Each scary episode at a ballpark spurs Mandy Coolbaugh to express concern.A pitcher takes a line drive off his head. A fan in the stands gets hit. A foul ball caroms off a dugout wall, striking No. 32 of the Miami Marlins on the back of the head and knocks him off the bench, sending him sprawling on the ground.That number, 32, was one Mandys late husband, Mike, wore during his long career in professional baseball.Mike Coolbaugh was coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers, the Colorado Rockies Double-A affiliate at the time, on July 22, 2007, when a foul ball struck him in the neck. The blow caused a ruptured artery. An hour later Coolbaugh was pronounced dead, at the age of 35.He left behind two sons, Joey and Jacob, ages 5 and 3, respectively. Mandy was pregnant with their third child at the time Mike died. Their daughter, Anne Michael, was born three months later.When the Rockies reached the National League Division Series that fall, they invited Joey and Jacob to throw ceremonial first pitches before Game 3. After Colorado played in the World Series, the team gave a full postseason share to the Coolbaugh family.The next season, Major League Baseball mandated helmets for base coaches. Mandy told Outside the Lines then, I believe theres going to be something good that comes out of Mikes death someday. We may never know what it is, but if this is the start of protecting players and coaches, then I think its a good thing.Mandy and I have been in touch about the dangers of baseball -- and how to counteract them with protective measures -- since I produced Reaction to Tragedy, a 2008 Outside the Lines TV report about Mikes legacy.The day after the ricochet off the dugout wall that decked Miamis Derek Dietrich this May -- fortunately, he was uninjured -- Mandy emailed me, wondering if the incident might help add to the discussion of safety. She was incredulous that dugouts for big leaguers, as well as for her two boys and their peers, still have inadequate protection.I just feel like I continue to see these accidents where it would be so simple to have prevented them, she said.But as Mandy has learned, change is not simple and resistance to it is the norm. In 2008, the first season after her husbands death, the majority of big league coaches opposed the new requirement that they wear helmets. The mere sight of coaches wearing them took time to seem natural.When Mandy, now 41, used to take Joey and Jacob to see Mikes games, he insisted they station themselves behind home plate, where netting would shield them from foul balls. Following several gruesome incidents in which fans were struck by balls and shattered bats at games last season, MLB issued a recommendation that stadium netting at least protect the area between the dugouts. Although it was not an edict, the teams all complied -- and a few installed netting extending to the far edges of the dugouts.Some ticket holders expressed dismay, saying they accept the peril that comes with proximity, and that netting interferes with their sense of closeness to the action in seats that are indeed close to it.Mandy emailed again in July, this time heralding the happy news that Jacob, now 12, and his Little League team from McAllister Park in San Antonio had advanced to the Southwest Regional in Waco, Texas. Ever the advocate, Mandy said the moment might also be an opportunity to raise safety awareness.I dont want my boys to be afraid, I just want people to be aware of the dangers of baseball, Mandy later told the Longhorn Network. While its a great sport, be smart about it, too.She stood in the wings, unable to hold back tears as Jacob told LHN about the dad he lost when he was so young.I know from everyone telling me, he was a really great man, Jacob said. I really miss him so. When he was killed, he happened to be wearing number 29, so thats why I wear 29. When I step on the field, I kind of feel more pride and passion because Im like re-stepping my fathers footsteps.Jacob also follows in his brothers footsteps, etching MC-29 on his helmet and cap, just as Joey did when he played for McAllister. Beyond displaying his dads initials and last number, Joey, who is about to begin high school, also set an example by studying videotape of Mike from when he played.Last week, a euphoric email came from Mandy: My son is going to Williamsport!!!McAllister made it to the Little League World Series for the third time in seven years and Mandy was still giddy about it when she appeared on Outside the Lines on Monday. Here we are, down to the last eight American teams, and its very surreal, she said.Wearing a 29 necklace, her tone transformed as she explained her motivation for speaking out about expanding protection for sports participants and spectators.Its important to me now because both my boys are playing and my daughter will eventually one day get into sports too, Mandy said. I got a call at night telling me that my husband had just been killed. I dont want anyone to have to go through that -- whether its their son, their husband, their daughter, no one should have to do that.Mandy said players at the highest level should consider the messages they send to children with their decisions. For example, no major league pitchers are wearing the protective headwear that was approved for this season, in a joint initiative of MLB and the players association.Big leaguers are their idols, theyre their role models, and if a big league pitcher is not going to wear protection over his head, you know the kids dont want to do it, she said.Mandy and the other McAllister moms are in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, wearing bright orange nail polish, as its the teams new color. In their first-round game, Jacob and his teammates will face Bowling Green, Kentucky, at 8 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN.From the time her sons started playing the game as toddlers, baseball for Mandy has been a mix of memories and misgivings, eagerness and elation. It has always been hard to see my boys walk out onto the field, but theres always been joy and pride in it too, she said.Jacob will be wearing No. 6 in the World Series, not his accustomed 29, as the players were assigned random new uniforms upon arrival. Mandy responded to Jacobs disappointment about the change by looking at the bright side.She told him it was Hall of Famer Stan Musials number, adding, He wasnt too bad.William Weinbaum is a producer for the ESPN Enterprise Unit and often reports on sports safety issues. Saucony Mens Shadow Original . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Saucony Grid 9000 Premium Pack . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.iviloan.com/nike-free-run-cheap-2017-nike-free-rn-distance-2-men-s-women-s-grey-stealth-black-863775-002.html . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Nike Free Run 3.0 Flyknit Womens . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. Nike Free Rn 2017 Womens . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. PHOENIX -- Eric Bledsoe scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Phoenix Suns rally for a 107-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.Bledsoe added 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Suns (3-6), who got a season-high 19 points off the bench from Jared Dudley. Alex Len added 16 points and 14 rebounds.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons (4-4) with a season-high 27 points, making 5 of 10 3-point attempts, but he missed a potential tying 3 with 1:35 to play and the Suns up 99-96. Andre Drummond added 18 points and 14 rebounds.The Pistons went on a 14-0 run between the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth to take an 87-81 lead. Former Sun Jon Leuer scored six of the points and finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.Phoenix went back ahead 92-90 when Dudley fed Len for a dunk with 5:02 to play. Dudleys fourth 3 of the game made it 99-93.The Pistons led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and 28-19 going into the second. Caldwell-Pope scored nine points in the first.The Suns made only 6 of 22 shots in the first quarter.Phoenix rallied in the second quarter, going on a 16-4 run with Dudley leading the way. He knocked down three 3s as part of his 15 points in the quarter and gave the Suns a 49-47 lead with 3:17 left.Suns leading scorer Devin Booker didnt make his first field goal until early in the third quarter, but his three-point play with 6:15 to go gave the Suns a 66-60 lead.Booker had scored 100 points in his previous three games. He had 11 on Wednesday.Len had sseven points in the third quarter, two on a power move inside to give the Suns a 78-69 lead at the 1:02 mark.dddddddddddd But Caldwell-Pope hit a 26-footer at the third-quarter buzzer to cut the Suns lead to 81-76.TIP-INSPistons: G Reggie Jackson remained out with a left knee injury ... F Marcus Morris, a former Sun, was roundly booed when introduced as a starter and when he touched the ball. He did have the dunk of the night in the second quarter when he flew in for a one-handed slam.Suns: C Tyson Chandler remained away from the team for the second straight game due to the death of his mother.VAN GUNDY RIPS TRUMPPistons coach Stan Van Gundy went on a near 6-minute rant about the election of Donald Trump before Wednesdays game. I dont think anybody can deny this guy is openly and brazenly racist and misogynist and ethnocentric, and say thats OK, were going to vote for him anyway, Van Gundy told reporters. We have just thrown a good part of our population under the bus.Van Gundy said what the country has done to women and minorities in electing Trump is despicable, and that hed never been ashamed of the United States until Wednesday.LOVE FOR BOOKERVan Gundy said a case can be made that Booker is the best player in his draft class at present. He doesnt have a lot of holes in his offensive game at all, Van Gundy said.UP NEXTPistons: At San Antonio on Friday night.Suns: Host Brooklyn on Saturday night. Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Store China Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '