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Here are a few of the things that Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had to say Friday about the tragic accident Thursday at Rangers Ballpark.
“I understand there’s nothing you can do to change it now.”
“Behind me I heard someone say ‘Hey Hamilton’ how about the next one. I turned around and Stone was the first guy I saw sitting there with his son. I gave him a nod and I got the next one and threw it in that direction. I just remember it happened in slow motion. Obviously at soon as it happened, I couldn’t help but think about what was happening behind that fence.”
On playing today? “The obligation that I have to this organization is nothing that would benefit me from not playing and trying to help those guys. I’m going to play. I talked with Wash. I talked with Gary Pettis about if I feel like I need some time, can I take some time. There’s nothing I can do by not playing.”
Reaching out to family? “Absolutely. I haven’t yet. I’m going to give this situation time to, you hate to think sink in, but I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. I can’t imagine. All I can think about is praying for them and knowing that God has a plan. You don’t always know what that plan is when those things happen, but you will.”
Will you continue to throw balls? “I rarely do it just because sometimes they drop and it slows the game down and things like that. The first ball I got I threw it to the ball girl. Then I got a request from someone behind me and I wasn’t sure if it was from Mr. Stone or who. You definitely take more precautions.”
Did you throw it because of little boy? “Yeah, when I glanced up there, like I said, the first person I saw was the dad and the boy. It looked like somebody who would love to have a baseball. They were the first ones I saw. When I got it, I found them again and threw it in that direction. If the same situation came up and this hadn’t happened, I’d do it again.”
What was your night like when you got home? “She (Katie) stayed up with me and talked with with me and gave me some encouragement and support. She was there to talk to me if I needed to. The kids stayed up to talk to me for a while. It was just hard for me, hearing the little boy screaming for his daddy after he had fallen, and then being home with my kids, really hit home last night.”
You could hear the boy? “That’s one of the main things I remember. It’s definitely on my mind and in my heart. I can’t stop praying today for them.”
Did you see it all? “Yeah, I threw the ball and saw him go for it and saw him go right over the edge there. When that happened, it was like disbelief because I know what’s behind there. People don’t realize what is behind there and they might not have thought it was a big deal but I understood this person could be hurt pretty bad. I was in shock. I kept looking behind me hoping somebody was behind there helping him.”
Did you think about throw? “No. You do it so many times you just don’t think about it. At the same time, as a player throwing the ball, you don’t know what’s going through that person’s mind who’s going to try and catch the ball. It’s something to take a look at.”
Still throw them? “Of course. That’s what the game’s all about. The fans come. They pay to see you play. They want to have a good experience at the ballpark. With player interaction, that’s part of a good experience. Like I said before, it will be something, situations you’ll look carefully where the fans are, how high they are up, what’s the railing like.”
