Rockies Minor Leauge Coach Killed By a Line Drive
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Tragedy Strikes on Baseball Field
AP Sports
Posted: 2007-07-23 14:38:10
Filed Under: MLB
A Colorado Rockies minor league coach died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game in North Little Rock, Ark.
Photo Gallery: Deaths in 2007
Doug Murray, AP Minor league coach , Mike Coolbaugh seen here in his playing days, dies after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box.
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Tulsa batting coach Mike Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious by Tino Sanchez's line drive during the ninth inning of Sunday night's game against the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, according to a statement on the Drillers' Web site. The former major leaguer was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.
The Drillers said Monday night's game against the Wichita Wranglers in Kansas has been postponed, and baseball teams and executives expressed sadness over the former major leaguer's death.
"This was a tragic event that took a great teammate and a wonderful human being from us far too soon," Houston Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.
North Little Rock police Sgt. Terry Kuykendall said Coolbaugh was alive when he was put in an ambulance but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock. The 35-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9:47 p.m. local time.
Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was hit on either the right side of his head or the forehead and immediately collapsed.
Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy, and two young sons, Joseph and Jacob, all of San Antonio. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting another child in October.
"Our entire organization grieves at the death of Mike Coolbaugh," Rockies president Keli McGregor said. "We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the accident on Sunday evening. Mike was a great husband, father, brother and friend to so many throughout the baseball community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, wife Mandy and sons Joseph and Jacob, and to all of those whose lives were touched by Mike over his career and his life."
Coolbaugh played 44 games in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He spent a decade in the minor leagues with affiliates of the Astros, Texas Rangers and other teams.
"Mike was a kind and hard-working individual who lived life and played the game with great passion," said Reid Nichols, Brewers special assistant to the general manager and director of player development. "He will be greatly missed."
The St. Louis Cardinals, who were off Monday, planned a moment of silence before Tuesday's home game against the Chicago Cubs honoring both Coolbaugh and former St. Louis Browns pitcher Rollie Stiles, who died Sunday at age 100.
"We express our condolences to his family and friends," Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said of Coolbaugh. "He and his brother Scott were members of our Cardinals family and he'll certainly be missed."
Scott Coolbaugh played 167 major league games over four seasons with Texas, San Diego and St. Louis in the early 1990s.
Minor League Baseball president Mike Moore asked all minor league clubs to fly their flags at half-staff and observe a moment of silence before Monday night's games.
"The hearts and prayers of the minor league baseball world go out to his entire family," he said.
Coolbaugh joined the Tulsa staff on July 3 as a batting coach. He played for the team briefly in 1996.
Drillers first basemen Aaron Rifkin said recently that Coolbaugh's coaching style had already helped the team.
"He came in and didn't try to change guys, just fine-tune what they were doing. He's been great for me," Rifkin told the Tulsa World.
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, reaching the major leagues in 2001 with the Brewers. He played 39 big league games that season and five for the Cardinals in 2002. He hit two home runs in 70 major league at-bats.
The Travelers, an Angels affiliate, led 7-3 when the game was suspended with no outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth inning. Officials said no date had been set to finish the game.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
AP Sports
Posted: 2007-07-23 14:38:10
Filed Under: MLB
A Colorado Rockies minor league coach died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game in North Little Rock, Ark.
Photo Gallery: Deaths in 2007
Doug Murray, AP Minor league coach , Mike Coolbaugh seen here in his playing days, dies after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box.
< Previous 1 of 26 Next >
Tulsa batting coach Mike Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious by Tino Sanchez's line drive during the ninth inning of Sunday night's game against the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, according to a statement on the Drillers' Web site. The former major leaguer was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.
The Drillers said Monday night's game against the Wichita Wranglers in Kansas has been postponed, and baseball teams and executives expressed sadness over the former major leaguer's death.
"This was a tragic event that took a great teammate and a wonderful human being from us far too soon," Houston Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.
North Little Rock police Sgt. Terry Kuykendall said Coolbaugh was alive when he was put in an ambulance but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock. The 35-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9:47 p.m. local time.
Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was hit on either the right side of his head or the forehead and immediately collapsed.
Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy, and two young sons, Joseph and Jacob, all of San Antonio. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting another child in October.
"Our entire organization grieves at the death of Mike Coolbaugh," Rockies president Keli McGregor said. "We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the accident on Sunday evening. Mike was a great husband, father, brother and friend to so many throughout the baseball community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, wife Mandy and sons Joseph and Jacob, and to all of those whose lives were touched by Mike over his career and his life."
Coolbaugh played 44 games in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He spent a decade in the minor leagues with affiliates of the Astros, Texas Rangers and other teams.
"Mike was a kind and hard-working individual who lived life and played the game with great passion," said Reid Nichols, Brewers special assistant to the general manager and director of player development. "He will be greatly missed."
The St. Louis Cardinals, who were off Monday, planned a moment of silence before Tuesday's home game against the Chicago Cubs honoring both Coolbaugh and former St. Louis Browns pitcher Rollie Stiles, who died Sunday at age 100.
"We express our condolences to his family and friends," Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said of Coolbaugh. "He and his brother Scott were members of our Cardinals family and he'll certainly be missed."
Scott Coolbaugh played 167 major league games over four seasons with Texas, San Diego and St. Louis in the early 1990s.
Minor League Baseball president Mike Moore asked all minor league clubs to fly their flags at half-staff and observe a moment of silence before Monday night's games.
"The hearts and prayers of the minor league baseball world go out to his entire family," he said.
Coolbaugh joined the Tulsa staff on July 3 as a batting coach. He played for the team briefly in 1996.
Drillers first basemen Aaron Rifkin said recently that Coolbaugh's coaching style had already helped the team.
"He came in and didn't try to change guys, just fine-tune what they were doing. He's been great for me," Rifkin told the Tulsa World.
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, reaching the major leagues in 2001 with the Brewers. He played 39 big league games that season and five for the Cardinals in 2002. He hit two home runs in 70 major league at-bats.
The Travelers, an Angels affiliate, led 7-3 when the game was suspended with no outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth inning. Officials said no date had been set to finish the game.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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