Kimera Bartee Passes Away At 49

The Detroit Tigers announced on Tuesday that first base coach Kimera Bartee has passed away at the age of 49. Bartee reportedly collapsed and then died while visiting his father's home in Omaha.

We mourn the passing of Kimera Bartee, who played for the Tigers from 1996-99 and spent last season as the Tigers first base coach. pic.twitter.com/3Lg6G1anAQ
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) December 21, 2021

Tigers manager AJ Hinch took to Twitter in response to this tragic news to pay respect to Bartee. It's clear that he and the rest of the organization greatly respected Bartee. Yet, as he stated, this loss is of course a bigger one when it comes to his family.

Words cannot describe my sadness. What we lost in baseball as a players’ coach and mentor with consistent positivity pales in comparison to what his family lost as a fiancée, father, and son. Rest In Peace, KB. 🙏🏻 https://t.co/VeZ7384H0I
— AJ Hinch (@ajhinch) December 21, 2021

Before coaching, Bartee played in the majors as an outfielder. Originally a 14th-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 1993, Bartee would fight his way up to the majors. Yet, when he made it in 1996, he was not a member of the Orioles, but rather the Tigers. Thus, he both played and coached for Detroit.

Over six MLB seasons, Bartee played in 243 games between the Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. In them, he had four home runs, 33 RBIs, 36 stolen bases and a .216 batting average.

Bartee started his coaching career in 2017 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In Pittsburgh, he held the same role and was their first base coach until the end of the campaign. In 2020, he was the baserunning and bunting coordinator of the Philadelphia Phillies. Yet, this past season he went back to where it all began in Detroit and was set to remain their first base coach for the 2022 season.

To conclude, we'd like to send our best wishes to the family and friends of Kimera.