Baseball is historically the official pastime of Americans. Families come together for a night out at the ballpark. Whether you sit high up in the stands or directly behind the dugout, families can enjoy an evening of hot dogs, peanuts, beer and crackerjacks! Little boys and adults alike bring their glove with hopes of being the one to catch a fly ball to take home for their memories. On July 7, 2011, Shannon Stone and his son attended a Texas Rangers game at Texas Stadium in Arlington, TX. Stone saw the opportunity to catch a foul ball for his son and leaned too far over the railing, loosing his balance and tragically falling headfirst. All right in front of his young son. The article below has more information:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-baseball-fan-shannon-stone-asked-son-fatal/story?id=14030458#.Tz1P_ZhZVAc
As a PR student we learn how to handle crisis situations like this. How do you handle a crisis that was clearly an unfortunate accident? No one to blame. This has happened before, but what can be done to prevent it without closing off the stands, eliminating the essence of the ball park experience? Fortunately, owner Nolan Ryan and the PR team for the Texas Rangers did the right thing. They did not place blame or point fingers. They did not act in a "CYA" manner, as in saying, "Well its clearly not our fault." They expressed the utmost respect, sympathy, and support for the Stone family. Stone's son got the chance to throw the first pitch at a Rangers game and meet player, Josh Hamilton.
The immediate and effective handling of this terrible accident by Ryan and the Rangers lead to the best outcome of an indescribable tragedy. The Texas Rangers organization followed up by setting up a scholarship for Cooper Stone, son of Shannon, where donations can be made for him and his family's future.
Jenny Stone released this statement five days after the incident:
"Josh Hamilton remains Cooper's favorite baseball player, the Texas Rangers will always be our team, and baseball will always be our favorite game. ... Shannon loved going to watch the Rangers and he loved Cooper. And, at the very end, he lived life to its fullest, doing something he loved."
The mother of Shannon Stone wrote a letter to Josh Hamilton asking him to NOT stop tossing foul balls into the stands, as she explains, they are what makes the memories of the father-son experience of attending baseball games so extraordinary:
http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7397842/mom-texas-rangers-fan-shannon-stone-implores-josh-hamilton
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