MLB Fan Dies From Fatal Fall at Rangers Stadium

Baseball fans around the world are stunned and saddened after learning about the horrid tragedy that occurred to an 18-year Brownwood, Texas firefighter on Thursday night’s Rangers game against the Oakland Athletics. In an effort to catch a foul ball tossed his way by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton in the second inning, 39-year old Shannon Stone was not able to keep his balance and fell head first out of the left-field stands about 20 feet to his death.

Stone was attending the game with his young son when the disaster happened. Even though he was conscious when he left the stadium in a stretcher, Stone died in the ambulance on his way to John Peter Hospital after falling into cardiac arrest. The Texas Rangers expressed their condolences to the victims’ family.

“We had a very tragic accident tonight and one of our fans lost their life reaching over the rail trying to get a ball,” Rangers team president, Nolan Ryan said Thursday after the game. “As an organization, and as our team members and our staff, we’re very heavy-hearted about this, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”

This is the second fatal fall at an MLB park this season, with the first happening at Coors Field in Colorado. In May, a fan at a Rockies game fell down a stairwell and died. The Rangers also had a scare last year in July, when a man fell 30 feet from the second deck, trying to catch a foul ball. Luckily the man only suffered a fractured skull.

“We spoke to the ballclub, they understood what has happened and we spoke to Josh,” Ryan said. “I think as any of us would be, Josh is very distraught over this, as the entire team is.”

May Shannon Stone rest in peace, and may his family find comfort during this extremely difficult time.