Minor League Coach Killed By Line Drive

Former Brewer, Cardinal Mike Coolbaugh Dies After Being Struck By Foul Ball

(CBS/AP)  Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died Sunday night after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a Texas League game with the Arkansas Travelers, police said.

The game was suspended in the ninth inning after the 35-year-old Coolbaugh was struck by a hard-hit foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez and taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock.

"It's a tragedy for all of baseball," Drillers president Chuck Lamson told the Tulsa World in a story posted on the newspaper's Web site 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 hit on the right side of his head or on the forehead — "I'm getting conflicting reports," he said — and fell to the ground immediately.

According to a report on the Drillers' Web site 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. The Drillers' Web site said Coolbaugh joined the Tulsa staff on July 3 as a batting coach. He played for the team briefly in 1996.

Tulsa is a Colorado Rockies affiliate.

Aaron Rifkin, the Drillers' first basemen, said recently that Coolbaugh's coaching style had already been a help to 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 Roosevelt 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, signing with the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees organizations, before making his major league debut with the Brewers in 2001. He played five more big league games for the Cardinals in 2002. He hit two home runs in 70 major league at-bats.

Coolbaugh later spent three years in the Houston Astros organization. In 2005, he was named the Astros' Class AAA Most Valuable Player, hitting .281 with 27 homers and 101 RBIs.

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 at the time the game was suspended with no outs 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.

[shoujoboy-2009]

Take this story down immediately! Seriously all we need is one of the alarmists to hit this story and we will have everyone on the sideline and outfield wearing helmets and chain mail to protect themselves from the ball. You know those knee jerk reactions... just wait.

[vet999999]

This has to be George Bushes fault, somehow....

[michaure]

we must ban baseball? what a idiot statement for someone to say...

let's pay driving, flying,walking,running,eating....etc etc

all those things you can get killed doing too...

like my dad always said.....keep your EYE on the ball if he'd be doing that maybe he could've got out of the way sooner...but hey accident happen..and that's all it was

[tkportersat]

You can't be serious right? I went to highschool with Mike, your comments are ridiculous and insensitive.

[jumkey]

GunOwnerDan is using this tragic death to conflate the equally tragic but completely avoidable plague of gun deaths in this country.

Equating the handful of accidental deaths that occur in sports with the deliberated deaths of tens of thousands of Americans from firearms is simply sick and twisted.

But obviously GunOwnerDad cares less about Mr. Coolbaugh and his family than the political point he wishes to make.

[missingamerica]

A tragedy...and a reminder to stop and smell the roses each and every day...

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by jumkey at 10:30 AM : Jul 23, 2007


GunOwnerDan was on a fishing expedition and he got a bite. Now are you going to let him reel you in?

[berniepeders]

jumkey: Are you serious? You really dont' realize that GunOwnerDan is kidding? I swear, some of you people shouldn't be allowed to read the comment sections!

[talkingham]

Yeah, gunower-jerk is a great representative for the sick jerks who try to stab every thread on this site in the back to make their sick twisted non-points in their so-called conservative agenda. Evidently they sit around every minute of every day thinking that their sick remarks make sense, but only to another sick moron like themselves.

Gunower-jerk sounds like he needs to go bed down with another viagra slugging jerk like R. Limgaugh who can't get it up otherwise and has to take cheap shots at every thread and everybody.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by talkingham at 11:04 AM : Jul 23, 2007

In this case, GunOwnerDan did nothing wrong, You on the otherhand did. Slander does not make you look smart.

[jumkey]

Hes not "kidding" - why don't *you* get it?

He's suggesting that we over react to tens of thousands of gun deaths by resorting to gun control and he's using the ridiculous argument that this is like banning baseball because a few people die playing it.

Now this simply could be irony by an anti-gun advocate, but I doubt it (GunOwnerDan?).

If 30,000 people a year in the US were killed by baseballs and another 65,000 were seriously injured he might have a point. As it is he's using this tragic death to make a stupid, irrational and ultimately mean-spirited reductio ad absurdum argument. But hey, welcome to the dishonest world of the gun nut.

Now I've wasted 3 paragraphs explaining the obvious to you bernie. Regardless I urge you to continue to read and comment even though you have rather serious comprehension problems yourself.

[bklyntony1]

If GunOwnerDad is kidding, he must not make a living as a stand-up comedian. "berniepeders" - at least some of us can read and comprehend what we have read. It is clear, GunOwnerDad - initials are G.O.D. (hmmmm)- has a serious problem and doesn't realize a human being died, accidentally and tragically. There are children and a wife left behind. What kind of moron makes a joke about such a situation? Would you walk up to his family at the funeral and say that? Whether what he wrote is wrong or what anyone else replied, inhuman and horribly insensitive are apt descriptions of his comment and anyone defending him is an idiot for trying to justify such an absurdity. Grow up and wake up. Baited, hooked, whatever - stupidity should be challenged at all times. May he rest in peace and may your soulless, insensitive, unfunny, irrational, unjustified, inhumane selves rot.

[lawandorder7]

GunOwnerDan you are the biggest A************** I have every heard. Please go shoot yourself. Guns are for a coward like YOU

[bklyntony1]

...and, while the morons are being lambasted, this morning...what is shoujoboy's point? A couple years ago, a young girl was killed as a spectator at a hockey game. Nets are now installed behind the goals to stop the puck from injuring, or worse, killing sports fans. There is, similarly, a net behind home plate in baseball. Is this a similar knee jerk reaction? Doing something that makes sense that might not have been thought of in the first place in order to save human lives is "alarmist". I see the negative connotations. What's your point?

[toolmangler-2009]

Take this story down immediately! Seriously all we need is one of the alarmists to hit this story and we will have everyone on the sideline and outfield wearing helmets and chain mail to protect themselves from the ball. You know those knee jerk reactions... just wait.
Posted by shoujoboy at 09:06 AM : Jul 23, 2007


This is what G.O.D. responded to. Like I said, a fishing expedition.

[bklyntony1]

Like I said, stupidity. That's a stupid response to shoujoboy, who is now being called out. It is not funny, nor appropriate, whatsoever.

[robertkjjj]

Bernie, this sections is definitive proof once again that liberals lack the "humor" gene. They have a complete inability to discern sarcasm from serious remarks. I see this trait again and again on news sites, YouTube, etc. While any child of 4 could easily tell GO-Dan was kidding, the libs here reacted ("If GunOwnerDad is kidding" ??? IF?) as if he might be serious. Libs are simpletons and have NO sense of humor. Rosie O is the best example of this. BTW: this death was a tragedy. And a fluke also. When was the last time any of you heard of someone dying like this? It's a fluke, and a tragedy for the family. I feel for his wife and kids. But, no changes at all need to made to sports or baseball because of this. Sorry if any of you knee-jerk-morons (KJM's) feel different, but you%u2019re wrong.

[perception5]

More proof of corruption/bias in America's liberal MSM wolfpack press. From Rasmussen reports:

"Associated Press, MSNBC and CNBC Seen as Having Liberal Bias
In the final poll of a series measuring perceptions of media bias, the Associated Press, local television stations, MSNBC, and CNBC are all perceived as tilting to the left when reporting the news."

When are the "affirmative action" programs going to be implemented in our corrupt press? to include NOT EXCLUDE "moderates" and "conservative" CBS?

[bklyntony1]

Ramble, ramble - shuffle your feet - this is still not a joking matter. Someone was killed.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by bklyntony1 at 11:58 AM : Jul 23, 2007

No problem with that!

[oleander8]

"More proof of corruption/bias in America's liberal MSM wolfpack press. From Rasmussen reports:"[Posted by perception5 ]

For the life of me I cannot figure out why you continue to read CBSNEWS...move on if you don't like it.

[shoujoboy-2009]

The matter itself isn't a joke, it's the reaction to it. We all know that a freak accident like this is a tragedy, it's just the inevitible reaction afterwards that is hillarious. We are mearly making comments on a news site I am just afraid someone, somewhere is formulating someway to make baseball "safer" now. I mean we are in a society that makes you put toothpaste in a plastic bag because we are afraid everything is explosive so how far of a stretch is it that plexiglass won't be put around the entire baseball field to protect the fans and helmets for every player and coach on the field? Knee jerk reactions.

[robertkjjj]

All the libs will soon require each fan attending a game to dress up like our soldiers at war; helmets and full body armor. That would bs so nice and safe! The Nanny State is alive and well. Or, we could just switch from using hard baseballs to tennis balls. That would do it.

[bklyntony1]

Why should someone go to or play in a sporting event and die? Can't an improvement be made in order to make the game - it's only a game, right? - safer. How is evolving safety measures a knee jerk reaction. Let's throw out seatbelts, bumpers, air bags and, while we're at it, who needs doors on our cars. The Model T was stellar, why make knee jerk reactions and improve on the original?

[roesch21]

GunOwnerDan and Shoujoboy,
I love you guys...you never fail to start up a controversy no matter what the story is about :)

[bklyntony1]

Little Robby - do you always respond so ineptly with name-calling? And, by the way, many people do not feel being called liberal is the slam you are surely intending. Grow up, wee man. If this is in fact, sarcasm, you are also surely not making a living on your wit.

[susieq_13]

How awful. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

[shoujoboy-2009]

GunOwnerDan and Shoujoboy,
I love you guys...you never fail to start up a controversy no matter what the story is about :)
Posted by Roesch21 at 12:51 PM : Jul 23, 2007

I just like to give the converse opinion to the story. The simple answer is never the fun one and only makes me sound like a myna bird. I'd much rather stir up conversation... too bad it usually ends up resulting in rampant flaming.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by bklyntony1 at 12:51 PM : Jul 23, 2007

Your overreaction to the comment has caused more comment than anything else. How 'bout we do this. Since living is the single biggest cause of death lets ban pregnacy. The ones that are still living will have to be herded together by robots and fed by machine until they expire due to natural causes.Then having eliminated the major cause of death the world will continue as it did before man came along and invented (gasp) baseball.

[bklyntony1]

Shoujoboy - just like the Tulsa Drillers, you're minor league. Please explain "converse opinion to the story" and "rampant flaming".

Rampant and flaming are both adjectives which should be separated by a comma and you should finish your sentence with a noun in this case.

The story is a news article, facts listed one after another which tell a story of something that has happened. There is no opinion in the story and you made the first comment, the first opinion. So, your converse opinion was converse to what?

You stated, "The matter itself isn't a joke, it's the reaction to it." Noone else had reacted to it, so you make this ridiculous statement so you can get a lot of attention. The "inevitable reaction afterwards that is hilarious" (sic)(you need some remedial spelling education) would surely have been kind words to the family and sincerity, if not for your idiocy. Again, what's your point? Find something better to do. What if this was your family member, you ingrate?

[shoujoboy-2009]

Humans exist only to be made into batteries for the machines anyway so that sounds like a dandy plan.

[gslinger3]

Its Bush's Fault!

[bklyntony1]

gslinger - it didn't happen in Texas, so it can't be Bush's fault. It happened in Arkansas, so it would be Wal-Mart's fault.

Cockgobbler - you can continue to sit in the corner and be ignored like a good boy.

[gslinger3]

GunOwner,

I got to hand it to you Man. What an Awsome job of stirring up the left wing radical, Bush Hating, Terrorist Loving, unborn Child hating, abortion loving, political corectness loving, gun hating global warmed liberal kooks!!!!!

Great job!!!

[jdubs63]

Come on people.....THIS IS NOT A JOKE

[bklyntony1]

gslinger - you're in real late...you're not watching the game. See, cockgobbler already pointed out G.O.D. was merely responding to Sboy. Meanwhile, Sboy is claiming innocence because he was responding to a converse opinion, but he offered the first opinion which cannot be converse to anything. So, then you come along and are apparently a character who knows everything. I don't recognize any comment here where someone said they are a liberal, and thus... Can you point out where this occurred? Then , I tried some of that good old honest, innocent sarcasm - see, Wal-Mart is a liberal target and is located in Arkansas while, though he is really a New Englander, Bush resides in Texas and was governor there - and, you didn't appreciate my joke. This gets to the crux of this whole thread, ironically.

[bklyntony1]

And...

Stupid comments evoke more stupid comments. This article is not in the "politics" section. It's a human interest story in which someone tragically died. There is no political aspect to the story. Yet, since we have roughly 40% of Americans who cannot make up their own minds and prefer to argue with each other online rather than really contributing and making a difference in their America, this is apparently their outlet. Then, there are a handful here who don't recognize there is a family experiencing a terrible loss. So, you turn this into political commentary somehow. Sboy could have said a million less insensitive things. You are making political, social and personal comments which have nothing to do with the article, either. Go to the top of the page, click the politics section of the website and have at it.

[bklyntony1]

JDUBS - that's the point. It's not a joke, nor a political ruse of some sort. Sboy and G.O.D. can't realize they should just apologize for being insensitive jerks.

[bklyntony1]

Mr. Sanchez has a legal right to sue you, at this point, (not)goodsam. Yet another stupid comment.

[dylanxxv]

WoW...That's some sad news...Maybe fences should be used where they don't want baseballs to land?

[shoujoboy-2009]

There is no need for any kind of apology and I will not make one. I have already stated that yes it is a tragedy that this man died in a freak accident. However anytime something like this happens there is always some kind of knee jerk reaction that has some long lasting effect. It is a freak accident not something that should (and will be I imagine)viewed through a microscope. You need to pay attention and making yourselves seem all high and mighty and making me out to sound like a villain. Come back and talk to me in two weeks when CBS News runs an article about new baseball regulations.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by bklyntony1 at 02:03 PM : Jul 23, 2007

I did not ridicule you by calling you names. As for death, I am more than aquainted with it as I have died and been brought back twice myself. I lost my two brothers on their 60th birthdays one year apart. Do not attack me or anyone else for spelling on this site. I see the incorrect use of english and spelling and am not really concerned about it. As a 'ham' radio operator I am use to shortcuts and the fast way to ge6 an idea across. This is not an English class and I am not the teacher, nor do I want to be.

[shoujoboy-2009]

And there you go again only making a comment to make yourself seem superior to the rest of us. Congrats, you are the ruler of the CBS News forums. Does it make you feel important?

[bklyntony1]

I was only kidding, again. You didn't like the joke. Oh, you liberals with no sense of humor drive me crazy. Does that sound familiar?

[bklyntony1]

You posted the first comment to this story. You posted the ridiculous comment in regards to a very serious article about someone's death. Based upon your most recent comment, the picture has come into focus. Now, look in the mirror. You don't appreciate stupid comments, either, apparently?

And, again, if a knee jerk reaction saves only one life - it is not worthless. What is your point?

[toolmangler-2009]

Oh, you liberals with no sense of humor drive me crazy. Does that sound familiar?

Posted by bklyntony1 at 03:08 PM : Jul 23, 2007

Oh, I have a sense of humor but not for being called a name that I find very offensive. and I do know what it means. Besides I am a "Southern Liberal", you know, the ones that wanted a recount in the first election. :)

[bklyntony1]

Oh, overreaction...How 'bout we do this. Pregnacy is spelled with a second "n", hammy. And, since - yes, once born we will all eventually die, let's ban inanity. Robots can judge if something is worth wasting one's time and breath on and those who spout off nonsense will be immediately exterminated. Then, having eliminated the major cause of useless comments the world will be a brighter place and we'll all play (gasp) baseball. You write such gentle prose. It reminds me of Shakespeare.

[gottasay]

Brooklyn Tony,

'Flaming' can also be a verb in the technical world, you flaming dillwad! ;)

[shoujoboy-2009]

And, again, if a knee jerk reaction saves only one life - it is not worthless. What is your point?
Posted by bklyntony1 at 03:14 PM : Jul 23, 2007

It's knee jerk reactions that got us the Patriot Act, shoes and liquids being checked before flights, illegal wire tapping etc etc. When we overreact to something no matter how grandiose it seems at the time we end up with trouble in the end. Why should we consider making any kind of changes to the sport when a death like this is just bad luck and bad timing and can be considered a freak accident?

[toolmangler-2009]

"It reminds me of Shakespeare."
Posted by bklyntony1 at 03:38 PM : Jul 23, 2007


It should, I taught him everything I could.


"Pregnacy is spelled with a second "n","


Thar you go with that spellchucker agin. My laptop keyboard is not the best and I have had it replaced twice. Other than that, "no excuses"