Alice native Bobby Cuellar named recipient of Minor League Baseball Mike Coolbaugh Award
Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that Alice native Bobby Cuellar was selected as a recipient of the 15th Mike Coolbaugh Award.
Cuellar, who is the Los Angeles Dodgers Special Assistant to Player Development, began his career in professional baseball in 1974 as a 29th round selection of the Texas Rangers out of the University of Texas. The right-handed pitcher spent nine seasons in professional baseball, highlighted by a promotion to the big leagues with Texas in 1977. Following the end of his playing career in 1982, Cuellar immediately jumped into the coaching profession, beginning a long and storied career mentoring young pitchers and players over the last 40 seasons.
The Mike Coolbaugh Award is presented annually to an individual who has shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field.
The award was created by Minor League Baseball in 2008 to honor the late Coolbaugh, a 17-year Minor League player who was in his first year as a coach at the time of his passing.
“I am very honored to receive this tremendous honor and to be recognized for something I absolutely love to do,” Cuellar stated in a news release. “I’d like to thank my wife, Nora, and my family, and I have a deep appreciation for all of the players, coaches, mentors and all others that have played such an important part in my journey in this game.”
Cuellar, 71, and his wife of 45 years, Nora, reside in Alice, Texas. They have three adult children, Tiffany, Bobby Ray, and Emma. The Cuellars have five grandchildren.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Alice native Bobby Cuellar named recipient of Mike Coolbaugh Award
