By Jordan Gibbons
The New York sports world went dormant for ten days following the events of September 11. The city had more important matters to handle and nobody knew whether another attack was imminent. Tensions ran high and everyone needed that time to collect themselves. Eventually it became clear that New Yorkers needed a distraction, something to get their minds off the terror and destruction of that day. On Sept. 21, Bud Selig made the decision to have the Mets and Braves start things back up in Shea Stadium. Shea opened its doors as a Red Cross staging area in the immediate aftermath, which made it an ideal place to bring baseball back to New York.
The Mets were in third place and 5 and a half games back with only a few weeks left in the season, which didn’t provide much hope for a playoff push one year after they faced the Yankees in the 2000 World Series. The hated Atlanta Braves were once again in first place and entered New York with the perennial rivalry aside.
For many people, there was no such thing as relaxation or enjoyment. A cloud of sadness and depression covered the great city. For once, the “city that never sleeps” was silent. A city that normally stands strong wasn’t used to being so weak and was in serious need of a reason to get excited…a reason to stand up and cheer. And with the Mets trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning with Edgardo Alfonso on first base, Mike Piazza stepped up to the plate and gave New York a reason.
Piazza drove the second pitch he saw over the centerfield wall for a two-run home run causing the crowd to erupt in celebration and forget their sorrow for a few seconds.
The pitch was fittingly thrown by Queens-native Steve Karsay and caused all of New York, Met fans and Yankee fans alike, to rejoice and forget about all the turmoil that had plagued everyone’s minds for days. Ten years later, the Mets and Jets continue the role that sports played following 9/11 by hosting games on the anniversary of New York’s darkest day.
The New York Mets preceded their Sunday night game against the Chicago Cubs with a 9/11 commemoration. Representatives of Tuesday’s Children, a charity that provides support for families of 9/11 and others affected by global terrorism, walked out an outfield-sized American flag as bag-pipers from the NYPD and Department of Sanitation filled CitiField. Mike Piazza, John Franco, Todd Zeile, Steve Trachsel (2001 Mets) and Rusty Staub (retired Mets slugger) led members of uniformed personal involved in the WTC cleanup, NYPD, FDNY, Sanitation, Port Authority, etc. onto the field while the stadium lights were turned off and the American flag stretched across the outfield just before New Yorker Marc Anthony, who also performed on Sept. 21, 2001, sang the National Anthem. The crowd chanted U.S.A. as an airplane from LaGuardia airport flew overhead. John Franco concluded the ceremony by throwing out the first pitch to Mike Piazza.
The football season had not begun when terrorism struck American soil, so the start of the year was simply delayed. The New York Jets open the 2011 season against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. But first, the Jets began opening night with their own commemoration.
The Jets’ 9/11 ceremony opened with a trumpet introduction to Amazing Grace, followed by bag-pipes in the end zone. Players from both teams held an American flag across the entire length of the field as Lady Antebellum sang the National Anthem. President George W. Bush flipped the coin for the coin toss prior to the anthem.
