It has come to the attention of numerous fans that the first base coach of the Detroit Tigers, Kimera Bartee, passed away on Monday, December 20, at the age of 49 years old.

Tigers' Executive Vice President and General Manager Al Avila confirmed the tragic news on Twitter. He posted, "All of us in the Tigers baseball family were shocked and saddened to learn that first base coach Kimera Bartee suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 49."

 
"Throughout his time in our organization as both a player and coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things," he added.

Bartee's Last Moments

As of writing, no reports could disclose his cause of death. Might also note that the rest of the Tigers were not aware of any illness he had.

However, according to the Detroit Free Press, the former player visited his father in Omaha, Nebraska, for holidays where he reportedly collapsed. Bartee's family is now in the process of making funeral arrangements for the one who passed.

Bartee is survived by his father Jerry, his fiancé Terri and children Andrew, Amari, and Taeja.

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From Player to First Base Coach

The said source was also able to cover Bartee's legacy as a part of the baseball industry.

From 1996 to 1999, the Omaha native played four out of six Major League Baseball seasons, hitting .227 with four home runs in 220 games. He was able to steal 20 bases as a rookie, ending his final two years as a player with the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.

He finished with a .216 batting average, four home runs, 33 RBIs, 36 walks, and 141 strikeouts in 243 games. Later on, he decided to coach for Baltimore Orioles (2004-2007), Pittsburgh Pirates (2008-2019), Philadelphia Phillies (2020) and ended up with Tigers this year.

Bartee finished 12 seasons working with the Pirates, most recently as the first base coach on manager Clint Hurdle's staff from 2017 to 2019. He also served as the team's minor-league baserunning and outfield coordinator for nine years, per source.

May his soul rest in peace.

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