Former Pirates coach Kimera Bartee collapses, dies at age 49
Kimera Bartee, who coached for 12 seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, died suddenly Monday. He was 49.
Bartee served nine years as the Pirates minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator and three seasons as first base coach on Clint Hurdle’s staff.
Bartee coached for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 and currently was working as first base coach for the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Free Press reported Bartee was visiting his father in Omaha when he collapsed and died.
A center fielder, Bartee played all three outfield spots in 243 games over six major league seasons with Detroit, Cincinnati and Colorado.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden passing of Kimera Bartee,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “He was a great person, whose upbeat attitude and infectious smile would always lift the spirits of anyone who interacted with him. Our hearts go out to his family, whom he loved so much. He was much too young and will be dearly missed.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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