Former Diamondbacks 3B Sean Burroughs has died at age 43

Sean Burroughs, an infielder on the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks team that won the National League West, died at age 43.

Burroughs collapsed while coaching his son’s Little League game in Long Beach, California, on Thursday. Long Beach Little League President Doug Wittman said in a statement that Burroughs “tragically passed away” and that “to say this is a great loss is an understatement.”

“The D-Backs “We mourn the loss of Sean Burroughs and extend our condolences to his family and friends,” the Diamondbacks said in a social media post. “Sean was a member of the 2011 NL West championship team and was beloved by his teammates, coaches, staff and fans. Rest in peace, Sean.”

Burroughs played 78 games for the D-Backs and made a comeback to baseball after retiring from the game. He hadn’t played in the majors since 2006 and told ESPN that he struggled with substance abuse before getting back into the game.

He contributed a .273/.289/.336 slash line with a home run and four doubles and made just one error in 132 innings at third base. The D-Backs put him on the postseason roster and he went 1-3 against the Brewers in the NLDS.

Before his time with the D-Backs, Burroughs won back-to-back Little League Baseball World Series while growing up in Long Beach. He became the first American-born player to throw two consecutive no-hitters in the LLBWS.

The San Diego Padres selected him in the first round in 1998 out of high school, and before his MLB debut he won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics Sydney, Australia.

Burroughs spent parts of four seasons in San Diego before moving to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after the 2005 season. He played in 528 career MLB games and was a lifetime .282 hitter.

His father, Jeff, played in the MLB for 16 years and won the AL MVP in 1974 with the Texas Rangers.

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