On Monday,
the Star Tribune’s Patrick Reusse
recounted the tale of Sean Burroughs,
a recent Twins minor league signing this winter, whose life was derailed by drinking
and drugs in his twenties.
In his first
four seasons of professional ball in the Padres organization, Burroughs hit a
remarkable .324/418/.453 in 1,653 plate appearances. Baseball America anointed him
the seventh best prospect in 2000 then the sixth best in 2001 and finally the
fourth best in 2002. He was the proverbial “can’t miss” prospect.
Unfortunately,
he missed.
From 2003 to
2005, Burroughs hit .283/.343/.366 with the Padres. While in a different era
his batting average may have been lauded, in the modern era that puts emphasis
on reaching base AND hitting for power, Burroughs’ stock tumbled in San Diego.
People began
to wonder where the power - the one that baseball minds predicted he would
eventually develop - was.
Midway
through 2005, the Friars traded
for Joe Randa, who was having a solid...
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