ARLINGTON, Texas -- Josh Hamilton stood in the outfield Friday night and found himself holding his breath when a ball went into the stands, especially the upper decks.

He couldn't help but still hear 6-year-old Cooper Stone, screaming for his father who tumbled over a railing in the left-field seats as he reached out to catch a ball tossed his way by the Texas Rangers outfielder.

"You couldn't help but think about it," Hamilton said the night after the fatal accident. "You hope nothing like that happens again. ... Red flags go up in your mind because you take things for granted for so long because it doesn't happen, and then all of a sudden it happens and then you start thinking about more things."

And then in the sixth inning Friday night, Hamilton again was involved in an incident with a fan.

While batting in the sixth, Hamilton hit a foul ball that struck a male fan sitting about five rows behind the third-base dugout.

Stadium personnel immediately tended to the fan, who had blood on his face and required stitches. Rangers officials said the fan was treated at the stadium and was OK. They didn't identify him or provide additional details.

Hamilton said the fan had his head down and wasn't looking toward the field.

"I saw it happen," Hamilton said. "Again."

It's been an emotional 24 hours for the Rangers and Hamilton, who can still picture Thursday's night fatal fall in slow motion.

"I threw the ball and saw him go for it and saw him just tip right over the edge there," Hamilton said. "When it happened, it was just disbelief."

Firefighter Shannon Stone, who only minutes earlier had called out to Hamilton for a foul ball, fell headfirst 20 feet onto concrete during the second inning and died about an hour later.

"It's just hard for me, hearing that little boy screaming for his daddy. ... That's one of the main things I remember," Hamilton said. "It's definitely on my mind and in my heart. I can't stop from praying enough for them."

Hamilton said he is relying on his Christian faith, just as he has during an inspiring comeback from cocaine and alcohol addictions that almost kept him from ever playing in the major leagues.

"It's still an emotional attachment because I was part of what happened, so it's something I have to deal with," Hamilton said. "It's nothing that's going to obviously make me go back to where I was or anything like that. I have a lot of people that are supporting me and calling me and encouraging me."

The reigning AL MVP, whose major league debut in 2007 came almost eight years after he was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick, was selected by fans to start his fourth consecutive All-Star game next week.

Rangers manager Ron Washington had offered to give Hamilton Friday off, but he wanted to play.

"You pray, and you just understand that there's nothing that you can do to change it now," Hamilton said. "We live in a fallen world and things you try to do good, try to make people happy or put a little joy in their day, something can go wrong. You just trust God."

After Hamilton picked up another foul ball earlier in the second inning Thursday night and tossed it to a ball girl, he heard someone in the stands call out, "Hey, Hamilton, how about the next one."

When the left fielder turned around, he saw Stone and the boy whose favorite player is Hamilton.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

If you have never seen the life story on Josh Hamilton, this is a guy who lives on the edge everyday and could slip back into a drug haze at any second.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

The life story will be a movie at some point. I just hope it has a happy ending. If you'll pardon the expression.

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thankfully...i've managed to avoid seeing the video.

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@audioidkid

Jason Goff is right-on with his tweets:


jgoff670 Jason Goff
ESPN has the nerve to make this tragedy in Arlington about Josh Hamilton having to deal with it; while dealing with his demons of addiction.

Bloodying the face of another fan has to have him on the edge. This is probably a bad time to bash the Cubs for trading him. That doesn't happen in Wrigley.

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Hamilton can now add battery and manslaughter to his sparkling resume.

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fock this club. I should manayer.

Hamilton needs to be sequestered in a bubble permanently.

Its a public safety issue.