Fatal Accidents A Rare Occurrence In Professional Baseball

Monday, July 23rd 2007, 9:16 pm

By: News On 6

Experts say Drillers hitting coach Mike Coolbaugh's death is especially shocking because fatal accidents are so rare in professional baseball. The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports they simply don't occur on the minor and major league level, which is why experts are describing Coolbaugh's death as an unfortunate, freak accident.

"It was just a matter of seconds. A wicked line drive that caught him in the temple, the man fell directly to the ground, and never moved again,â€ said Arkansas Travelers CEO Bill Valentine.

Valentine was in the stands when a hard-hit foul ball struck and killed Mike Coolbaugh Sunday night. He says he has seen a lot during his more than five decades in the game, but never a death.

"I've been around baseball since 1951, and I don't remember a coach getting hit in any part of his anatomy. I'm sure a coach has been hit, but nothing like that,â€ Valentine said.

Despite fastballs in the 90s and free-swinging sluggers, only one player has ever died on the field during a Major League Baseball game. Long before batting helmets, Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch in 1920.

Never before, and never since, has there been a death during a game in the majors. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of baseball-related injuries.

Sports medicine specialist Dr. Kevin Dukes says he deals traumatic head injuries all the time.

"What's unusual and unique about this particular situation is that it caused a fatality, and that's not very common fortunately,â€ Dukes said.

But Dr. Dukes worries that as professional baseball players continue to grow in size and speed, so will the potential for deadly injuries.

"As the athletes become stronger, the pitchers are throwing harder, and we're seeing higher swing speeds, that we don't see more of these,â€ Dukes said.

And hopefully we won't see any more memorials to fallen coaches.

Dukes says that baseball-related injuries are more common among younger players. According to several studies, baseball is the leading cause of youth sports-related head injuries.

Watch the video: Baseball-Related Deaths Uncommon In Professional Field

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