Wearing a cap, jersey and glove with plenty of room for growth, six-year-old Cooper Stone was escorted to the pitcher's mound by his mom, Jenny, and Texas Rangers president and baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. As the PA echoes and organ music gave way to a roaring crowd, the two elders clapped as left-handed Cooper launched the ceremonial first pitch at Friday's Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Cooper, who less than three months earlier had watched as his father fell to his death attempting to catch a souvenir ball tossed in their direction by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, now wore Hamilton's number 32 as he pitched the ball to his hero crouching between the mound and home plate.
According to Associated Press reports, Ryan had been in regular contact with Jenny, hoping to identify an appropriate time for Cooper to make a return visit to Arlington from the Stones' home two hours away in Brownwood. This was "very appropriate," Ryan said.
The first pitch represented the team's latest gesture toward the Stones and Rangers fans in general since the tragedy. The team vowed to raise railing heights throughout the ballpark to avoid future falls, following similar but non-fatal episodes in 1994 and last year. The Rangers also plan to erect a statue of Shannon and Cooper Stone before opening day next season, and a memorial fund started by the team on the family's behalf recently received $150,000 through an auction sponsored by Fox Sports Southwest, the Rangers' main television rights holder.
"He represents what we believe we're about and he is a very dyed-in-the-wool Ranger fan," Ryan said of Cooper. "We're just honored that they were willing to come out and do that and share the day with us."
Ceremonial first pitches often bounce. They sometimes sail. Cooper's toss was enveloped by Hamilton's awaiting glove, just as Cooper was enveloped in Hamilton's arms moments later.
