Former Atlanta MLB player dies suddenly while coaching his son’s team

ATLANTA — A former Major League Baseball player, born in Atlanta when his father was a member of the Braves in the early 1980s, died suddenly Thursday at the age of 43.

Sean Burroughs “tragically passed away” after collapsing while coaching his son’s Little League team in Long Beach, California, according to the Long Beach Little League Instagram page.

Burroughs spent seven seasons in the big leagues with the Padres, Rays, Diamondbacks and Twins. His father, Jeff Burroughs, the 1974 American League MVP, played four seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 1977 to 1980. Sean Burroughs was born in Atlanta in 1980.

After moving to California, Burroughs played on the Long Beach Little League World Series team that won back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. He became a legend in the 1993 Little League World Series for pitching in back-to-back games no-hitter and helped lead his team. team to another championship.

Burroughs was one of baseball’s top prospects after being drafted ninth overall in the 1998 MLB Draft. He signed with the Padres and opted to forgo the University of Southern California.

In 2000, Burroughs helped the United States win gold at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

During his MLB career, Burroughs appeared in 528 games, hitting .278 with 12 home runs and 143 RBIs.