Former MLB star and Olympic gold medalist Sean Burroughs died of an accidental fentanyl overdose while coaching his son’s Little League team, a coroner has ruled.
Burroughs, who was 43 when he died, was found unconscious next to his car in Long Beach after failing to show up for the start of his son’s race in May.
At the time, no cause of death was released, but the Los Angeles County coroner has now determined that he died of fentanyl poisoning.
His death is being treated as an accident and there will be no further investigation.
Burroughs, a former first-round MLB draft pick, played seven seasons in the major leagues. He was the son of 1974 American League MVP Jeff Burroughs.
Former MLB infielder Sean Burroughs dies at age 43 from fentanyl poisoning
Former San Diego Padres third baseman collapsed while coaching his son’s Little League team
The Atlanta-born third baseman spent the first three years of his pro career in San Diego after being drafted out of California high school by the Padres with the ninth pick in the 1998 MLB Draft.
In the 2003 season, he finally became a key member of San Diego’s roster, hitting .286 in 146 games, before hitting .298 in 130 games the following year.
But as Burroughs entered the 2006 season, he found himself back in the minor leagues with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who released him in August. Then came a stint with the Seattle Mariners, where he would play just four games with Triple-A Tacoma before leaving the game for three years.
“I just didn’t have the drive or the passion,” he told ESPN in a June 2011 interview about his decision to retire from the game. “I was physically and mentally exhausted. It just wasn’t there.
Burroughs, pictured with Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick after winning the National League West Division in 2011, appeared in 528 major league games
“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 my will.”
In his time away from baseball, the former No. 9 overall draft pick struggled with personal issues, falling into alcohol and drug abuse before returning to the game at age 30. After a dark period in his life, he was sober again.
In the ESPN interview, Burroughs said that during his time away from baseball, he was a drug addict who lived in cheap Las Vegas motels and ate out of dumpsters. It wasn’t until he looked in the mirror, decided he didn’t recognize himself, and vowed to turn things around.
He returned to his parents’ house, followed the house rules and worked himself back into baseball shape.
He experienced personal difficulties during a three-year hiatus from baseball from 2008 to 2011
After conquering those demons, the 30-year-old Burroughs returned to the Major Leagues in 2011 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played one season before a brief stint with the Minnesota Twins.
He played 79 games for the independent Long Island Ducks (2015–16), winning the Atlantic League batting title in 2015.
During his Major League career, Burroughs played in 528 games, posting a .278 batting average with 12 home runs and 143 runs batted in.
Burroughs played several years in the MLB and was also part of the US team that won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.