Another Tragedy at Arlington

[Tryptamine]

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=6747510

 

It was me and (Craig) Breslow and (Joey) Devine," Zeigler said. "They had him on a stretcher and were carrying him out. He was saying, 'Please check on my son.' They had his arms splinted, and you're just assuming he's (going to be OK). He was conscious and talking, and to find out he's not is tough.

 

That is about as horrible a thing as I can imagine. Hamilton thinks he's doing something nice and an overzealous dad ends up falling 20 feet and receiving injuries that ultimately kill him, all in front of his son. There's going to be a lot of people messed up by all of this.

[Sammy Sofa]

Damn, that's sad.

[OleMissCub]

That is a horrific story.

 

Feel really bad for Hamilton.

[SpongeWorthy]

glass table sales in the Arlington, TX area skyrocket

[glavine93]

I just saw this and almost got sick. Probably the most upsetting video I've ever seen on the news. While I was watching it I was hoping that since they were showing the video like this it meant he hadn't died (I had missed the lead-in), but no, he had. [expletive] them for deciding to play it five times in a row and then segueing into a story on Britney Spears v. Katy Perry.

[Soul]

Watching the video, it seems like that railing is really low. The perfect height for someone reaching for a ball to pivot and fall over...

 

What a horrible thing to happen.

[erik316wttn]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

Horrible, horrible tragedy for that family. My heart goes out to them.

[rocket]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wIuLUf_sSw

 

the athletics announcers basically laugh their ass off when the fan falls

[Sammy Sofa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wIuLUf_sSw

 

the athletics announcers basically laugh their ass off when the fan falls

 

Yeah, they're likely regretting that.

 

That railing sure seems really low given the drop beneath it.

[Guest]

Apparently he died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital.

[Sammy Sofa]

Damn. Obviously, a ton of factors could have been at play, but based on the video he doesn't look like a "heart attack-kind of guy" at all.

[jersey cubs fan]

Damn. Obviously, a ton of factors could have been at play, but based on the video he doesn't look like a "heart attack-kind of guy" at all.

 

And he was a firefighter. Obviously marathon runners can die of a heart attack just getting the mail, but the combination of being in decent shape and in the hands of medical professionals would seem to me to be something that could save him.

[glavine93]

I just assumed the cardiac arrest was a natural result of his injuries from the fall.

[shnsajax]

Feel horrible for Hamilton, concerned as to how this is going to affect him too given his past.

[imb]

I was in the car, listening to this game on the radio and I heard when this happened. The announcers acted like it was no big deal, but the way the fans were screaming, you could tell it was something else

[Splendid Splinter]

Watching the video, it seems like that railing is really low. The perfect height for someone reaching for a ball to pivot and fall over...

 

What a horrible thing to happen.

 

I believe the railing is at like 40-50" (can't remember exactly but its somewhere in there) from the ground. The Rangers raised all of the railings either after the first time someone fell (late 90s I believe????) or this past offseason when the guy fell from club level. It was like 32" (way too low IMO and railings should never be that low in the first place) or something before they raised it.

 

Maybe someone else can help me out here. I'm going by memory here, but I'm pretty darn sure they raised the railing already.

[jersey cubs fan]

Watching the video, it seems like that railing is really low. The perfect height for someone reaching for a ball to pivot and fall over...

 

What a horrible thing to happen.

 

I believe the railing is at like 40-50" (can't remember exactly but its somewhere in there) from the ground. The Rangers raised all of the railings either after the first time someone fell (late 90s I believe????) or this past offseason when the guy fell from club level. It was like 32" (way too low IMO and railings should never be that low in the first place) or something before they raised it.

 

Maybe someone else can help me out here. I'm going by memory here, but I'm pretty darn sure they raised the railing already.

http://deadspin.com/5819404/of-rangers-and-railings

 

I don't think that area is 40".

 

http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2011/07/dal_a_rangers_fan_fell_b2_600.jpg

[Splendid Splinter]

Watching the video, it seems like that railing is really low. The perfect height for someone reaching for a ball to pivot and fall over...

 

What a horrible thing to happen.

 

I believe the railing is at like 40-50" (can't remember exactly but its somewhere in there) from the ground. The Rangers raised all of the railings either after the first time someone fell (late 90s I believe????) or this past offseason when the guy fell from club level. It was like 32" (way too low IMO and railings should never be that low in the first place) or something before they raised it.

 

Maybe someone else can help me out here. I'm going by memory here, but I'm pretty darn sure they raised the railing already.

http://deadspin.com/5819404/of-rangers-and-railings

 

I don't think that area is 40".

 

http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2011/07/dal_a_rangers_fan_fell_b2_600.jpg

 

Here we go...

 

In 1994, on the day the ballpark opened, Hollye Minter of Plano fell from Home Run Porch in right field while posing for a picture after the game.

 

The railing on the upper deck of Home Run Porch was raised to 46 inches.

 

Minter sued the Rangers and the architects who designed the stadium.

 

Ryan said the railing where Morris fell last season is 30¼ inches high, which exceeds the 26-inch minimum requirement in the adopted 2003 International Building Code and the 1988 Uniform Building Code, which were used during construction of the ballpark. The railing is 42 inches high at the bottom of the aisles.

 

"We feel like what we have is adequate," Ryan said after Morris fell. "We feel like this was strictly an accident. The ballpark, when it was built, was built above specs as far as what is accepted, so we feel good about it."

 

On Friday, Arlington's Dryden said the railing height where Stone fell is 33 inches above the walking surface.

 

 

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/07/3207691/fan-at-rangers-game-falls-to-his.html#ixzz1RYFFpptB

 

 

 

It's the railing in the upper deck and in front of the aisles that I was thinking of. Thought it was the same for the rest of the railings. Can't believe 26" is the minimum though as that's WAY too low.

[erik316wttn]

I first assumed the guy was drunk when I first heard about the story. I kind of feel like an ass now.

[Soul]

I don't want to make it seem like I'm blaming the building designers -- obviously this is a horrible tragedy and the last thing anyone needs is a bunch of finger-pointing.

 

I'll bet they raise that railing further, though. Or supplement it somehow, like Wrigley does in the aisles of the upper decks. Even with that, I feel like there's the possibility of someone falling over at Wrigley, having attended a game in the front row of the upper deck...

[Tryptamine]

I first assumed the guy was drunk when I first heard about the story. I kind of feel like an ass now.

 

That's not so bad. There were people saying he deserved what he got for jumping in front of a kid to get the ball. Little did they know it was his kid and he was trying to catch the ball to give it to him.

[Soul]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wIuLUf_sSw

 

the athletics announcers basically laugh their ass off when the fan falls

 

Obviously they didn't realize the guy was going to die when they did that.

[Pushfrog98]

Really feel for the family and Josh Hamilton. He said he could hear the boy yelling for his dad. My heart just breaks hearing that.

[robotikarm]

So sad for this guy's son..... I can't even imagine

[17 Seconds]

man, he couldn't have gone down at a worse angle

 

i wish i didnt watch that video. the little kid's reaction was disturbing. it looked so innocent, like he was just watching his dad take a little tumble and would get right back up.