The baseball community is mourning an unexpected loss, as Detroit Tigers first base coach Kimera Bartee has died.
The Tigers announced the sad news on Tuesday that Bartee has died at age 49. General manager Al Avila said the entire organization is “shocked and saddened.”
“All of us in the Tigers baseball family were shocked and saddened,” Avila said in a statement, via the Detroit Free Press. “Throughout his time in our organization as both a player and a coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things. While Tigers fans got used to seeing him in the first base coach’s box, Kimera’s impact on our ballclub went far deeper and will be sorely missed.”
The cause of death for Bartee is unknown. The Tigers were not aware of him having any illness.
Bartee, a former outfielder, played four seasons for the Tigers from 1996-1999. He spent the final two seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. Bartee batted .216 with four home runs and 33 RBI in 243 career games.
Bartee spent the 2021 season as Detroit’s first base coach after coaching for three different MLB teams prior to that. He was with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a coach from 2008-2019.
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