Sunday night, 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. 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. Coolbaugh, 35, was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.
The Tulsa Drillers have established a Memorial Fund. Details are at the Drillers Website.
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.
More details at Sports Illustrated and The Tulsa Drillers website.