropping his son off for a game at the Long Beach Little League club in California on May 9. At the time, Burroughs’ mother, Debbie, told the San Bernardino Sun that he had died of cardiac arrest.
“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,” read a May 10 Instagram statement from LBLL President Doug Wittman and the group’s Board of Directors. “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.”
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The organization’s post continued: “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.”
Following his Little League success, Burroughs made his professional baseball debut with the San Diego Padres after being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft. “We mourn the passing of former Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs,” the team wrote via X in May. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time.”
After seven seasons with the Padres, Burroughs went on to play for the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring from the MLB in 2012.
The Diamondbacks also paid tribute to the late athlete via X in May. “The #Dbacks mourn the passing of Sean Burroughs and offer our condolences to his family and friends,” the team captioned a pic of the player. “Sean was a member of the 2011 NL West champion team and beloved by his teammates, coaches, staff, and fans. Rest in peace, Sean.”
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Long Beach mayor Rex Richardson called Burroughs a “local hero and baseball legend” in an X post of his own, adding, “The sports community will feel his loss for years to come.”
Burroughs made waves outside of the MLB, bringing Team USA’s first gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
“We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Sean,” USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler said in a May statement. “Sean was a part of one of our most beloved teams, and he 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.”
