Foul Ball Kills Coach

The hitting coach for the Tulsa Drillers has died after being hit in the head with a ball. North Little Rock police confirmed that 35-year-old Mike Coolbaugh's heart stopped in the ambulance on the way from Dickey-Stephens Park to Baptist Medical Center's Springhill facility. He was hit in the top of the ninth inning as the Drillers were trailing the Arkansas Travelers 7-3. Driller Tino Sanchez hit the line drive that knocked Coolbaugh unconscious. Early reports indicate the coach's heart stopped on the field. Fans at Dickey-Stephens sat silent as they watched medical crews work on Coolbaugh. The game was suspended after the accident. Though North Little Rock police are investigating the incident, Sergeant Terry Kuykendall says no charges have been filed at this time. Coolbaugh just joined the Drillers on July 3rd. A former Driller himself, he replaced Orlando Merced who had resigned earlier in the season. According to "The Raw Feed" newswire, he collected over 1,600 hits, including 258 homers, and over 1,000 runs batted in in the minors. During his career Coolbaugh also spent parts of two seasons in the major league with Milwaukee and St. Louis. His brother, former Driller third baseman Scott Coolbaugh, is currently the hitting coach for the Frisco RoughRiders. The Drillers' team newsroom reports that pitcher Jon Asahina was also hit in the head by a line drive at Dickey-Stephens Park earlier this season. The Drillers team was still at the ballpark at 11:40pm Sunday waiting for word about Coolbaugh. When the team was informed of his passing, several players immediately got on their cell phones and then boarded their bus. No one with the team would speak with the media. The Travelers organization promised a statement about the incident would be posted to their web-site Monday. The Drillers were scheduled to drive to Wichita, Kansas Sunday night for a Monday game against the Wranglers. That trip has been postponed. All other Texas League games, including a match-up between the Travs and Springfield Cardinals, are still on the books. The Travs set up a memorial fund in honor of Coolbaugh, and fans can send their donations to The Arkansas Travelers at P.O. Box 55066, Little Rock, AR, 72215, with checks made out to "The Family Fund."