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AP reports:
With fans on their feet, many with tears in their eyes, 6-year-old Cooper Stone stood on the pitcher's mound and tossed the ceremonial first pitch of the playoffs to his favorite player, Josh Hamilton.
Cooper is the boy who saw his firefighter father fall to his death while trying to catch a ball thrown to him by Hamilton during a Texas game on July 7. This was his first trip back to Rangers Ballpark, and it came on center stage, with his widowed mother, Jenny, and Rangers president Nolan Ryan by his side.
LM Otero / AP
Cooper Stone, 6, tosses the ceremonial first pitch to Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton before Game 1 of baseball's American League division series playoffs on Friday, Sept. 30, in Arlington, Texas. It was Hamilton who threw the ball Shannon Stone was reaching for when he fell to his death behind the outfield wall in July.
Tony Gutierrez / AP
After throwing out a ceremonial first pitch, Cooper Stone, 6, talks with Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton before Game 1 of baseball's American League division series playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays Friday, Sept. 30, in Arlington, Texas.
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WOW.....talk about a class act, this is the best. I've got a tear in my eye.
Usually, the teams look out for themselves for whatever reason. This act was probably THE classiest things I have seen a team do in decades. This act alone will increase the games popularity, not to mention the Rangers fan base for years to come. Well done Josh and everyone else involved.
Couldn't even tell my wife what I was looking at online without choking up. I want that picture because it just has such a powerful story behind it. Josh Hamilton........how can you not root for the guy. Sorry he's still not in a Red's uniform.
What a beautiful person. There is a basic goodness of so many people in the United States. Needless to say, I was in tears.
It's just doesn't get any better than this. Too think of the role models so many kids are following and sadly they don't come close to the "positive" influence of Josh Hamilton.
Words cannot describe my feelings right now. Wow.
If we all had this much class the world would be a different place.
Chills and tears seeing that second picture.
I also choked up when I saw this photo, and read the article. Kudos to Josh Hamilton, and kudos to the Rangers organization. With Nolan Ryan at the helm, the Rangers are one of the classiest organizations in all of Major League Sports. Well done!
Chill bumps... Love the pictures and the sentiment behind them. Josh Hamilton is truly one of the good guys.
"Never does a man stand so tall ,
as when he stoops to help a child'
'Adversity make the man ....
....and boy as well?
What a wonderful grown man and what a BRAVE little guy.
I cannot imagine how it must have felt for that boy to step in that stadium.
The Rangers have done a good thing here.
Very cute!
Outstanding! Thank You to Josh Hamilton & the Ranger's Organization for restoring my faith in the goodness of some of our Professional Athletes.
I just hope that more athletes and organizations will follow this fantastic example in the future.
Whats that round thing on his ass?
That would be his can of chewing tobacco
Just a pinch between your cheek and gum.
a condom?
I was in tears when the incident happened and I am in tears now. What a wonderful gesture by the Rangers and Hamilton, and what a brave little boy.
I got Josh's autograph the day he signed his contract with Tampa ans what a geeat guy. Then all of his problems and I was disappointed and now he has come full circle and couldn't have done better thing. Props to him and the Rangers. Nicely done.
Josh Hamilton is the man! Now I must root the Rangers to victory!
Even the comments make me proud to be a human again.
*snot rag*
Josh Hamilton and the Rangers are a class act.
My brother emailed me the link to this site. I am sobbing right now, I can hardly write this. I didn't see the start of the game today, but was wondering if the Rangers were going to do something like this... I am so glad they did. It is similar to what the Rockies did in '07 with the 2 young sons of their minor league coach who was struck in the head by a foul ball during a game a few months earlier, and died almost instantly. The 2 little guys each threw out the first pitch of the Rox first playoff game, both wearing their Dad's uniform number.
Cooper's Dad was giving his son a Standing O today, I am sure!
Can you say Pulitzer Prize winning photo?
Wow. Just wow.