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Rangers fan who died in fall from stands to get memorial statue

Aug 16, 2011, 10:00 AM EDT

26 Comments
Rangers Fan Death Baseball AP

I feel pretty safe in assuming that no pro sports team has a statue honoring a fan who has died at one of their games — until now. The Texas Rangers announced on Monday that they’re planning to erect a statue in honor of Shannon Stone, the man who died after a fall from the stands during a game at Rangers Ballpark on July 7. From the Dallas Morning News:

CEO and club president Nolan Ryan said he … hopes to have the statue in place by opening day, 2012. It will serve as both a memorial to Stone, 39, and as a tribute to Rangers fans in general.

“I want for people to remember Shannon and Cooper [Stone's son who accompanied him to the game],” Ryan said. “And I want our fans to know that they represent what we are all about, about family entertainment and making memories.”

The sculpture will be third piece of statuary at Rangers Ballpark, but the first placed outside the park. Statues of Ryan and Tom Vandergriff are located in Vandergriff Plaza behind center field.

The new bronze statue would be placed near the home plate gate. This is either an awesome, heartfelt move on the part of Ryan and the Rangers, or a very weird, macabre one. I haven’t decided, and probably won’t until I see it.

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Shannon Stone, Rangers Fan Who Died From Fall At Ballpark, To Get Statue As Memorial [Huffington Post]

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  1. skids003 - Aug 16, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    Very classy. The Rangers organization is classy.

    • gravitycalling - Aug 16, 2011 at 12:36 PM

      Indeed he should get a statue, honoring him as the first Rangers fan to discover gravity. It’s nice to see we now honor the idiots of life instead of heroes here in America.

      • phaden27 - Aug 17, 2011 at 12:51 AM

        @gravity, that’s damn right.

      • hittfamily - Aug 17, 2011 at 1:16 AM

        You are an idiot. To say anything but kind words about a man who accidentally fell to his death while entertaining his child is disgraceful. It was an accident. He reached for a ball, and temporarily lost conciousness of his surroundings. Now his wife is a widow, and his son grows up fatherless. You are a calous human being.

    • skids003 - Aug 17, 2011 at 1:20 PM

      How is there 32 thombs down? What idiots could thumbs this down?

  2. dlindstedt2 - Aug 16, 2011 at 11:24 AM

    This has gone too far, you might as well honor every person that drops a foul ball next.

    Yes it sucked it happened. And I feel for his family, but a statue for something that you CLEARLY shouldn’t be doing. thats just too far, and apparently only in America do we honor the most ridiculous of things.

    • deathmonkey41 - Aug 16, 2011 at 11:34 AM

      I agree. Feel bad for the guy’s family, but why exactly does he deserve a statue? Are we going to be referring to him as a “Hero” soon?

      • dlindstedt2 - Aug 16, 2011 at 11:39 AM

        There are plenty of REAL heroes that deserve statues. Not some idiot that feel trying to get a ball. Come on America, be smart.

  3. texanadeb - Aug 16, 2011 at 11:47 AM

    They are not trying to say Stone is a hero. But, he and his son do represent what American baseball is all about. The bonding of child and parent in a wholesome summer past time. The statue will represent the fact that the FANS are what the Rangers are all about, not the players, owners, or GM’s.

    • deathmonkey41 - Aug 16, 2011 at 12:06 PM

      Then build a generic statue of a father and son. This is just stupid. The guy dove over a banister for a $12 ball and they’re honoring him.

  4. wereoutoftoiletpaper - Aug 16, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    REALLY? GIVE……..ME……..A……….BREAK.

  5. moshulu - Aug 16, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    “Rangers fan who died in fall from stands to get memorial statue”

    LOL!!!! Seriously, I don’t what else to do.

    They aren’t serious, are they?

  6. wereoutoftoiletpaper - Aug 16, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    And what is the statue honoring? Over eagerness? Carelessness? Clumsiness? Poor hand/eye coordination? Death of a fan? If I go there and die can I get a statue? Someone please tell me what this is a tribute to.

    • dlindstedt2 - Aug 16, 2011 at 12:29 PM

      Everyone else statue is called a tombstone, lets just leave it at that.

    • p1nch3dloaf - Aug 18, 2011 at 2:58 PM

      A tribute to Darwin?

  7. ice90 - Aug 16, 2011 at 1:01 PM

    I understand the Rangers want to do something to memorialize the guy, but a permanent statue in front of the stadium? That makes no sense. I believe the man was a firefighter? How about the team wears his firehouse insignia on their jerseys for the rest of the year? That would be a nice gesture to his family but not go over the top.

  8. al91206 - Aug 16, 2011 at 1:13 PM

    A much better and I think more useful salute could be an annual scholarship – the first of which is given to the man’s son in trust for him until he reaches college.

    The fall was not the man’s fault – the railing was way too low and the Rangers knew it. If you watch the video and you will see the railing helped him fall rather than kept him from falling. I’m not a fan of stupidity, but what happened to this guy was not his fault.

    • jimeejohnson - Aug 16, 2011 at 1:38 PM

      Glad to see at least one sympathetic comment for the poor guy.

    • dlindstedt2 - Aug 16, 2011 at 3:01 PM

      Ah but the railing in itself is a warning. If you risk going over it, no matter the height, you suffer the consequence.

      Dont get me wrong. it sucks for his family, but if you eliminate all the extra variables, that he was diehard fan, the son, the game itself and you leave as what it is, a man doing something stupid to get a ball, he shouldn’t be immortalized. People die all the time in the same fashion.

      To honor him with a statue is just dumb. Something else, a game, a patch fine. But a statue, its getting out of hand now.

  9. mrarcadian - Aug 16, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    Wonderful a Statue for stupidity, just wonderful.
    What next??!!?
    I know he was trying to do go for his son, but people make mistakes. They shouldnt be immortalize for it.
    just dedicate a game in his loyalty he wasnt a true diehard fan really.

    any fan in the stand would have chase that ball to no end.

    But not a stupidity statue.

    geeeeeesssssshhh

  10. trbowman - Aug 16, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Wow people really have a problem with this?

    • dlindstedt2 - Aug 16, 2011 at 2:53 PM

      Hey, I dropped ketchup on my new jersey, I want a statue now.

    • kam75 - Aug 18, 2011 at 9:05 PM

      yes i actually do have a problem with this
      2 years ago the angels actually lost a player – not a fan – his name was nick adenhart
      he was killed by a drunk driver the morning after he pitched a phenomenal game and got the win
      nick wasn’t honored with a statue – nick wasn’t just a fan in the stands – he was a player on the field

      i have a problem with this is that mr stone was not a player, not a member of the coaching staff or even in the organziation!

      I feel horrible for his son and and his family and the rangers organization and josh hamilton
      but to honor a a fan for a bad choice in the stands is a bad choice by the rangers in my opinion

  11. dlindstedt2 - Aug 17, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    You rather honor an idiot then honor people that day in and day out save our lives.

    If you are going to make a statue, Make a statue of someone in the Army that is fighting for our freedoms. That got sucked into something they had nothing to do with.

    Honor that, not this guy.

    • mrarcadian - Aug 18, 2011 at 1:36 AM

      people fighting in the army got sucked someting they had nothing to do with?!?!

      excuse me, they are following orders, so if you want to spend time in the brig, and not follow order then by all means. dont be an idiot, nobody put a gun to these army people head and told them to join, they went voluntary and knowing what they might do, regardless of the situation, they thought they were joining to get benefits well guess what, they were wrong. war broke out and they they are crying, sorry doesnt work they way!

  12. lewp - Aug 18, 2011 at 4:27 AM

    From today’s Fort Worth Star Telegram:

    The best answer, however, on the statue comes from not Nolan, but Jenny Stone, the wife of Shannon, in a Rangers media release this week.

    “Our hope,” she said, “is that this statue will not be a symbol of our family tragedy but rather a reminder of the importance of a family’s love — love of each other, love of spending time together and love of the game.”

    Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/08/17/3297658/only-an-idiot-would-object-to.html#ixzz1VMoI7e00

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