The 1998 MLB Draft’s ninth overall pick—passed away from a fentanyl overdose. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that the deceased MLB player’s death was an accident and that his official cause of death was fentanyl intoxication.
As previously reported, Sean, 43, passed away in May after being discovered unconscious next to his vehicle in a Long Beach parking lot, just outside of his son’s Little League baseball game. At the scene, he was declared deceased. Sean coached his son’s team, and when he failed to show up for the opening kickoff, people became concerned. They went seeking for him at that point and discovered his body.
Sean was a player that won two Little League World Series in a row. As a player, Sean led the Long Beach all-star squad to back-to-back Little League World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. His two consecutive no-hitters made him the first pitcher born in the United States and secured him a spot on “Late Show With David Letterman.”
Sean had a contract with USC to play collegiate baseball, but he chose to turn pro. Ultimately, he was able to play in the Major Leagues, spending seven seasons in the league with the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres.
In the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000, he also took home a gold medal for Team USA. In 2011, Sean disclose that he battled drug and alcohol addiction throughout his last MLB seasons.