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Those of us who are old enough, can remember when Astros 2017 first-base coach
Rich Dauer was an MLB
player. As an infielder for the Baltimore Orioles, Dauer got into two World Series (1979, 1983), and carved out a more-than-respectable 10-year career (.257 BA, .985 Fld%). But, on the day the Houston Astros celebrated their first ever World Series championship,
Dauer almost died. Having slipped and hit his head a day earlier, Dauer fell ill during the parade and victory celebration and was rushed to Houston Methodist Hospital. After he had fallen into respiratory arrest, it was determined that he had suffered an acute subdural hematoma—blood collecting outside of his brain. Surgery was successfully performed, but often these cases result in severe long-term impairment. Somehow, Dauer recovered quickly and completely. While the 65-year-old had already decided to retire before this incident, he can now enjoy that time even more. Thanks to the help of many (teammates, fellow coaches, doctors, friends), he is alive today. Said one of his doctors,
"If any of the dominos had fallen differently, we’d be having a very different conversation." We wish him the best.
