Boston Red Sox hitting coach Greg Colbrunn couldn’t be happier about returning to work.
Colbrunn, who was hospitalized June 4 after suffering a brain hemorrhage, rejoined the Red Sox before Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. The 44-year-old was anxious to jump back into the swing of things, though he’ll forever be grateful for overcoming his frightening, near-death experience.
“Finding out what actually transpired, you’re like ‘holy cow,’ learning more about what actually happened and the mortality rate, and I’m thankful I’m with the Red Sox and you’re looking around thinking, ‘life is short,’” Colbrunn said. “You miss being around the game, the coaches, the players — just miss doing it all.
“Being home was nice, relaxation, but being here at Fenway — one of the greatest places to be in the world, especially during the summer — and it’s nice to be sitting here.”
The Red Sox were in Cleveland on June 4 when Colbrunn began to suffer from a bad headache around 12:15 p.m. ET. He doesn’t remember the next 72 hours.
Others have since filled in the blanks for Colbrunn, who visited a nearby hospital after “acting weird” for a few hours. It was upon arriving at the hospital and undergoing a CT scan that doctors discovered the bleeding in Colbrunn’s brain, causing him to be rushed to a nearby clinic.
“You do the research to find out what in the world is happening, and after I got out of the hospital a couple weeks later, you start reading up on that, and it’s one of those things that happen,” Colbrunn said. “And a lot of people die from it because they don’t get access to a hospital, they pass out by themselves, and everything happens. I was fortunate to be in great hands with the Red Sox here and be in Cleveland and get real good care and hopefully nothing ever comes of it.”
Colbrunn missed 24 games — assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez filled in and minor league hitting coordinator Tim Hyers joined the club. He still is working up his stamina and focus, so it could be a little bit before he embarks on a normal work schedule.
Colbrunn is not expected to suffer any long-term health issues following last month’s life-altering scare, however, and he’s already eager to help the Red Sox overcome their offensive woes.
“Little scary when you look back at it,” Colbrunn said. “The Red Sox have been unbelievable, how they’ve taken care of me and my family. I can’t thank them enough. I can’t say enough.”
Photo via Twitter/@postandcourier
