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LONG BEACH (CNS) - The Southern California baseball community was mourning Sean Burroughs Saturday, two days after the former San Diego Padre and Long Beach Little League star died of a sudden heart attack at age 43.
Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman said Burroughs was found unconscious next to his car shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot at Long Beach's Stearns Champions Park after he dropped off his 6-year-old son for a Little League game, where Burroughs was an assistant coach.
First responders from the Long Beach Fire Department pronounced Burroughs dead at the scene. Burroughs' mother Debbie told the Southern California News Group that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
"We mourn the passing of former Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time," the Padres posted Friday on X.
"It was very shocking," Wittman said, according to the SCNG. "It's a real sense of family at Long Beach Little League. So when we lose one of our own, it hurts."
Burroughs was the son of Jeff Burroughs, the 73-year-old Long Beach native who played in the major leagues from 1970-85 and was the 1974 American League Most Valuable Player.
Sean Burroughs first rose to stardom as a slugger and pitcher on a Long Beach team that advanced to the Little League World Series in 1992 and 1993 -- winning in 1992 when its final-round opponent, the Philippines team, was disqualified for using over-age players, and beating Panama in the 1993 final. Burroughs pitched consecutive no-hitters during the 1993 series.
He continued to dominate at Long Beach Wilson High School, from which he was selected by the Padres with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 draft.
Burroughs made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2002, becoming a regular for the team in the 2003 season. After four seasons in San Diego, Burroughs spent one year with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006, before leaving the game for several years.
He made a comeback in 2011, playing one season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and one with the Minnesota Twins.
He told ESPN in 2011 that he "just didn't have the drive or the passion" to play baseball anymore when he stepped away. "I was spent physically and spent mentally. It just wasn't there. I was emotionally drained. I still loved the game and respected the game, but I didn't have the drive to go to the park every day. I kind of lost the desire."
In addition to his big league career, Burroughs was also a member of the 2000 USA Olympic team which captured a Gold Medal in Sydney, Australia.
"We at USA Baseball are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of Sean," USA Baseball executive director and CEO Paul Seiler said in a statement. "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."
Sean Burroughs played 528 games in the major leagues, compiling a .278 batting average with 463 hits, 12 home runs and 143 RBI.
Padres manager Mike Shildt sent his condolences to the Burroughs family. "A former Padre, and just a really sad thing," Shildt said. "Our hearts, for the entire organization, are with the family."