Mike Coolbaugh
Encyclopedia
Michael Robert Coolbaugh (June 5, 1972 – July 22, 2007) was an American
baseball
player and coach. Born in Binghamton
, New York
, he was the brother of former major leaguer Scott Coolbaugh
.
in the 16th round (433rd overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft. Coolbaugh spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues
. He broke the Southern League
record for RBI in a season.
On July 15, , while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers
Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians
, Coolbaugh was called up to the majors. He never played for the Blue Jays, but did play third base
with the Milwaukee Brewers
in 2001 and the St. Louis Cardinals
in . Coolbaugh made 44 career appearances, mainly at third base or as a pinch hitter
, hitting .183.
In 2004 he set a franchise record by hitting 30 home runs with the New Orleans Zephyrs (Houston Astros) In , Coolbaugh was with the Houston Astros
farm system. While playing for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express
, Coolbaugh had 27 home runs and 101 RBI. The Astros were prepared to bring him up to the major leagues until he suffered a broken bone on his left hand during a Round Rock Express game. In , he signed with the Kansas City Royals
. While in spring training
, Coolbaugh shattered his left wrist, leading to his retirement as a player.
, a Double-A
affiliate of the Colorado Rockies
.
in North Little Rock, Arkansas
, when a line drive
hit by Drillers catcher Tino Sanchez struck him in the neck while he was standing in the first base coach's box. The impact pulverized Coolbaugh's left vertebral artery
, which severed the brain from the spinal cord. The result, according to Pulaski County Coroner Mark Malcolm, was a severe brain hemorrhage that essentially killed Coolbaugh on impact. Travelers general manager Pete Laven was among the first to reach Coolbaugh, along with Travelers team doctor James Bryan, team trainer Brian Reinker and Gene France, a local doctor who was sitting near the first base dugout with his daughter and a family friend, both of whom are also physicians. France watched as Bryan administered a "deep pain" maneuver
, applying pressure to various areas of Coolbaugh's body, all with no response. CPR was administered to Coolbaugh on the field and he was breathing until the ambulance reached the hospital.
Coolbaugh was pronounced dead at 9:47 pm CDT (0247 UTC
, 23 July), less than an hour after being struck with the line drive. The game, which the Travelers had been leading 7-3, was suspended. The next day, Texas League
president Tom Kayser declared that the game would be considered a complete game. The Drillers and Travelers both postponed their game scheduled the following night.
After clinching the National League
Wild Card playoff berth during the 2007 Major League Baseball season
, the Colorado Rockies
announced that the players voted to award Coolbaugh's widow, Amanda, a full share of their playoff winnings. Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd
said, "when I heard about what the players did, I almost cried." As the Rockies made it to the World Series
, her share ended up being $233,505.18.
On November 8, 2007, MLB general managers decided that base coaches would wear helmets starting in the season.
to someone who has "shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and coach. Born in Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he was the brother of former major leaguer Scott Coolbaugh
Scott Coolbaugh
Scott Robert Coolbaugh is an American former baseball player. Coolbaugh played Major League Baseball from to for the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres and in for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in and , and continued to play in the minor...
.
Playing career
Coolbaugh was drafted by the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 16th round (433rd overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft. Coolbaugh spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He broke the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
record for RBI in a season.
On July 15, , while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
, Coolbaugh was called up to the majors. He never played for the Blue Jays, but did play third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in 2001 and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in . Coolbaugh made 44 career appearances, mainly at third base or as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, hitting .183.
In 2004 he set a franchise record by hitting 30 home runs with the New Orleans Zephyrs (Houston Astros) In , Coolbaugh was with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
farm system. While playing for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
, Coolbaugh had 27 home runs and 101 RBI. The Astros were prepared to bring him up to the major leagues until he suffered a broken bone on his left hand during a Round Rock Express game. In , he signed with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. While in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Coolbaugh shattered his left wrist, leading to his retirement as a player.
Coaching
Following his professional playing career, Coolbaugh turned to coaching. On July 3, , he was hired as first base coach for the Tulsa DrillersTulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...
, a Double-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
.
Death
On July 22, 2007, Coolbaugh was killed during the ninth inning of a game against the Arkansas TravelersArkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League club....
in North Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, when a line drive
Line drive
In baseball, a line drive is a type of batted ball, sharply hit, and on a level trajectory. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball can be subjective....
hit by Drillers catcher Tino Sanchez struck him in the neck while he was standing in the first base coach's box. The impact pulverized Coolbaugh's left vertebral artery
Vertebral artery
The vertebral arteries are major arteries of the neck. They branch from the subclavian arteries and merge to form the single midline basilar artery in a complex called the vertebrobasilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of the circle of Willis and thus significant portions of the...
, which severed the brain from the spinal cord. The result, according to Pulaski County Coroner Mark Malcolm, was a severe brain hemorrhage that essentially killed Coolbaugh on impact. Travelers general manager Pete Laven was among the first to reach Coolbaugh, along with Travelers team doctor James Bryan, team trainer Brian Reinker and Gene France, a local doctor who was sitting near the first base dugout with his daughter and a family friend, both of whom are also physicians. France watched as Bryan administered a "deep pain" maneuver
AVPU
The AVPU scale is a system by which a first aider, ambulance crew or health care professional can measure and record a patient's responsiveness, indicating their level of consciousness....
, applying pressure to various areas of Coolbaugh's body, all with no response. CPR was administered to Coolbaugh on the field and he was breathing until the ambulance reached the hospital.
Coolbaugh was pronounced dead at 9:47 pm CDT (0247 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
, 23 July), less than an hour after being struck with the line drive. The game, which the Travelers had been leading 7-3, was suspended. The next day, Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
president Tom Kayser declared that the game would be considered a complete game. The Drillers and Travelers both postponed their game scheduled the following night.
After clinching the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Wild Card playoff berth during the 2007 Major League Baseball season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
, the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
announced that the players voted to award Coolbaugh's widow, Amanda, a full share of their playoff winnings. Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd
Dan O'Dowd
Dan O'Dowd has served as the General Manager of the Colorado Rockies since September 20, 1999. Before being hired by the Rockies, he spent 15 years working for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians, working his way from Accounts Manager to Director of Baseball Operations / Assistant General...
said, "when I heard about what the players did, I almost cried." As the Rockies made it to the World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
, her share ended up being $233,505.18.
On November 8, 2007, MLB general managers decided that base coaches would wear helmets starting in the season.
Mike Coolbaugh Award
In 2008, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) began presenting the annual Mike Coolbaugh AwardMike Coolbaugh Award
The Mike Coolbaugh Award is presented annually by Minor League Baseball . The award, first given in 2008, is presented to a MiLB figure who has shown an "outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field."The award was developed to honor Mike...
to someone who has "shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field."
External links
- Mike Coolbaugh - A Life in Baseball Remembered - MLNSportsZone.com - August, 2007
- Double-A coach dies after being hit in head by ball, ESPN.com
- Drillers coach struck by foul ball, killed, MiLB.com
- Profile on ESPN
- Career statistics