Minor League 1B coach hit by line drive pronounced Dead

[RammyFanny]

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died Sunday night after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a Texas League game with the Arkansas Travelers, police said.

 

The game was suspended in the ninth inning after Coolbaugh was struck by a hard-hit foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez and taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock.

 

Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was hit on the right side of his head or on the forehead -- "I'm getting conflicting reports," he said -- and fell to the ground immediately.

 

According to a report posted on the Drillers' Web site late Sunday, Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious and CPR was administered to him on the field.

 

Sgt. Terry Kuykendall, spokesman for North Little Rock police, said Coolbaugh was still alive when he was put in an ambulance, but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

 

"They tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m.," Kuykendall said.

 

Coolbaugh, 35, played 44 games in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers over two seasons. The Drillers' Web site said Coolbaugh joined the Tulsa staff on July 3 as a batting coach. He played for the team briefly in 1996.

 

Tulsa is a Colorado Rockies affiliate.

 

A native of Binghamton, N.Y., Coolbaugh went to high school in San Antonio and was drafted in 1990 by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round.

 

He played third base and bounced around the minors for a decade, before making his major league debut with the Brewers in 2001. He played five more big league games for the Cardinals in 2002. He hit two home runs in 70 major league at-bats.

 

Coolbaugh's older brother, Scott, also played 167 major league games over parts of four seasons with Texas, San Diego and St. Louis in the early 1990s.

 

The Travelers, an Angels affiliate, led 7-3 at the time the game was suspended with no outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth inning. Officials said a date and time for finishing the game had not yet been chosen.

 

Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy, and two young sons, Joseph and Jacob. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting another child in October.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/07/23/coolbaugh.dies.ap/index.html

Wow, RIP. I know it's obviously not his fault (intent), but that has to also be horrible for the batter who struck him.

[Alfonso Soriano]

Wow RIP

[Rob]

This is horrible. Hopefully MLB steps up and helps take care of that poor family.

[cbbryan]

That's a shame. And with a baby on the way too. I, too, hope that MLB and MiLB step up and lead the charge to help this family.

 

What a tragedy!

 

 

RIP

[Warpticon]

Last night? Here? Holy crap. :/

[Electron Blue]

What a terrible story :(

[Soul]

Woah.

[Iceblink]

Tragic story.

[Derwood]

you hate to hear this. it's amazing it doesn't happen more often

[rocket]

That sucks.

 

I hate to sound morbid, but it's probably only a matter of time until a pitcher is struck in the head from a line drive and ends up passing away. I wonder if eventually pitchers will be required to wear an Olerud-esque hat while pitching.

[gerby23]

Well, believe it or not, I left that game in the 7th cuz the kids were getting antsy. Just got back home from Little Rock right now and logged on to find this. Had to read it a couple times to make sure. I was there seeing a buddy from HS who plays for the Travellers. Wow, glad I wasn't there with the kids when this happened.

Prayers for the family and team.

[A New Era]

I'm sure the batter will be haunted by this tragedy for life also.

[swordsman]

That sucks.

 

I hate to sound morbid, but it's probably only a matter of time until a pitcher is struck in the head from a line drive and ends up passing away. I wonder if eventually pitchers will be required to wear an Olerud-esque hat while pitching.

 

I don't know why coaches and umpires in the field don't wear helmets. The runners have to. It certainly seems reasonable.

[Roast]

That sucks.

 

I hate to sound morbid, but it's probably only a matter of time until a pitcher is struck in the head from a line drive and ends up passing away. I wonder if eventually pitchers will be required to wear an Olerud-esque hat while pitching.

 

I don't know why coaches and umpires in the field don't wear helmets. The runners have to. It certainly seems reasonable.

 

Yeah, coaches are really just sitting ducks out there.

 

That's terrible for his family. I would hope MLB will do something about this to help the family.

[Schwarber Fan]

I'm sure the batter will be haunted by this tragedy for life also.

 

yea I thought about that

 

I knew the sister of this kid that once killed another kid in a lacrosse game. He needed some serious counseling. This is gotta be worse since it was his own coach.

 

Terrible news.

[Electron Blue]

That sucks.

 

I hate to sound morbid, but it's probably only a matter of time until a pitcher is struck in the head from a line drive and ends up passing away. I wonder if eventually pitchers will be required to wear an Olerud-esque hat while pitching.

 

I don't know why coaches and umpires in the field don't wear helmets. The runners have to. It certainly seems reasonable.

 

that inconsistency had never occured to me somehow... that's a very good point. Perhaps some good can come from this tragedy, by focusing some attention on that idea.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

That sucks.

 

I hate to sound morbid, but it's probably only a matter of time until a pitcher is struck in the head from a line drive and ends up passing away. I wonder if eventually pitchers will be required to wear an Olerud-esque hat while pitching.

 

I don't know why coaches and umpires in the field don't wear helmets. The runners have to. It certainly seems reasonable.

 

especially as they get older and slower

[Soriano12]

I worry about our 1B coach, Frank Sinatra's little bro, Matt. He doesn't appear swiftest of foot.

[JimSorgi]

Wow, that is really sad. RIP

[OleMissCub]

you hate to hear this. it's amazing it doesn't happen more often

 

Yes it is amazing. Just a terrible story.

[dougdescenzo]

I think what is equally amazing is that it doesn't happen to fans more often. You always see some wicked shots towards the first few rows of seats.

[rickrolled]

That's really terrible. Really, it's a lucky thing that it doesn't happen more, like Roast said, the coaches are sitting ducks and with a line drive right at them, there's hardly any reaction time at all for them to get out of the way.

[Chris]

A memorial fund has been set up for the family.

 

RIP

[ConstableRabbit]

This is an absolutely tragedy.

 

With this can I again stress...

 

Can we please now ban aluminum bats from competition? How many people must get injured for the sake of batmakers' profits?

[imb]

This is an absolutely tragedy.

 

With this can I again stress...

 

Can we please now ban aluminum bats from competition? How many people must get injured for the sake of batmakers' profits?

 

They don't use aluminum in the minor leagues.

 

I'm down with getting rid of aluminum, but more in a "help scouting" than "prevent injuries" kind of way.