Former MLB Player and Coach Mike Brumley Killed in Car Crash: ‘This Is a Tragic Day’

Brumley played eight seasons in the MLB before later becoming a coach for several teams, including Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta

Mike Brumley, a former Major League Baseball player who played eight seasons before later becoming a coach, died in a car crash over the weekend.

He was 61.

Brumley was killed in a multi-car crash in Hinds County, Miss. that involved two 18-wheelers and several other cars, according to local WLBT. The crash occurred on Interstate 20 near Edwards, Miss., about 30 miles west of Jackson, the state’s capital.

He was a second-generation MLB player, following in his father’s footsteps. His dad, also named Mike Brumley, played two seasons for the Washington Senators in 1964 and 1965.

Brumley was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and later played for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics throughout his major league career, which spanned between 1987 and 1995.

He also won the College World Series with the University of Texas in 1983.

Brumley returned to the MLB in 2010 as a third base coach for Mariners before joining the Cubs as a coach in Chicago for one season in 2014

“We are saddened by the passing of former Mariners player and coach, Mike Brumley. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and loved ones,” the Mariners wrote in a tribute on social media. “Mike’s impact on the field, in our organization and across baseball, was felt by generations of players.”

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The Oklahoma City native most recently joined the Atlanta Braves organization in 2018 as a minor league coach and hitting instructor.

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Austin Riley, the Braves’ current third baseman, told reporters after Sunday’s game that Brumley was one of the most influential figures in his career, according to ESPN.

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"I got a text about 2:30 this morning and I have been up since," Riley told reporters after Atlanta’s 8-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Father’s Day. "There are very few people that have been role models in my baseball career, my dad being No. 1 and Mike Brumley being No. 2.”

Riley hit a home run in the game and pointed to the sky as he rounded first base, in honor of Brumley.

"I feel for his family and his kids and everybody that he was close to,” the Braves star said. “This is a tragic day. Prayers out to his family. It's a tough pill to swallow."

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