Ranger Fan Dies: Josh Hamilton Speaks About the Incident

Shannon Stone, the 39-year-old firefighter who fell to his death while trying to catch a ball thrown to him by Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton, was mourned at his funeral on Monday.

It is common for baseball players to throws a baseball to fans, and there have been other incidents where a fan has fallen trying to catch a ball, but this was a rare example of a such an incident turning fatal.

Hamilton addressed the unfortunate situation to the media at the All-Star game in Arizona.

I didn't know Mr. Stone. I don't know his family, Hamilton said. I don't feel it's my place to be in an intimate setting such as that.

But when I feel like the time is right and enough time has passed, I'll definitely reach out and talk to his wife and little boy.

Hamilton has had his share of personal troubles that he managed to overcome. The 30-year-old outfielder fought drug and alcohol abuse, and his recovery has been a well-documented story.

This is life, Hamilton said. There are tragedies, things that happen that you have no control over and you don't understand them. One of them is standing in front of your maker.

Maybe I was a little more prepared to handle a situation like this. Still, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt and affect you. It was just a random act of kindness that turned tragic.

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