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Base Coaches Will Wear Protective Headgear

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The Associated Press

Published: November 9, 2007

ORLANDO - Baseball wants to prevent another tragic accident like the one that killed Mike Coolbaugh.

General managers decided Thursday that first- and third-base coaches will wear some sort of head protection next season, a move that came four months after Coolbaugh was struck in the neck by a line drive during a minor-league game.

Coolbaugh, a former major-league player, was a coach for the Colorado Rockies' Double-A team in Tulsa when he died July 22. He had been hit by a liner as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a Texas League game at Arkansas.

Some major-league coaches responded by wearing helmets the rest of the season.

"There was a sentiment that as a concept this was a good idea," said Joe Garagiola Jr., senior vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner's office.

GMs will decide on the exact form of protection when they meet next month at the winter meetings.

"We're going to come back in Nashville with some options: liners, hard caps, helmets without flaps, helmets with flaps," Garagiola said.

While no formal vote was taken, Garagiola said the thinking of the GMs was clear.

"Everybody just felt it was a situation that made sense," Detroit Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said.

Many batters started wearing helmets after Ray Chapman, a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians, was killed when he was hit by a pitch during a game in 1920. A rule requiring helmets for batters was adopted in 1971.

Torre To Write Book About Yankee Years

Joe Torre will write a book about his 12 years managing the New York Yankees and the way baseball is played today.

Torre, named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, will collaborate with Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci on the book, which will be published by Doubleday in the spring of 2009.

"Baseball has changed dramatically since I began my tenure with the Yankees," Torre said in a statement from the New York-based unit of Bertelsmann AG. "It was a wonderful 12 years and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and perspective on how the game has evolved."

The 67-year-old Torre took the Yankees to the postseason after each of his seasons as their manager, with four World Series titles and six American League pennants, posting a 1,173-767 regular-season record in the Bronx.

WORLD CUP: At Taipei, Taiwan, Dodgers prospect Andy LaRoche drove in four runs, Rays prospect Evan Longoria homered and the United States beat Panama 7-0 at the 37th Baseball World Cup.

Royals prospect Matt Wright pitched three-hit ball for six innings, striking out five and walking none. The U.S. improved to 2-0 at the tournament and has not allowed a run.

Team USA, managed by Davey Johnson, plays Italy today.

HALL OF FAME: Billy Martin, Marvin Miller and Doug Harvey are among 20 former managers, executives and umpires on the new Hall of Fame ballots to be considered by the revamped Veterans Committee when it votes next month.

Whitey Herzog, Davey Johnson, Gene Mauch and Bowie Kuhn are other notable candidates up for induction in 2008. The Veterans Committee has gone three straight elections without enshrining anyone in Cooperstown, N.Y., leading to further changes in the process.

A-ROD UPDATE: The Los Angeles Angels said they're interested in Alex Rodriguez, who appears likely to win his third AL MVP award this month. Other possible suitors, such as the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, are taking a more wait-and-see approach with their public comments.

NATIONALS: Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman had surgery to remove a broken piece of bone from his left wrist.

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