Kimera Bartee, Detroit Tigers Coach and Ex-Player, Dead at 49

By Brian Jones

Kimera Bartee, the first base coach for the Detroit Tigers and former player, died on Dec. 20, per the Detroit Free Press. He was 49. The Detroit Free Press said Bartee was visiting his father Jerry in Omaha, Nebraska for the holidays before he collapsed. The cause of death has not been officially announced, but Jerry told The Omaha World-Herald that medical examiners discovered "a large brain tumor."

"Like many across baseball, I was devastated by the news of Kimera's passing," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said in a statement, per MLB.com. "From the start of Spring Training last year, it was clear that 'KB' was the epitome of a player's coach, having an uncanny ability to build deep connections with anyone from a rookie to a 10-year veteran. I was proud of his selflessness and adaptability when he quickly shifted to the Major League staff last season, and how excited he was about the bright future he had in both baseball and life. The sport has lost an amazing man, but more importantly, his family has lost a loving fiancé, father and son."  

Bartee joined the Tigers coaching staff this past season after spending the 2020 season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was also a first base coach and outfield instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2017-2019. Before that, Bartee spent nine seasons in the Pirates organization as the outfield and baserunning coordinator. 

"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," Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a statement "Throughout his time in our organization, as both a player and a coach, Kimera was known as a kind soul but [an] intense competitor who did his best every day to elevate those around him to do great things."

Bartee began his MLB career in 1996 as a member of the Tigers. In his rookie season, Bartee stole 20 bases and hit his first home run off of Rookie of the Year candidate Jose Rosado. Bartee would spend three more seasons with the Tigers before playing for the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. Bartee played college baseball at Creighton University where he helped the Bluejays reach the College World Series in 1991. 

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