Gerald Hanks
Astros first base coach Rich Dauer reportedly became hospitalized for bleeding in his brain and nearly died shortly after the Astros World Series victory parade last month, according to recent reports.
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Dauer, 65, said he felt unsteady on his feet during the victory celebration on the steps of Houston’s City Hall; he reportedly told Astros assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell, “I don’t feel so good.”
Less than 24 hours before the parade, Dauer said he slipped on a wet floor and hit his head, after which he complained of a headache and moved sluggishly throughout the day.
Astros trainers and other team staff believed Dauer suffered from dehydration and exhaustion due to the long post-season, which brought the Astros their first World Series title in post-Harvey humbling fashion and seven nail-biting games.
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As the championship celebration continued, officials reportedly placed Dauer on a stretcher, hauling him away from the scene in a golf cart.
The nearest ambulance turned out to be three blocks away, but the crowded streets made it nearly impossible to transport Dauer from the stage to the ambulance.
Even after EMTs got Dauer to the ambulance, according to Astros head trainer Jeremiah Randall, they still became stuck in downtown traffic for half an hour.
Astros team physician Dr. David Lintner recommended the ambulance take Dauer to Houston Methodist, the repeatedly top-ranked hospital in the state.
A CAT scan reportedly revealed a subdural hematoma, a condition, according to doctors, where blood escapes the vessels and compresses the brain tissue; a severe subdural hematoma is said to be usually caused by a blow to the head, and, depending on the severity, the injury can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Dauer said he is prescribed the blood thinner Xarelto, which made the bleeding worse.
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He reportedly underwent emergency surgery and only received a a three percent chance of survival, slipping into a coma and breathing through a tube.
After three days, doctors removed his tube, and Dauer began breathing on his own.
Doctor reportedly released Dauer from the hospital on November 15, less than two weeks after his ordeal, and he expected to make a full recovery.
“The magnitude of what he had wrong was intimidating, astonishing,” Lintner said. “The pace of his recovery was just as astonishing.”
Two Astros victories this year. Hang in there, Coach Dauer!
