Olympic gold medalist, Little League World Series champion and former MLB player Sean Burroughs dies at age 43.
Sean Burroughs died of cardiac arrest, his mother told media, according to the San Bernardino Sun. The incident occurred on the Long Beach Little League grounds, where Sean had taken his son to a game on Thursday. Burroughs was found unconscious next to his vehicle.
Little League President Doug Wittman expressed his sadness on Instagram: “I have been fortunate to coach alongside Sean for the past two years. He was always cheerful and brought a positive vibe to the kids he had a wealth of baseball knowledge that could help any kid get out of a hitting slump, and his humility was something that was admirable.”
Sean won back-to-back Little League World Series titles for Long Beach in 1992 and 1993, and as a 12-year-old he appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” after the second championship. He then returned to coaching his team son back.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Burroughs helped Team USA win the first Olympic gold medal in baseball by defeating heavy favorite Cuba in the final.
Paul Seiler, the executive director of USA Baseball, expressed his sadness at the loss of Sean: “Sean was part of our esteemed team and represented our country with class both on and off the field.”
The San Diego Padres selected Burroughs ninth overall in the 1998 MLB Draft. He played for the Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins for seven seasons, posting a .278 batting average with 12 home runs and 143 RBIs.
The Padres shared their condolences: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of former San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.” Similarly, the Arizona Diamonbacks stated: “The #Dbacks mourn the loss of Sean Burroughs and extend our condolences to his family and friends. Sean was a member of our 2011 NL West Champion team and was deeply loved by teammates, coaches, staff and fans. Rest in peace, Sean.”
Sean’s father, Jeff Burroughs, won the American League MVP award in 1974 with the Texas Rangers.
Long Beach, California Mayor Rex Richardson released a statement on social media: “The Long Beach community mourns the loss of Sean Burroughs, a local hero and baseball legend. Sean was a Little League World Series champion and played for Team USA at the Olympics, the sporting community will mourn his loss for many years to come.”
A candlelight vigil for Sean will be held Saturday at Stearns Champions Park in Long Beach.
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Those: edition.cnn.com
2024-05-11 21:16:08
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