When I first came across this story yesterday, I almost couldn't believe it. Part of me actively rejected it as not being possible. But, unfortunately, it is indeed the truth. During the Texas/Oakland game on Thursday, Rangers All-Star Josh Hamilton tossed a foul ball up to a fan in the front row of the left field seats. The man - Shannon Stone - leaned over the railing, caught the ball... and toppled over the railing, twenty feet, to his death. Sitting next to him at the game was his six year-old son, Cooper, who he brought to the game.
This was a horrible event, an undeniable tragedy. There's no greater wisdom to learn here, no lesson or moral. Those who fault the ballpark aren't recognizing that it was built to code. There's no fault to be placed on Hamilton, for doing something that's fairly routine in baseball - chucking a ball to a fan. There's no fault on the man, either, for doing what every father does at a ballgame - try to get a ball for his boy. Part of the thrill of going to a game, as every man knows, is hoping to catch a foul ball or a home run (depending on your seating), to take that nicked up ball home with you, maybe even get an autograph on it from the slugger whose bat it came from. People do zany things to get those balls. It's part of the game. What happened in Texas was a tragedy, but perhaps the harder thing to face is that it was an accident, with no one or thing to blame.
I feel bad for the kid. Six years old, just watched his dad die trying to get him a foul ball. That's unspeakably horrible. I don't know how many years of therapy it takes to reconcile that. I don't know how you cope with it if you're Josh Hamilton; how often you replay that moment in your head, thinking if you'd just thrown the ball a little differently, that man would still be alive. There's no happy ending to this terrible tragedy, no encouraging words to say, sadly.
Around the MLB -
Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 2 - Raul Ibanez ended a 2-2 extra-innings affair with a walk-off HR in the tenth.
Pittsburgh 7, Chi. Cubs 4 - Pirates rookie Michael McKenry's first career HR was a big one - a three-run shot that put the Pirates on top in the eighth.
Colorado 3, Washington 2 - Jason Hammel pitched a solid six-inning, two-run start while the bats came alive in the fourth to back him up with the three needed runs to win.
Toronto 11, Cleveland 7 - Pitching and defense was optional as the Jays and Indians combined for 31 hits and 18 runs in this offensive showcase.
Boston 10, Baltimore 3 - The Orioles lost their cool in a small brawl in this rout, which started after the Red Sox put up eight runs in the first inning.
Florida 6, Houston 3 - Hanley Ramirez continues to stay hot, going 3/3 and notching 3 RBIs.
Texas 8, Oakland 5 - Five runs in the first helped propel the mourning Rangers to a post-tragedy win.
Milwaukee 8, Cincinnati 7 - Mark Kotsay was the man of the day, tying the game in the sixth and then hitting the walk-off RBI single in the ninth.
Detroit 6, Kansas City 4 - The Tigers survived a bases-loaded scare in the ninth to hold onto the victory.
Minnesota 8, Chi. White Sox 5 - The Twins continue to dominate the White Sox, now having won nine straight dating back to last season.
Arizona 7, St. Louis 6 - Kelly Johnson's seventh-inning grand slam proved to be the difference maker in this game, putting the D-Backs atop the Cards for good.
LA Angels 4, Seattle 3 - Four solo HRs - including one for the walk-off victory in the ninth - powered the Angels over the Mariners.
LA Dodgers 1, San Diego 0 - Chad Billingsley and Mat Latos went head-to-head in this pitchers' duel, which the Dodgers won after escaping a bases-loaded scare in the ninth.
NY Mets 5, San Francisco 2 - Credit Brian Wilson and his beard with the blown save on this one, which was busted open by a ninth-inning pinch-hit HR by Scott Hairston.
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