Ex-MLB player Sean Burroughs died of fentanyl overdose, examiner says
Sean Burroughs, 43, collapsed in the parking lot of Stearns Champions Park in Long Beach on May 9.
Former Major League Baseball player Sean Burroughs died of a fentanyl overdose when he collapsed in the parking lot of Stearns Champions Park on May 9, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office, which ruled his death an accident this week.
Authorities said Burroughs, 43, was found unconscious and not breathing next to his car around 5 p.m. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene, they added.
Burroughs, the son of two-time MLB All-Star Jeff Burroughs, is recognized as a legend in the Little League community for his notable role in helping Long Beach's All-Star team win back-to-back World Series championships in the 1990s.
He attended Woodrow Wilson High School and was later drafted by the San Diego Padres with the ninth pick of the first round in the 1998 MLB Draft. Two years later, he won a gold medal as part of Team USA at the 2000 Olympics.
He went on to have a journeyman career, playing for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays (formerly Devil Rays), Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, and in the Venezuelan Winter League throughout his 10-year career.
Burroughs was vocal about his struggle with drug addiction during his pro career, describing the experience to ESPN in 2011 as "knocking on death's door."
Eventually, Burroughs decided to turn his life around while attempting to re-spark his career in the majors.
By 2017, Burroughs had retired from baseball and decided to pursue an EMT certification in hopes of becoming a firefighter, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Before his death, he most recently worked as a security officer for Allied Universal, according to his LinkedIn, and served as a coach for his son's little league team.
