Sean Burrows, former MLB first-round pick and LLWS star, dies at 43 – NBC 7 San Diego

Shawn Burroughs, a former MLB first-round pick and two-time minor league World Series champion with Long Beach (Calif.), died while coaching his son in a minor league game Thursday. The Little League International announced on Friday. He was 43 years old.

The cause of death was not immediately provided.

“I have had the privilege of coaching with Sean for the past two years and he always brings a fun, friendly attitude that kids gravitate to, a wealth of baseball knowledge that can get any kid out of a hitting rut and a humility worth emulating,” Long Beach Little League President Doug Whitman He said in a statement. “To say this is a huge loss is an understatement.”

Sean Burroughs, son of 1974 AL MVP Jeff Burroughs, starred for the first time on the Little League World Series stage. He helped Long Beach become the first American League to win back-to-back LLWS titles in 1992 and 1993. 600 batting average at the plate as well.

The San Diego Padres selected Burroughs out of Woodrow Wilson High School (Long Beach, Calif.) with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft. The third baseman first reached the top in 2002, when he hit a single in his first regular-season game ever At Petco Park in San Diego. Burroughs would spend four seasons with the Padres, hitting .282/.340/.360 over 432 games.

“We mourn the passing of former Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs,” Padres said He said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time.”

Burroughs went on to play seven seasons in the major leagues, where he suited up for the Padres (2002–05), Tampa Bay Rays (2006), Arizona Diamondbacks (2011), and Minnesota Twins (2012). Burroughs, who also spent time in the Seattle Mariners (2007) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2013) organizations, was out of baseball for four years while struggling with substance abuse problems that “took away my aspirations and my dreams,” he told . St. Paul Pioneer Press 2012.

He pitched in 528 MLB games, hitting .278/.335/.355 with 12 home runs and 143 RBI. Burroughs was also part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“We at USA Baseball are deeply saddened to hear of Sean’s tragic passing,” USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Sellers said. He said in a statement. “Sean was part of one of our most beloved teams and represented our country on and off the field in a first-class manner. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burrows family during this time.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.