Kimera Bartee (1972–2021) American Baseball Player

Kimera Bartee (1972–2021) American Baseball Player dies at 20 December 2021

Kimera Bartee American Baseball Player

He was drafted in the 1993 MLB draft in the 14th round as an outfielder by the Baltimore Orioles. He did not make his major league debut until April 3, 1996 for the Detroit Tigers where he played until being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for the 2000 season for one year and then traded again for the 2001 season to the Colorado Rockies.

He also played in the Australian Baseball League in 1995 and the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2003 and 2004 where he earned All-Star honors and a Atlantic League championship with the Long Island Ducks in 2004. In his college years he attended Creighton University where he played on their 1991 College World Series team. He also played collegiate summer baseball in 1992 in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

When he retired from playing he turned to the coaching side of the game where he coached the Delmarva Shorebirds as a field coach and the Pittsburgh Pirates as a roving instructor. Next he landed a position with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2017 until 2019 as a first base coach and an outfield couch. In 2020 he became a base running and bunting coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies.

His final coaching position was with the Detroit Tigers as their first base coach. He passed away after collapsing while visiting with his father in Omaha, Nebraska.

Full Bio

Kimera Bartee Full Biography

Kimera Bartee Playing career

Amateur

Bartee was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and is an alumnus of Omaha Central High School. He attended Creighton University, where he played college baseball for the Creighton Bluejays. He appeared with Creighton in the 1991 College World Series. In 1992, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Professional

The Baltimore Orioles selected Bartee in the 14th round of the 1993 MLB Draft. The Orioles traded Bartee to the Minnesota Twins on September 19, 1995, as the player to be named later in a trade for pitcher Scott Erickson. At the 1995 MLB Winter Meetings, he was a drafted back by the Orioles during the Rule 5 draft. Bartee made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on April 3, 1996. He was traded from Detroit to the Cincinnati Reds, where he spent most of 2000 with triple-A Louisville.

Bartee joined the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent the following season, when a bulging disk in his lower back landed him in Class-A Rancho Cucamonga for a rehabilitation assignment. On July 13, 2001, he was traded by the Angels to the Colorado Rockies for future All-Star Chone Figgins. Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd described the move as the worst transaction he made in his 12-year term in that position. Bartee would go on to be hitless in 15 at bats with the Rockies before his final Major League game on August 3, 2001.

In 2003 and 2004, Bartee played outfield for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, earning All-Star honors and later an Atlantic League championship with the Ducks in 2004.

Kimera Bartee Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Bartee returned to baseball as a coach, at least in part because the job provided health insurance. Bartee became a coach for the Delmarva Shorebirds and also served as roving instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates before landing the managerial job for the State College Spikes.

Bartee served as the first base coach and outfielder instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2017 through 2019. In 2020, he served as the roving baserunning and bunting coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies. Before the 2021 season, the Tigers hired Bartee as their roving outfield and baserunning coordinator. On July 16, 2021, Bartee was named first base coach for the Tigers. The Tigers retained him as their first base coach for the 2022 season.

Death

On December 20, 2021, Bartee died after collapsing while visiting his father in Omaha. He was 49 years old.