He was attempting to catch a baseball flipped into the stands by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton(notes) but apparently lost his balance and fell head-first in a space in between the 14-foot outfield fence and also the grandstand close to the Oakland Athletics bullpen.
"We had a extremely tragic accident tonight and 1 of our enthusiasts lost their life reaching over the rail attempting to get a ball," team president Nolan Ryan stated. "As a company, and as our team members and our staff, we're very heavy-hearted about this, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones."
The Brownwood (Texas) Bulletin identified the man as Shannon Stone, a lieutenant in that town's fire department as well as a fireman for 18 years.
The accident happened on the second inning after Oakland's Conor Jackson(notes) hit a foul ball that bounced back on the field.
Terrifying Television replays from the Oakland broadcast show Stone positioning himself to catch Hamilton's throw, then tumbling over a railing as his young son watched. A man next to Stone made an effort to hold onto him, but weren't able to.
It's the second fatal fall at a major league ballpark this year. In May, a fan at Coors Field fell down a stairwell and died. Also, last July at Rangers Ballpark, a fan fell 30 feet from the second deck of seats while trying to catch a foul ball and experienced a fractured skull and sprained ankle.
Ryan said Hamilton and also the rest of the club had been created conscious of what happened.
"We spoke to the ballclub, they understood what has happened and we spoke to Josh," Ryan said. "I think as any of us could be, Josh is really distraught over this, as the whole team is."
What must be going through the mind of not only the boy, but also Hamilton? Clearly, what actually transpired wasn't his fault but it would only be human nature to really feel guilty. And, as most fans understand, Hamilton is very human.
The other players had been taking it hard also:
Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler(notes) was in tears right after the game when he discovered out the man had died.
"They had him on a stretcher. He said, 'Please check on my son. My son was up there by himself.' The people who carried him out reassured him. 'Sir, we'll get your son, we'll make sure he's OK,"' Ziegler stated. "He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was okay. But when you locate out he's not, it's just tough."
This has to be the saddest feasible event at a baseball game. A man goes to a ballgame with his son - it's the ultimate American encounter - and he dies attempting to catch a ball. It's tough to comprehend.
As for the must raise the railings, or not throw balls into the stands ... that is the crazy component. How several thousands of games happen where nobody gets hurt, and now this?
Video of the fall possibly may be found elsewhere on the net, but be advised: It is profoundly upsetting.
Possibly far more cogent thoughts will come to me inside the morning.
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