Texas Rangers to Honor Shannon Stone, and Son, With Bronze Statue at Ballpark Next Season

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Aug. 15 2011 at 4:43 PM

Shannon Stone

The July 7 death of Shannon Stone at the Ballpark in Arlington continues to impact the Texas Rangers, who moments ago announced that a statue will be commissioned by the ball club to pay homage to the 39-year-old Brownwood firefighter. According to the release from club spokesman John Blake, the "full-size bronze statue" will tentatively be called Rangers Fans and "depict Mr. Stone and his six-year-old son Cooper attending a Rangers game." It will be in place in time for the start of next season and will likely take its place at the home plate entrance to the Ballpark.

"We feel that this statue will be a most fitting tribute," says Rangers CEO and president Nolan Ryan in a statement from the club. "It will not only serve to honor Mr. Stone's memory but also to recognize Rangers fans and baseball fans everywhere. I have discussed the project with Jenny Stone, and she and the Stone family will be involved in the design and creation of the statue."

The Rangers also include this statement from Jenny Stone:

"We continue to be appreciative of Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers as we deal with the loss of Shannon. Shannon and Cooper had a special relationship, and we are touched and grateful that it will be memorialized at one of their favorite places. Our hope is that this statue will not be a symbol of our family tragedy but rather a reminder of the importance of a family's love -- love of each other, love of spending time together and love of the game."

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Jimbo Limbo

Death is tragic, but make no mistake, it visits us all. It seems to trivialize this man's life, almost mock his death, to put up a statue where he died, just because his death was in public view. The statue says, "You didn't know me, but remember how I died? You may have seen it in the paper, or on TV." Firefighters (as a whole) are heroic, by nature... but at the same time, we don't put up a statue for each one when he dies, just because he dies. We don't even put up a statue for firefighters who die tragically in public, as a general rule. We may put up statues for firefighters who die in a heroic act, or to memorialize their bravery, but even then- not often. Yet this man gets a statue. It's a gauche flub of a tribute. For those who argue that firefighters are heroic, and thus his death merits a statue: would he have gotten a statue in his home town, at the location of his death, if he had a fatal heart attack by the side of the road? It's not the usual way to honor a person's life. I can see a small memorial plaque at the ball park; something like that seems classy and honorable, compared to putting up a statue where he died. If this keeps up, we'll be overrun by morbid statues. Their sheer numbers will overwhelm our public venues. Every firefighter will soon be memorialized at the location of his death. Then all police, service members, doctors, pharmacists, librarians, meter maids, plumbers, trash men, moms, dads, teachers, jury members, clerks, non-murderers, etc. Soon they will have to be miniature statues, so we can have room to walk. I should have become a sculptor.

scottindallas

seems this comes from the same group that wants everyone to get a trophy, no one's a looser, all efforts are of equal merit.

Chris

some of you are complete idiots. The statue is more about the "fans", and is going to use the image of Shannon and Cooper as a dedication.

Harold Taft

FAIL!

Spend the money on fan safety, not a statue. 10 years from now amid is going to ask his dad who the statue is.

"son, that's a statue if a guy who fell and died when he tried to get a foul ball"

So dumb. Idiocracy at it's peak.

Jlamb417

If you want to help the family out pay for the kids school.. It was a terrible accident but it's not like he died doing anything heroic that warrants a statue. If anything, place the statue at the fire department where he worked.

Guest

Yeah. It's like when my kids' elementary school put up that bench with those five kids names on it. My son asks me why those names are on that bench, and I have to tell 'em it's because they all drowned out at the lake on a fishing trip and someone thought it would be a nice gesture to put up a bench with their names on it even though all they had ever accomplished was not being able to swim.

John_McKee

Frankly this seems a bit too much. He died in a tragic accident and had an honorable profession but he died from trying to catch a baseball by leaning over a railing.

As horrible as it was I don't think the circumstances of his life or his death really warrant a statue at the ballpark.

Stacy

WOW....never thought ppl would be against a statue honoring a person that died at the ballpark whose body fell in front in front our our home team during a game...it's sad that ppl would even think to say such a thing...bad childhood???

MattL1

I, for once, agree with John. A bronze statue is overkill. Surely a plaque would suffice. In a decade, I'm pretty sure this will fall in the category of "seemed like a good idea at the time."

Brian

It will probably be a cool statue of a fan and his son walking into the park with a little story behind it. Its no different than statues all over cities around the US.

scottindallas

I agree, you put it well Matt, even with that bullshit BoSox hat. (getting close to post season)

Steve

Wow. Don't want to start anything here but he was a Fireman, an honorable profession and may have been directly responsible for saving multiple lives. He's guilty only of over reaching to get his boy a game ball. Tragic accident.

John_McKee

Public safety officer loses their life in a tragic accident completely unrelated to their profession is your standard for a life-sized statue at the site of the accident? We are going to need a lot more room and money for statues.

My point is it is a way overly grand way to honor his life and the circumstances of his death to the point where it stikes me as almost not genuine and it comes off as more a crass PR stunt.

scottindallas

cynical. But, you may be right.

Titus Groan

My first thought on hearing this was, the family won't dare sue now. That's really what's at the bottom of this.

MattL1

Sure you're in the majority here? I haven't seen any polling on this issue.

Steve

Don't lump me in there Dude.

Mbo

You people are complete assholes, and completely disrespectful to his family that will read this.............i hope his family understands that you assholes do not represent the majority.