Heart of the game : life, death, and mercy in Minor League America

From the author of Pitching Around Fidel and Far Afield comes an account of the accidental death of minor league first base coach Mike Coolbaugh, illustrating the many ways in which baseball still has a hold on America. Heart of the Game centers on the death of Mike Coolbaugh, a minor league coach who was killed on a sweltering Sunday evening in Little Rock in July 2007 when a foul ball rocketed off Tino Sanchez's bat. Coolbaugh died almost instantly, his body carted off the field of the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. He was thirty-five years old and the father of two; a third child was on the way. Mike's exemplary life—his devotion to the game and to his family—is the spine of the story. But it isn't the drama. The drama is in the telling of what can happen when a projectile hits the human body, of the narratives of the remarkable people who happened to be in the ballpark at that fatal moment, of the impact of Coolbaugh's death on the man who hit the ball, and of all the lives left behind. Price reveals anew that classic heart of Americana—small-town sports, small-town lives—and makes us understand that a game played away from the mindless churn of Internet blather and highlight shows can be more important than those played on the national stage. "Heart of the Game" centers on the death of Mike Coolbaugh, a minor league coach who was killed on a swealtering Sunday evening in Little Rock in July 2007 when a foul ball rocketed off Tino Sanchez's bat. Coolbaugh died almost instantly, his body carted off the field of the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. He was thirty-five years old and the father of two; a third child was on the way. Mike's exemplary life, his devotion to the game and to his family, is the spine of the story. But it isn't the drama. The drama is in the telling of what can happen when a projectile hits the human body, of the narratives of the remarkable people who happened to be in the ballpark at that fatal moment, of the impact of Coolbaugh's death on the man who hit the ball, and of all the lives left behind Genuine and rawa heartfelt work of despair, triumph, and redemption.Boston Globe The critically acclaimed Heart of the Game subtitled Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League Americaexplores the pure roots of a sport that is stained by scandal at its highest level. S.L. Price, award-winning writer for Sports Illustrated and author of Pitching Around Fidel , gives a tragic but ultimately uplifting account of the death of minor league baseball coach Mike Coolbaugh, and in doing so, illustrates the many reasons and myriad ways in which baseball still has a hold on America. A Friday Night Lights for baseball fans, Heart of the Game reveals the classic heart of small-town America. From The Author Of Pitching Around Fidel Comes A Tragic--but Ultimately Uplifting--account Of The Accidental Death Of Minor League First Base Coach Mike Coolbaugh, Illustrating The Many Ways In Which Baseball Still Has A Hold On America. B&w Photo Insert. Full Furnace -- The Roots -- Circling -- Daddy Did It -- What You Don't See -- Are We Back In Baseball? -- The Foul Ball -- Good Night From Little Rock -- Back At First -- All Those 295. S. L. Price. Title Page 3 Dedication Page 4 Epigraph Page 5 Contents 7 Arkansas 9 Chapter One 13 Chapter Two 51 Chapter Three 81 Chapter Four 129 Chapter Five 145 Chapter Six 163 Chapter Seven 197 Chapter Eight 221 Photographic Insert 223 Chapter Nine 257 Chapter Ten 291 Acknowledgments 319 About the Author 323 Also by S. L. Price 324 Credits 325 Copyright Notice 326 About the Publisher 327 From the author of "Pitching Around Fidel" comes a tragic--but ultimately uplifting--account of the accidental death of minor league first base coach Mike Coolbaugh, illustrating the many ways in which baseball still has a hold on America. b & w photo insert Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 15, 2009).