Purps asked me to post about another tragic death in our area...... Tulsa Drillers Coach Killed By Foul Ball
Tragedy struck at Dickey Stephens Park Sunday night. Tulsa Drillers first base coach Mike Coolbaugh was hit in the head by a foul ball and later died. Travelers' management say Monday night's game at Dickey Stephens Park has been cancelled due to the tragedy. THV 6:00 Producer Gary Zekis was at the game. Click the THVideo icon to hear his personal account of what happened. The Drillers were batting in the ninth inning, Matt Miller was at first base with no outs, Tino Sanchez hit a line drive that struck Coolbaugh in the head. The 35-year-old was knocked unconscious and was administered CPR on the field. He was eventually taken by ambulance to a North Little Rock hospital. MEMS Executive Director John Swanson says no calls were made to 911 to report the incident. He says a Pulaski County sheriff's deputy called it in to dispatch, who then called for an ambulance. Coolbaugh was pronounced dead shortly before 10:00 Sunday evening. Coolbaugh had just joined the Drillers on July 3rd. The former Drillers player replaced Coach Orlando Merced who had resigned earlier in the season. Coolbaugh played 39 games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2001 and five games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002. He had just recently retired from playing and took up coaching. The game was suspended with the Travelers leading 7-3 with no outs in the ninth inning. The game will be finished when the Drillers come back to North Little Rock next week. The president of the Tulsa Drillers minor-league team says Coolbaugh's death is "a tragedy for all of baseball." More Background on Coolbaugh: Coolbaugh played 44 games in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers over two seasons. Coolbaugh joined the Tulsa staff on July 3 as a batting coach. He played for the team briefly in 1996. Tulsa is the Colorado Rockies' AA 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 reaching the major leagues for the first time with 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. 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. 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. THV & AP |
Another tragic death in our area...
by R.F. 1 Replies latest social current
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R.F.
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greendawn
Sad though this may be such sports are dangerous with heavy balls flying around at great speeds and it is inevitable that someone will get killed by them at some time.
