Sean Burroughs, who once led Long Beach to consecutive Little League World Series titles in the early 1990s, died from fentanyl intoxication, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The medical examiner’s office this week released its report, which ruled the 43-year-old’s death in May as accidental. His place of death was listed as “vehicle.”
On May 9, Burroughs collapsed in the parking lot of Stearns Park in Long Beach after dropping off his 6-year-old son for baseball practice, Long Beach Little League president Doug Wittman had informed the Long Beach Press-Telegram. His mother, Debbie, mentioned that he had experienced cardiac arrest.
Wittman reported that Burroughs was found unconscious next to his car and was unresponsive when CPR was administered. The Long Beach Fire Department responded to 9-1-1 calls and pronounced Burroughs dead at the scene.
Sean Burroughs, son of former American League MVP Jeff Burroughs, was a standout player for the Long Beach team that triumphed in the 1992 and 1993 Little League World Series, pitching back-to-back no-hitters in the latter tournament. He also contributed to the U.S. Olympic team’s gold medal victory at the 2000 Sydney Games.
He played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 2002 to 2006. After a hiatus from baseball attributed to substance abuse, as he later revealed to ESPN, Burroughs made a comeback to the majors, playing 78 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 and 10 games for the Minnesota Twins in 2012.
In 2013, Burroughs joined a minor league affiliate of the Dodgers before returning to Long Beach, where he coached his son’s Little League team. Wittman, in a statement following Burroughs’ death, referred to him as “a legend in LBLL and the baseball community.”
“I had the privilege of coaching with Sean for the past two years,” Wittman wrote, “and he always brought a fun and friendly attitude that drew the kids in. His wealth of baseball knowledge could get any kid out of a batting slump, and his humility was worth emulating. To say this is a huge loss is an understatement.”