Freak hit strikes dead Minor League mentor

DENVER: 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, Arkansas.

Tulsa Drillers batting coach Mike Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious by Tino Sanchez's line drive during the ninth inning of Sunday's game against the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, according to a statement on the Drillers' Website.

Coolbaugh, 35, was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.

North Little Rock police Sgt. Terry Kuykendall said Coolbaugh was alive when he was put in an ambulance but stopped breathing as the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

Travelers spokesman Phil Elson said Coolbaugh was hit on either the right side of his head or the forehead and immediately collapsed.

Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy, and two young sons, Joseph and Jacob. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting another child in October.

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 Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and others.

"Mike was a kind and hard-working individual who lived life and played the game with great passion," said Reid Nichols, Brewers special assistant to the general manager and director of player development. "He will be greatly missed."

Minor League Baseball president Mike Moore asked all minor league clubs to fly their flags at half-mast and observe a moment of silence before Monday's games.

Agencies

(China Daily 07/25/2007 page23)