For years, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has acted as my personal escape. A place where I can temporarily block out the stresses and pressures of everyday life. A place where I sit back, relax and appreciate my favorite game, the game of baseball, without having to worry about anything.
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is, put simply, my happy place.
That's why I'm still trying to wrap my mind around a most tragic event that transpired at the ballpark on Thursday night. This is, by all accounts, unfathomable.
A fan sitting in the left field stands fell over the railing trying to catch a baseball that Rangers All-Star Josh Hamilton tossed into the crowd. The man was transported by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was later pronounced dead. The man's 6-year-old son witnessed the fall.
Incomprehensible.
A father takes his son to a ballgame, decked out in a Rangers shirt and Rangers hat. He wants so badly to catch a ball for his son from Hamilton, the reigning American League MVP, that he sprawls out over the railing in an attempt to make his son's night. Then, that happens. Words fail to describe the heartbreak and sorrow that will forever be associated with this tragedy.
One day, I hope to watch a baseball game with my son, or toss him some pitches in the front yard the same way my dad did with my brother Dave and me in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Coral Springs, Fla. and Plano, Texas. I hope to take him to Rangers Ballpark, where I can tell him it was right here where many of my most vivid baseball memories took place. It was right here where Dave and I were on hand for Game 4 of the 2010 World Series. It was right here where Dave and I found shortcuts around paying a parking fee and found a deserted parking lot for free. It was right here where Dave and I witnessed Marlon Byrd's grand slam walkoff home run, and Rod Barajas' walkoff homer, both against the Yankees. So many memories with family and friends. When I think about ballpark memories, all I can do is smile and reflect.
It's impossible, then, with all those memories held close, to even begin to fathom something so sobering, something so awful in such a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It makes you think of those you hold the closest, those who are most important in your lives. Cherish these people. Tell them how much you love them, and how much you appreciate them. In times like these, these words can never be said enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment