LOS ANGELES — Sean Burroughs, a two-time Little League World Series champion who won an Olympic gold medal and went on to a major-league career that was interrupted by substance abuse, died of fentanyl intoxication, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
His death on May 9 near his car at Stearns Champions Park in Long Beach, Calif., was accidental, according to online records released this week. Burroughs was 43.
The Long Beach Fire Department responded to the park on a report of a person in full cardiac arrest in the parking lot. “We did all of our lifesaving measures, but we weren’t successful,” public information officer Brian Fisk said at the time, adding that the person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Burroughs grew up in Long Beach and coached in the city’s Little League program.
He was a standout as a pitcher in the Little League World Series for the Long Beach team, which became the first U.S. squad to win consecutive titles. They won the 1992 championship after the Philippines, their opponent in the title round, had to forfeit for using overaged players.
Burroughs pitched consecutive no-hitters in the 1993 LLWS — with a then-record 16 strikeouts — and his team won the title over Panama 3-2.
He won a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Burroughs was a career .278 hitter with 12 home runs and 143 RBIs with the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay, Arizona and Minnesota.
