Mike Brumley, Former MLB Infielder Dies in Car Crash at Age 61

Former Major League Baseball infielder, coach, and instructor Mike Brumley died in a car crash on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the age of 61. The accident occurred in Mississippi, according to reports.

Brumley played for six teams from 1987 to 1995 and most recently served as a minor league coach and instructor for the Atlanta Braves from 2018 to 2022. His passing has left a significant impact on the baseball community.

Braves third baseman Austin Riley, who considered Brumley a crucial mentor, shared his grief. “I got a text about 2:30 this morning and I have been up since,” Riley said after hitting a home run in Sunday’s 8-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“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.”

Riley noted that he regularly communicated with Brumley and had worked on his swing with him just days before the incident when the Braves were in Baltimore.

The Seattle Mariners, a team Brumley played for in 1990 and later coached from 2010 to 2013, also paid tribute to him. “We are saddened by the passing of former Mariners player and coach, Mike Brumley,” the team said on social media. “Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and loved ones. Mike’s impact on the field, in our organization, and across baseball, was felt by generations of players.”

Brumley was a second-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 1983 and was part of a significant trade to the Chicago Cubs with relief ace Dennis Eckersley for first baseman Bill Buckner in May 1984.

He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1987 and later played for the Detroit Tigers (1989), Mariners, Red Sox (1991-92), Houston Astros (1993, 1995), and Oakland Athletics (1994).

In 295 major league games, Brumley batted .206 with three home runs and 38 RBIs. He also coached for the Cubs in 2014 and held minor league instructor positions with the Texas Rangers (2005 to 2007) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2009).

Before his professional career, Brumley was the starting shortstop for Texas’ Men’s College World Series-winning team in 1983, which included future big league pitchers Roger Clemens, Calvin Schiraldi, and Bruce Ruffin.