The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON, Texas — Wearing a brand new Josh Hamilton jersey and green scrub pants, Tyler Morris was discharged from John Peter Smith Hospital on Thursday evening, thankful to be alive.
The 25-year-old from Rio Vista fell 30 feet from the upper deck at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Tuesday night trying to catch a foul ball.
“I thought I was going to die,” said Morris. “When I was falling I thought, ‘That’s a long way back up there.’ ”
Morris suffered a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.
He landed on a couple’s lap and struck two other people seated nearby.
The Lake Cities firefighter said he’s grateful to those people who cushioned his fall and that “it could’ve been a lot worse” if they weren’t there.
Morris said he has no plans to file a lawsuit against the Rangers.
Rangers president Nolan Ryan stopped by the hospital to visit Morris on Wednesday. He brought him a bat, autographed ball and other memorabilia, and offered Morris tickets to future Rangers games.
Josh Hamilton also called Morris at the hospital minutes before he went on the field Wednesday night to see how he was doing.
On Thursday afternoon Ryan sent a new Josh Hamilton jersey to the Fort Worth hospital. Morris wanted to wear a Rangers jersey while leaving the hospital, and the one he was wearing Tuesday night was cut in two by paramedics.
Morris said he remembers the foul ball going three rows past him and ricocheting off a chair and then leaning back against the railing to catch the ball.
Copyright 2010 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS