ARLINGTON, Texas -- A male fan has died after falling over the outfield railing and landing on the concrete behind the out-of-town scoreboard at the Rangers Ballpark during the second inning of Thursday's game between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident," Rangers president/CEO Nolan Ryan said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
The Rangers closed the clubhouse to the media after their 6-0 win. They haven't released the name of the fan because they aren't sure if all the family members have been notified.
The left-field wall is 14 feet high and the fan went over the railing, which is a few feet higher, for an approximately 20-foot drop.
The fan, wearing a blue Rangers cap and white Rangers shirt, was seated in the front row and, according to others seated near him, was yelling at Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton for a foul ball that was hit by Conor Jackson and landed on the field. Hamilton flipped the ball toward the fan and the fan leaned over, caught it and toppled over in the gap between the railing and the back of the scoreboard on the left-field fence.
Pretty tragic... I heard a rumor he was trying to get the ball for his son who was attending the game with him.
They showed it on Sportscentre before he was announced dead, and said he had just been taken to the hospital. Didn't seem serious. At the end, they showed it again after they said he had died.
They showed it on Sportscentre before he was announced dead, and said he had just been taken to the hospital. Didn't seem serious. At the end, they showed it again after they said he had died.
Wow, just watched a youtube video of it, and that one announcer's got to feel like a major jackass now. His call of the incident will forever be linked with that video.
I feel horrible for the family and just as much for Josh Hamilton. I can't imagine someone with the life that he has had will find it easy to overcome this. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
"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 said. "He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK. But when you find out he's not, it's just tough.
What's the point of that gap? It's only 3 feet wide and I can't see a reason for it. If you need to get to the back of the scoreboard run the tunnel under the bleachers. Badly designed section of the stadium. Sorry for being captain hindsight.
Man falls to his death at Texas Rangers game
