Just a ball? No, it's not.
Because baseball truly is woven into the fabric of our American history, that 5-1/4 ounce white sphere with red stitching is much more than just a ball.
That thought came to my mind Friday morning as I read through a few stories about Shannon Stone.
Stone, 39, was the Texas Rangers fan who lost his life after falling head first some 20 feet while reaching for a ball thrown to him by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.
The Brownwood, Texas, firefighter was at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington last Thursday with his 6-year-old son, Cooper. By all accounts the two were practically inseparable. They drove three hours from Brownswood to Arlington so Cooper could see Hamilton, his favorite ballplayer, in person. On the way there Shannon stopped to buy Cooper a baseball glove, just in case he got the chance to snag a foul ball.
What happened later that night was a tragedy, the kind of sad, gut-wrenching thing that brings tears to your eyes.
During the second inning of the game, Hamilton chased down a foul ball hit by Oakland's Connor Jackson. As players often do, Hamilton figured he'd toss the ball to a fan in the stands. He heard Shannon ask for the ball and saw the happy father and son standing there, anxious for a memorable souvenir. So he tossed it toward them, but sadly, left it short.
Reports say Shannon leaned over the railing and actually grabbed the ball with both hands before losing his balance. Reports also say fans sitting near little Cooper shielded the youngster from seeing what happened next. Paramedics quickly worked to stabilize Shannon near the Oakland bullpen so they could transport him to the nearest hospital. A's relief pitcher Brad Ziegler said he heard Shannon ask the medical workers to "please check on my son."
After being informed later that Shannon died en route to the hospital, Ziegler wept inside the A's clubhouse.
Before Friday night's ballgame, there was a moment of silence for Shannon and players from both the Rangers and A's wore black ribbons on their uniforms.
Those are the facts of this tragedy and they are indeed heartbreaking.
Looking at the facts alone, I know there are some who will say that poor man died trying to grab a ball he could easily buy at a sporting goods store for $2.99.
Those people don't get it.
Look, I'm hesitant to write some sappy prose about how the game of baseball is a living, breathing heirloom passed down from parent to child. Rather, I'll just say the game holds a special meaning to some of us, partly because of the way it bonds us to our loved ones.
So, when you frame it that way, a baseball really is more than just a 5-1/4 ounce orb worth $2.99 at the nearest sporting goods store.
As I write those words I am reminded of a time several years ago when I was this newspaper's Ogden Raptors beat writer.
The Raptors were playing their season-opener in Idaho Falls and I went up for the game.
Long before the first pitch, I sat in the home dugout at McDermott Field chatting with former big league pitching star Rick Sutcliffe, one of my boyhood favorites.
Sutcliffe had taken the job as Idaho Falls' pitching coach and I wanted to write a story about it. After interviewing him, I reluctantly asked if he'd mind signing a baseball for me.
I then handed him a beat-up ball I found on the field after batting practice. To my surprise, Sutcliffe shook his head and said, "Nope."
Then he smiled and added, "But if you follow me back into the clubhouse I'll get you a nice, new ball. Then I'd be happy to sign it for you."
Just a ball? No, I don't think it is.
Jim Burton is the Standard-Examiner's sports columnist. He also covers the Utah Jazz and the NBA. He can be reached at 801-625-4265 or at jburton@standard.net. He tweets at http://twitter.com/jmb247
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