parts of the brain with blood. The result, according to Pulaski County coroner Mark Malcolm, was a severe brain hemorrhage essentially killing Coolbaugh on impact. Travelers general manager Pete Laven was among the first to reach Coolbaugh, along with Travelers team doctor James Bryan, team athletic trainer Brian Reinker and Gene France, a local doctor who was sitting near the first base dugout with his daughter and a family friend, both of whom are also physicians. France watched as Bryan administered pain stimulus, applying pressure to various areas of Coolbaugh's body, all with no response. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered to Coolbaugh on the field where he remained breathing until the ambulance reached the hospital. Coolbaugh was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. CDT (0247 UTC, July 23), less than an hour after being struck with the line drive. The game, which the Travelers had been leading 7–3, was suspended. The next day, Texas League president Tom Kayser declared the game to be a complete game. The Drillers and Travelers both postponed their game scheduled for the following night. After clinching the National League Wild Card playoff berth during the 2007 Major League Baseball season, the Colorado Rockies announced the team players voted to award Coolbaugh's widow, Amanda, a full share of their playoff winnings. Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said, "when I heard about what the players did, I almost cried." As the Rockies made it to the World Series, her share ended up being $233,505.18. On November 8, 2007, MLB general managers decided that all base coaches would wear helmets starting with the upcoming 2008 season. Coolbaugh's life and death are the subject of a book by S. L. Price, titled Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America. Legacy In his honor, the Texas League established the Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Coach of the Year Award in 2007 to honor the most outstanding hitting or pitching coach in the league. The first recipient was his brother, Scott Coolbaugh. In 2008, Minor League Baseball began presenting the annual Mike Coolbaugh Award to someone who has "shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field". See also List of baseball players who died during their careers Phillip Hughes, cricketer who was killed by a ball that struck him while batting References External links Mike Coolbaugh – A Life