Mourning coaches and players wonder about safety

They’ve all been hit, anybody who coaches the bases, and Mike Coolbaugh’s death after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base box was a sobering reminder of what a dangerous job it is.

Across baseball Monday, players and coaches mourned the death of the 35-year-old who left behind two young sons and a pregnant wife. They wondered about their own safety – and that of fans – a day after tragedy struck at a minor league game in Arkansas.

Coolbaugh, a former major leaguer who played 44 games for the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers over two seasons, died after being struck by a foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez of the Tulsa Drillers.

“It’s just devastating,” said Astros coach Sean Berry, who coached Coolbaugh in the minors. “He has two kids and one on the way. It’s a sad day in baseball.”

Coolbaugh’s death was the talk of clubhouses, and some players suggested moving the coaching boxes back. Giants third-base coach Tim Flannery said he will start wearing a plastic shield inside his cap more regularly, in part because his mother e-mailed him telling him to wear a helmet.

“It’s something I think about all the time,” he said. “I run and exercise all the time. This year, a ball almost hit me in the eyes. That’s why I always have my feet moving.”

San Diego Padres third-base coach Glenn Hoffman wears a plastic protector under his cap ever since getting knocked unconscious by a line drive.

“I got hit in Kansas City in batting practice, and from that day on I wear a helmet,” he said. “It’s a protective shield in the hat. Before that, I had a helmet out there after I got hit. It doesn’t cover the ears or anything, but at least you have some protection for the top of the head.”

Coaches can’t count on great reflexes to get out of the way.

“All you can do is be alert. It is scary,” said Colorado Rockies first-base coach Glenallen Hill. “Helmets, ankle bands can help. But there is so much to protect. I put on a shin guard or an elbow guard if a player hands me one after reaching base.”

Base coaches have plenty to do besides keeping an eye on the ball. They must constantly scan the field to see the position of the outfielders and infielders, decipher pickoff moves, instruct the runners whether to go halfway or tag up on a fly, freeze on a line drive and run on passed balls.

Although their contributions aren’t always apparent, base coaches influence the outcome of many plays. And all the while, there’s the danger of a ball coming off the bat at more than 100 mph.

“The third-base coach with a runner on second is the one in the most danger,” said Angels first-base coach Alfredo Griffin.

“It is something you have to pay attention to, and now you have to pay even more attention to it,” White Sox third-base coach Razor Shines said.

Said Astros first-base coach Jose Cruz: “You’ve got to be lucky as well as alert. This should be a real wakeup call for all coaches on the line.”