SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Sean Burroughs, who played for the San Diego Padres for four seasons after being drafted by the club in the first round of the 1998 draft, died Thursday at age 43, according to published reports.
USA Today baseball writer Bob Nightengale first reported Friday that Burroughs was coaching his son’s Little League team when he collapsed and passed away.
No other details on Burroughs’ death were released.
Even before his big league career, Burroughs -- the son of former American League MVP Jeff Burroughs -- had gained national fame after leading his Little League team out of Long Beach to the Little League World Series title in 1993.
We mourn the passing of former Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs.Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time. pic.twitter.com/zF7IbjLXcP
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 10, 2024
The Padres selected Burroughs ninth overall in the 1998 MLB draft, and he made his Major League debut as a 21-year-old in 2002.
Burroughs went on to spend four seasons with the Padres -- two as the team’s primary third baseman -- before he was traded to Tampa Bay before the 2006 season.
After a season with Tampa Bay, Burroughs left baseball and for the next several years, he battled and overcame serious personal problems.
Burroughs was eventually able to turn his life around and received an opportunity in 2011 to join the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He went on to play in the Arizona, Minnesota, and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations before his Major League Baseball career came to an end in 2013.
Burroughs was also a member of the United States Olympic baseball team that won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney games.
USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler said the following regarding Burroughs' passing: "We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Sean. 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."
