Heart of the Game
Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America

Death is something we do not usually associate with the playing of baseball. It usually comes up when we consider the passing of greats, like Lou Gehrig, from illness or time, or off-the-field misadventure. But when a small, hard ball, whistles through the air at speeds over a hundred miles an hour......more

This is the story of the life and death of Mike Coolbaugh, coach for the minor league Tulsa Drillers, who was struck and killed by a foul ball. My daughter and I were in attendance at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas for this game and witnessed this tragedy. As an avid baseball f......more

Oh my gosh, I couldn't put this book down. Read it in two sittings. So well written yet sad to the bone! Minor league player turned coach, Mike Coolbaugh, was hit by a foul ball and killed instantly while coaching at first base. Great job by the author of telling the story of Mike and his family (tw......more

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “DREAMS AND DEATH IN BASEBALL… AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On July 22, 2007 during a minor league baseball game in an Arkansas stadium in North Little Rock… journeyman ball player and current coach Mik......more

Price's book is an outstanding meditation on minor league baseball, tragic, flukish death (first base coach Mike Coolbaugh, killed by a line drive during a game), and ultimately, life itself. This is a book that would come across as maudlin in the hands of a lesser writer. But Price's candor toward......more