The cause of death of Sean Burroughs, 2000 Olympic gold medalist and the 9th overall pick in the 1998 MLB draft, has been revealed.
TMZ reports the 43-year-old former MLB player died from a fentanyl overdose.
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner, the late MLB player’s cause of death has been officially listed as fentanyl intoxication. His death has also been ruled an accident reports the outlet.
Burroughs passed away in May. He was discovered unresponsive beside his car in a Long Beach parking lot, following his son’s Little League baseball game. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The former MLB player served as a coach on his son’s team. Concerns arose when he failed to appear at the start of the game, prompting a search. Tragically, they discovered his body.
Sean Burroughs Made Little League and Olympic History Before Embarking on His Pro Career
Sean Burroughs made history as a player by winning consecutive Little League World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 with the Long Beach all-star team.
Notably, he became the first American-born pitcher to achieve back-to-back no-hitters, earning him a spot on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Burroughs was initially signed to play college baseball at USC, but he chose to pursue a professional career instead.
In 2000, he was selected for the U.S. Olympic baseball team, where he played a pivotal role in securing the team’s first-ever gold medal in Sydney.
Two years after the Olympics, he made his major league debut as the Padres’ third baseman that April.
In 2006, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, who released him that August. He then joined the Seattle Mariners for a brief period before stepping away from the field in 2007. He later played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 and the Minnesota Twins in 2012.
Burroughs later disclosed his struggles with substance abuse and recounted a period when he lived in Las Vegas motels, surviving by scavenging from trash cans.
Eventually, he returned to his childhood home and prepared himself to re-enter the world of baseball. In 2015, he played 79 games with the independent Long Island Ducks.
“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 in May.
“Sean was a part of one of our most beloved teams. 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.”