I remember going to the Orioles ballgames with my family. The Junior Orioles provided families with special deals and we belonged. It was a special time for our family. My dad played ball with me and I remember him explaining to me during a ball game we were listening to what a grand slam was. Jim Gentile had just hit one. But I lost my dad when I was 16 and as mom and I watch the ballgames I often think of those times and how my dad loved baseball.
I appreciate fathers that take their children to the games. It encourages a special bond, time for conversation and those shared moments last a lifetime. I, like the rest of America watched in horror as we saw Shannon Stone, a 39-year-old firefighter fall over the railing trying to catch a ball for his 6-year-old son, Cooper. He fell to his death. It was hard to believe and made your heart ache for them. Josh Hamilton, the Texas Ranger outfielder who threw the ball as a gesture of goodwill was obviously shaken. You may not realize this but Brownwood, where the Stones live, is about 150 miles from Ranger Park in Arlington so this father had planned ahead for this special time with his son.
Major League Baseball is reviewing their safety issues in regards to this and I encourage them to do so. Catching a ball at a game is a once in a lifetime experience and should not be the end of life experience.
Several local organizations are collecting money for the family and Texas Dairy Queen is giving $1 for each of the over 33,000 fans that were in attendance. If you would like to help, here is a link to the Texas Rangers where you can donate to the Shannon Stone Memorial Fund. Make sure you check the box for your money to go directly to the family.
In a statement(read the powerful statement in its entirety at the Brownwood Bulletin), Jenny Stone, his wife thanked family, friends, strangers and Texas Rangers players. She ended by saying, “Again, we are so very thankful, appreciative, and overwhelmed by all of the support we have received. Shannon loved going to watch the Rangers and he loved Cooper. And, at the very end, he lived life to its fullest, doing something he loved.”
Having lost my father as a child my heart goes out to them. Pray for them and that God would work mightily in their lives.
