Shannon Stone, a 39 year old firefighter from Brownwood, TX, lost his balance and flipped over the railing in the top of the 2nd inning, and apparently falling headfirst about 14 feet below. His son and many other fans watched on and gasped as they watched him tumbling down.
Words cannot describe the sadness that his family, friends, co-workers, and the Ranger's organization are feeling at this moment. I admit I was even shook up over this, lying in bed last night, trying to put all the pieces together. It was a restless night.
I was actually attending the game Wednesday night (one night prior to this event), sitting directly underneath the area where exactly one year ago a fan fell from the 2nd deck and luckily survived. It is an extremely frightening scene, watching fans lay out for foul balls, like it is precious gold, only to receive an ovation from the crowd for a spectacular catch, almost like they are the ones playing in the game. One fan was even hit directly in the head behind home plate, and medical personnel had to rush over and examine him. Luckily, the fan walked out under his own power. In the heat of the moment, the last thing you think about is your safety. Fans are so excited to try and catch that foul ball that, for a split second, they are extremely vulnerable, and in a sense, oblivious to their surroundings. It is a natural reaction. It is human nature. And the risk for injury only increases when alcohol is involved.
All these thoughts were running through my head as I tried to sleep. I have been there, I have been that fan to reach out and try and grab that ball, screaming at the players to just toss one up, give me a memory that I wont forget at the ballpark. So I thought. And I thought. And I thought. For about an hour I just sat and thought about what could be done at the ballpark to try and prevent these types of things from happening. The conclusion I came to, at about 2:30 in the morning was as follows:
Nothing.
There really isn't much that can be done to prevent things like this from happening. All the proper height specifications and safety precautions were taken at the Ballpark in Arlington. They were even above and beyond the OSHA recommendations. In life, it seems that things like this happen, no matter how uneasy they seem. Accidents happen, and no matter what regulations or provisions are put into place, things are still going to happen. Each and everyone of us assumes the risk of accidents happening to us by simply walking outside in the morning. It is the world we live in. But what we can't do is live in fear. We cannot be afraid to enjoy such a great moment, like a father and son going to a baseball game together. Because those are memories that people never forget. I know that some of the greater moments I have spent with my father are at the ballpark. And no one else should be denied that feeling, that moment, due to fear. We cannot live in fear, simply because of tragic, tragic accidents like this that occur.
If there is one positive (for lack of a better word) thing that can be taken away from this, it is a reality check. Just a way to put into perspective that this is just a game. It isn't life and death. It should remind people that things can happen, and for everyone to always be on their toes. Do not be paranoid, just be aware of your surroundings. Be careful, and most importantly, be smart.
May God bless the family of Shannon Stone, and may everyone's prayers reach out to them in this tragic time...
-Taylor
TAG Radio Founding Father
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