A Great Reason to Hit the Links

One of the greatest tragedies to ever occur on a baseball diamond took place on July 22, 2007, when Mike Coolbaugh was struck and killed by a foul ball while coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers. 

This incident has been well-documented on MiLB.com as well as a wide variety of other outlets; those seeking additional info and perspective should click HERE. (S.L. Price's "Heart of the Game", which came out earlier this year, is worth reading as well).

The Coolbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament, established in the wake of the tragedy, serves several purposes. It gives people a chance to celebrate the person that Mike was while raising money for the family he left behind as well as a variety of other causes.

This year's tournament is scheduled for November 7 at Tapatio Springs Golf in Boerne, TX, and more information can be found HERE. It costs $125 to sign up, which includes lunch, dinner, and, of course, a round of golf.  A charity auction will take place that evening, with a wide array of prizes (baseball-themed and otherwise).

So, if you (and/or your Minor League team) is in relatively close proximity to the tournament, why not sign up? And even those who cannot attend can get involved by donating auction items and/or acting as a sponsor (for more info on that, send an email to coolytourny@yahoo.com).

I'll be back soon enough with my usual anxiety-laden absurdisms, but I wanted to take a break from that schtick long enough to give the Coolbaugh Memorial Tournament a sincere plug. Thanks for reading.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com