Drillers First Base Coach Killed By Line Drive

[OUTromBoNado]

Just saw this on SI.com....the batting coach for the Tulsa Drillers was struck in the head by a line drive while he was in the first-base coach's box. Prayers go out to his family and the team.

Here's the link to the SI report.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/07/23/coolbaugh.dies.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories



EDIT: Thread title should read "Drillers Coach Killed by Line Drive."

[Newbomb Turk]

heard about it this morning on the radio - how sad.

[Boomer.....]

Very sad. :(

[Collier11]

Heard that on the radio this morning, that is horrible! My thoughts and prayers are with his family and players!

[yermom]

dang, that sucks

[william_brasky]

man that's awful. prayers and thoughts to his friends and family.

perhaps base coaches will begin wearing batting helmets out there. no need to risk getting killed even if it's a one in a million shot.

[SOONER STEAKER]

Incredible. The baseball community lost a good one. My thouihts and prayers to the Coolbaugh family and the Tulsa Drillers Organization.

[fwsooner22]

My Son played Select ball in Colleyville for his brother Scott. They are very nice people. Very Sad.

[yermom]

after reading the article, i think i saw him play for Tulsa back in the day

[birddog]

i always thought it was strange that the base coaches never had any protection. that is terrible.

rai henninger, a marketing director for the colorado springs sky sox, was setting up the fireworks they have after every home game and was critically injured. the fire works had a malfunction and ALL of them exploded in his face. i've met the guy many times because i advertise with the sky sox. really nice, life long baseball guy.

so far, he's still alive. prayers to him and his family as well as the drillers coach.

[Ike]

First and third base coaches are probably the most vulnerable people on the field. Next to the catcher and home plate umpire (who get protective equipment) and the pitcher (who gets a glove), they are the closest to the plate on every play and have neither protective equipment nor a glove.

[Soonerus]

horrible...

[BoomerJack]

Here's link to Houston Chronicle story about this.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/4992816.html

[BIG_IKE]

Mike was a good guy. He was my High School quarterback in San Antonio. He was a Roughrider Legend who could have been UT's QB, but opted to play Pro Baseball instead. Ironically, in 89' when we were losing to Judson at halftime, our coach, John Ferrara (R.I.P.), lost his job when he threw a clipboard at the wall and it hit Mike in the head sending him to the hospital.