Former MLB infielder and coach Mike Brumley was killed in a car crash on Saturday night. He was 61 years old.
The accident occurred in Mississippi, according to reports.
Brumley was a journeyman during his MLB career. Between 1987 and 1995, he played for six different teams. Most recently, he served as a hitting coach and instructor in the Braves minor league system, a position he held from 2018-2022.
Mike Brumley #7 of the Seattle Mariners in action against the Baltimore Orioles during a Major League Baseball game circa 1990 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Brumley played for the Mariners in 1990. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The impact of Brumley’s loss was felt acutely by Braves third baseman Austin Riley, who expressed his grief at the loss of his mentor.
“I got a text about 2:30 this morning, and I have been up since,” Riley told reporters on Sunday after homering in the Braves loss to Tampa. “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.
“I feel for his family and his kids and everybody that he was close to. This is a tragic day. Prayers out to his family. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Mike Brumley, #10 of the Boston Red Sox, fields a ball during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 1, 1991, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
Brumley was a second-round pick of the Red Sox in 1983. However, he was traded from the club in a deal involving Dennis Eckersley and Bill Buckner before ever making it to Fenway Park as a member of the Red Sox.
Brumley would make his major league debut with the Cubs in 1987. After Chicago, he would play for Detroit, Seattle, Boston, Houston, Oakland, and Houston again.
An infielder who played second base, third base, and shortstop, Brumley used his considerable experience to coach players. He coached on the Cubs staff in 2014, the Texas Rangers from 2005-2007, and the Dodgers in 2009.
Brumley batted .206 with three homers and 38 RBIs in 295 major league games.
