Former Astros coach who nearly died at World Series parade will serve on 2018 All-Star Game staff
The night before the Astros 2017 World Series parade, first base coach Rich Dauer slipped on a wet floor and hit his head – he got up and felt mostly fine, until he collapsed at the parade the next day.
Dauer was hospitalized with a blood clot to his brain and fell into a coma. At the time he was operated on, his family was told he had just a three percent chance to live.
Per Astros, first base coach Rich Dauer had emergency surgery after suffering a blood clot to his brain Friday. Surgery was successful. pic.twitter.com/XZl7YYuaOI
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) November 6, 2017
Miraculously, just three days after the successful operation, Dauer’s breathing tubes were removed, and he hasn’t suffered any side effects since.
Retired Dauer still has a career-first to come
Astros manager AJ Hinch, who will lead the American League team in the 2018 All-Star game, announced today that the now-retired Dauer will join him in-uniform for the game.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Rich Dauer would be uniform with the rest of the coaching staff at the All-Star Game in Washington. Hinch is managing the AL.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 13, 2018
Dauer, whose own major league career lasted from 1976-1985, had coached and managed at various levels of baseball since 1987 – but has never coached in an All-Star game. He had already planned to retire before the medical scare.
Hinch added that he will bring his entire current coaching staff to the game.
The upcoming appearance adds to Dauer’s list of honors this year, which included throwing out an emotional first pitch back in April.
After nearly dying following the @astros’ World Series parade, retired 1B coach Rich Dauer returns to Houston to throw out tonight’s first pitch. pic.twitter.com/JW5m8hpLCs
— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2018
Both the first pitch and All-Star coaching gig are extremely classy moves by the organization, honoring a well-deserving League veteran.
