There were three former Rays players that passed away last year
Entering the new year, let’s take a moment to look back and remember a trio of former Rays players that tragically passed away last year.
Selected in the first round, 9th overall, in the 1998 draft by the San Diego Padres, was Sean Burroughs.
Burroughs had already received national attention prior to the draft as he was a Little League World Series legend, pitching consecutive no-hitters en route to his team winning the series. Choosing to sign with the Padres rather than go to college, Burroughs quickly proved he was more than capable of handling the minor leagues and showcased himself as one of the most talented pure hitters in the game. During the Summer Olympics of 2000, Burroughs won a gold medal with Team USA. From 2000 through 2002, he was considered one of the top 10 prospects in baseball and he’d make his big league debut at just 21-years old in 2002.
Burroughs made the Padres in 2003 and 2004, performing well as he hit .292/.350/.384 with 9 HR, registering a 100 wRC+ and 4.9 fWAR. However, Burroughs’ offensive game still lacked the power you’d expect from a corner infield and in 2005, the 24-year old Burroughs slumped mightily. Burroughs would spend half the season in the minor leagues and then be traded to Tampa Bay for Dewon Brazelton in the offseason.
Burroughs received just 25 plate appearances with Tampa Bay and bounced around the league over the next few seasons. From 2007 to 2010, he didn’t play much at all, but signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks prior to 2011 and made his return to the big leagues. He played in his final Major League game with the Minnesota Twins in 2012 and final minor league game as a member of the Dodgers organization in 2013. Burroughs would go to the Independent Leagues following his big league career.
In May 2024 Burroughs died at the age of 43 from a fentanyl overdose.
Doug Creek enjoyed a tremendous career during his collegiate days as he became the winningest pitcher in Georgia Tech’s history and would ultimately be enshrined in their Hall of Fame.
Following his NCAA days, Creek was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 7th round of the 1991 Draft. It would be several years before Creek made his way to the big leagues, never receiving much acclaim as a prospect. At 26-years old, he made his MLB debut in 1995 for the Cardinals, appearing in six games.
That offseason, the Cardinals traded Creek, along with Rich DeLucia and Allen Watson, to the San Francisco Giants for Royce Claton and Chris Wimmer. Creek struggled with the Giants for the next two seasons and would eventually be claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox, who later sold his contract to the Hanshin Tigers in Japan for the 1998 season. Creek returned stateside in 1999, joining the Chicago Cubs, but only made three appearances for them.
In 2000, Creek joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays where he enjoyed the most success of his big league career. Over two seasons, Creek compiled a 4.45 ERA | 4.92 FIP over 123 1⁄3 innings pitched. He returned in 2002, but the 33-year old struggled; he’d be sent to the Seattle Mariners in July.
Creek spent part of the 2003 season with the Toronto Blue Jays but Tommy John surgery ended his campaign. He then went back to the Cardinals in 2004 with whom he spent the season rehabbing in the minor leagues. Creek made his last big league appearance in 2005 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. Creek retired the following spring and went on to open and operate a fishing business and coach high school baseball.
In July Doug Creek passed away at the age of 55 from pancreatic cancer.
One of the most sought after players of the 1991 draft, the Minnesota Twins were able to snag powerful first baseman Dave McCarty with the 3rd overall selection. He quickly became one of the games top prospects, peaking at #16 overall entering the 1993 season. McCarty surged through the minors and due to a Kent Hrbek injury, he received a promotion to the big leagues in 1993 at just 23-years of age.
McCarty had performed well in a small sample size in Triple-A, but he struggled mightily in the big leagues. During the 1993 season, McCarty hit .214/.257/.286, registering a 43 wRC+ and accumulating -3.1 fWAR, giving him one of the worst single-seasons performances in modern baseball history.
The potential was there for McCarty, but he could never find prolonged success. He fell out of favor in Minnesota and would be traded to the Cincinnati Reds for John Courtright. However, it was a short tenure in Cincinnati, with whom McCarty only played in Triple-A, as he’d be dealt a month later along with Ricky Pickett, John Roper, Deion Sanders (!), and Scott Service to the San Francisco Giants for Dave Burba, Darren Lewis, and Mark Portugal.
McCarty bounced between Triple-A and San Francisco the next few seasons. Prior to 1998, McCarty would be traded for a third time, this to the Seattle Mariners for Scott Smith and Jalal Leach. McCarty played in just 28 games for the Mariners and then spent the 1999 season with the Detroit Tigers Triple-A team.
The Oakland Athletics invited McCarty to spring training in 2000, but released him to pursue an opportunity with the Kansas City Royals. It was during this time that McCarty enjoyed the most success of his big league career. During the 2000 campaign, McCarty hit .278/.329/.478 with 12 HR, registering a 94 wRC+ and accumulating 1.5 fWAR over 103 games.
Things tailed off for McCarty the following season. In 2002, the Royals gave McCarty a brief window to improve, but ultimately released him in May. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed McCarty on May 21st, and the now 32-year old hit .176/.300/.265 with 1 HR over 40 plate appearances; he’d be released in August.
McCarty rejoined the Athletics in 2003, but finished the year with the Boston Red Sox. His brief 2003 campaign in Boston was fantastic as he hit .407/.448/.630 over 16 games and it was enough for him to stick around with the organization a few more years, receiving a World Series ring from the Red Sox for the 2004 season. McCarty played his final big league game in 2005 at 35-years old with the Boston Red Sox.
Following his final game, Dave McCarty retired and became an analyst for NESN for a few years. Eventually he formed a commercial real estate firm.
McCarty passed away in April at the age of 54 due to a cardiac event.
