Baseball fans across the country have been touched by the tragic story of a father who recently died while trying to catch a foul ball at a Texas Rangers game.

Rangers fan Shannon Stone was trying to catch a foul ball thrown by center fielder Josh Hamilton. He was at the game with his young son.

Play action video shows him catching the ball, then losing his balance and tumbling over a rail head first -- about 20 feet and onto concrete.

"We're about making memories, about family entertainment, and last night we had a father and son at the game and had a very tragic incident," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said Friday.

"It just drives it to the core of what we're about and the memories that we try to make in this game for our fans," Nolan said.

"As an organization and a team member, our staff is very heavy hearted about this and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family," he added.

Stone's family issued a statement saying they are devastated by the tragedy, but thankful for the support they've received.

Ryan said he talked to Stone's widow Jenny earlier Friday, and she was "very concerned about her son and the impact that this is having on him."

Thursday's incident came almost one year to the day after another fan fell from the upper deck while reaching for a foul ball at the same stadium -- a fact Ryan called "disturbing."