Players were visibly shaken after a fan sitting in the left-field bleachers died from injuries suffered in a 20-foot fall during the second inning at Rangers Ballpark.
The fan was later identified as Brownwood, Texas, firefighter Shannon Stone by several news sources.
Several A's relievers were in the visitors' bullpen located in left-center, not far from where the incident happened.
Oakland's Conor Jackson lined a foul ball into the left-field corner that ricocheted into fair territory. Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton retrieved the ball and tossed it up to a male fan sitting
in the first row behind the out-of-town scoreboard that's built into the left-field wall.
The man lunged forward, and as he caught the ball with his bare hands, tumbled over a railing and fell headfirst to the concrete below.
The area where the man fell was behind the 14-foot-high scoreboard and out of sight from the field.
Shaken A's reliever Brad Ziegler, who was consoled by his family members outside the clubhouse after the game, said the man was conscious as he was taken out of the stadium.
"It was me and (Craig) Breslow and (Joey) Devine," Ziegler said while standing at his locker, his eyes still bloodshot. "They had him on a stretcher and were carrying him out. He was saying stuff, like, 'Please check on my son.' They had his arms splinted. You're just assuming he was (going to be OK) -- he was conscious and talking. To find out he's not is tough."
There was no break in game action, though Texas catcher Mike Napoli briefly motioned toward left field as it was apparent something had happened.
The man did have his son, a young boy, sitting next to him.
Ronnie Hargis, who was sitting next to Stone, said: "He went straight down. I tried to grab him, but I couldn't. I tried to slow him down a little bit."
A's manager Bob Melvin said the tragic news began circulating through the dugout as the game unfolded.
"When you think you've had a bad day, something like that puts things in perspective," Melvin said. "It's devastating. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family."
The tragedy happened one year and one day after another man fell over a railing from the second deck at Rangers Ballpark. That man suffered a fractured skull. He also was a firefighter. josh hamilton,oakland athletics as baseball,rangers,rangers fan dies,support,texas rangers fan dies
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