Former Pirates coach Kimera Bartee passes away at 49

Earlier today, it was announced that former Pirates coach Kimera Bartee passed away at the age of 49.

Bartee spent 12 years with the Pirates organization, starting off as the organization’s minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator from 2008-16, then moving up to serve as the team’s first base coach from 2017-19 under Clint Hurdle.

He spent the 2021 season as the first base coach for the Detroit Tigers, who Bartee played for as an outfielder from 1996-99.

The Pirates issued the following statement shortly after the announcement was made:

Current and former players took to Twitter earlier this afternoon to pay homage to Bartee. Two of whom are Pirates outfielder Travis Swaggerty and…