Too soon. Too sudden.
Kimera Bartee, 49, died at his father’s home in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday. The death came less than two months after he had been essentially re-hired as the Tigers’ first base coach by manager AJ Hinch.
“Like many across baseball, I was devastated by the news of Kimera’s passing,” Hinch said. “The sport has lost an amazing man, but more importantly his family has lost a loving fiancé, father and son.”
Bartee began his six-year big-league career with the Tigers, wearing the Old English D from 1996 through 1999. His best season turned out to be his rookie year when he played in 110 games, hit .253 and stole 20 bases.
He has the distinction of taking the last Tiger at-bat at old Tiger Stadium.
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1. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: December 22, 2021 at 09:48 AM (#6058341)That's terrible. You don't hear of too many people dying "suddenly" of a large brain tumor. I wonder if it was undiagnosed, or whether it was being treated and it was just his death that was sudden and unexpected.
In any case, my condolences to his friends and family. 49 is indeed too young.
Sometimes tumors are in the wrong place at the wrong time. And some are extremely aggressive.
Bartee came up through the Orioles system, but wound up making his major league debut with Detroit.
In 1996, David Wells was pitching for the Orioles. In a June game at Detroit, Wells was sailing along against a bad Tiger lineup, until Detroit put together a little rally in the fifth. With the lead run on base, Bartee was at the plate. Wells didn't get a borderline pitch called his way, glared at the umpire, and flipped the ball in the air before making his next pitch -- which Bartee lined for a tiebreaking single. Wells imploded after that and the Tigers won.
After the game, Bartee remarked that when Wells flipped that ball, "that's when I knew I had him".
I loved the audacity of a rookie scrub yanking the chain of an established major-league star pitcher like that.
RIP, Kimera.
So, you are in fact correct that Wells in 1996 had certainly reached "star" status.
I don't think I appreciated what an unconventionally shaped career David Wells had in the end, wasting his 20s as a Blue Jays swingman, breaking out in his 30s, pitching until 44 and ending up with 53 bWAR.
On the contrary, I believe more American men look like career peak David Wells than career peak Brady Anderson.
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