NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Tulsa Drillers coach Mike
Coolbaugh died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he
stood in the first-base coach's box during a game.
The Texas League game was suspended in the ninth inning Sunday
after the former major leaguer was hit by a foul ball off the bat of
Tino Sanchez. Coolbaugh, 35, a former Toronto Blue Jays draft pick,
was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was
pronounced dead.
``It's a tragedy for all of baseball,'' Drillers president Chuck
Lamson told the Tulsa World in a story posted on the newspaper's
website early Monday. ``He just joined the staff and was a former
Driller player. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.''
Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was either hit on
the right side of his head or on the forehead and fell to the ground
immediately. According to a report on the Drillers' website 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 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' double-A affiliate.
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 Toronto 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.
The Travelers, an Angels affiliate, led 7-3 when the game at
Dickey-Stephens Park was suspended with none out 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, all of San Antonio. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting
another child in October.
The Tulsa Drillers said Monday night's game against the Wichita
Wranglers in Kansas has been postponed, and team officials planned
to release a statement Monday afternoon about their immediate plans.
