Cold Open

It’s late on the morning of September 11th, 2001 at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York.

26-year-old Derek Jeter awakes to the sound of traffic. He gets out of bed and stretches his back. As he sleepily shuffles across his apartment to switch on his coffee machine, he thinks about the day ahead.

Most New Yorkers have been at work for a few hours by now, but Derek isn’t due to clock in until much later today. He’s a professional baseball player for the reigning world champions, the New York Yankees. And right now, the Yankees sit on top of their division with eighteen games to go until the end of the regular season. Tonight’s game against the Chicago White Sox will give them a chance to stretch their lead. And this thought energizes Derek as he gets his morning going.

After making his coffee, he turns on his cell phone. It immediately sounds to tell him he has a text message. Derek opens it up and frowns. The message is from one of his teammates, asking if tonight’s match is canceled. Derek has no idea what his teammate is talking about, something about the World Trade Center. Derek picks up the remote and turns on the television, switching to a news channel…

The images he sees are shocking. For a moment, Derek thinks he must have the wrong channel, that this must be a movie, not real life. The city's iconic twin towers of the World Trade Center have collapsed.

Immediately, Derek rushes to his window, pulls open the blinds, and looks out at the skyline.

Derek drops his phone in shock. A vast cloud of smoke is rising from Lower Manhattan, and only then does Derek truly realize that what he saw on television has actually happened only a few miles away from his apartment. An unprecedented disaster has struck the heart of New York. Derek picks up his phone and types a reply to his teammate. He doesn’t think there’s any chance they’ll playing baseball tonight.

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, 19 Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger planes in the United States. Two are flown into the Twin Towers, and a third into the Pentagon, a fourth, likely bound for the White House or US Capitol, crashes into rural Pennsylvania after its crew and passengers attack the terrorists on board. All told almost 3,000 will be killed and many more injured in these attacks.

In the tragedy’s immediate aftermath, Derek and his teammates will struggle to motivate themselves for what now feels like a trivial quest to retain the World Series Title. But the baseball players will soon discover that New Yorkers crave the return of their sport, and baseball will help the city prove it stands undefeated by terrorism. It will continue to unite New Yorkers in solidarity, even twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, when a new generation of New York baseball players will come together to pay tribute to the disaster’s victims, emergency responders, and the baseball players who helped heal a city, on September 11th, 2021.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is September 11th, 2021: Baseball Remembers 9/11.

Act One

It’s September 15th, 2001 in the parking lot at Shea Stadium in New York, four days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Bobby Valentine opens a cardboard box and unpacks bottles of water, handing them to a volunteer who stacks them on a table. Being at Shea Stadium is not unusual for Bobby. He’s the manager of the New York Mets, the baseball team that plays here. But Bobby has never seen Shea Stadium look as chaotic as it does today.

On the afternoon of September 11th, Major League Baseball announced that the season would be put on hold, to be resumed at an unspecified later date. The next day, Shea Stadium was transformed into a staging post to store supplies for the city’s rescue and recovery effort. Shelters were put up for rescue workers. Trucks have arrived every few minutes with fresh supplies. And dozens of volunteers have turned up to help. Among the New Yorkers who felt a call to action was Bobby.

As he opens another box to find it stuffed with clean T-shirts, the volunteer Bobby’s working with turns the conversation they are having away from the attack and onto baseball. The volunteer is not the first who’s talked to Bobby about the Mets—countless others have asked Bobby about his team’s dwindling chances of making the postseason playoffs.

And the more he answers questions about baseball, the more Bobby realizes that the volunteers and responders yearn for some semblance of normalcy. They want to talk about the Mets and the Yankees rather than the slaughter at the Twin Towers. Bobby’s proud that he’s spent hours here at the supply center, playing a small part in the relief effort. But now, he wonders whether he can do more good by returning to his day job—perhaps the resumption of baseball will boost the nation’s morale and send a signal to its attackers that life in America will go on undaunted.

***

Six days later, on the evening of September 21st, 2001, Mets catcher Mike Piazza stands on the ballfield at Shea Stadium. The emergency supplies have all been taken away, the volunteers are all gone home and the stadium is now packed with Mets fans.

Tonight is New York's first professional sports event since 9/11. Baseball resumed elsewhere and in Pittsburgh, the Mets beat the Pirates three times. Mike hit home runs in two of those games. And now, he’s hoping to continue his streak against the Atlanta Braves, here in New York.

But before the first pitch, they must pay tribute to the city’s recent tragedy and the heroes who have helped New York recover. So, Mike lines up along the foul line with his teammates as a color guard from New York’s police, fire, medical, and port authority departments parade onto the field. First responders from these services toiled at Ground Zero, and many lost their lives when the Twin Towers collapsed. The crowd applauds enthusiastically, but Mike’s lip trembles as he struggles to contain his emotions.

When he first heard the news that the season was going to resume, he struggled—the game seemed so unimportant in the aftermath of this disaster. But today, seeing fans’ responses, their smiles, and their tears, it becomes clear to Mike that life must go on. New Yorkers crave a chance to cheer and celebrate—and baseball can be a conduit for their catharsis.

The stadium announcer asks fans to look at the big screen. And Mike knows what’s coming next—a pre-recorded message from the Mets players:

"PLAYERS: Every American was shocked by the disastrous events of September 11th. But for New Yorkers, this attack was even more personal. Many of us have families or other loved ones that were touched by the tragedy. And all of us know someone among the thousands of brave, committed volunteers and rescue personnel who have come together in Lower Manhattan."

The moment of silence that follows this recorded message is immaculately observed. And then, after this tear-jerking tribute, the game begins. It’s a tense match, which remains scoreless until the fourth inning when the Braves take a 1-0 lead. Then, Mike runs in a score to tie the game. In the eighth inning, with the game nearing its conclusion, the Braves score again to make it 2-1.

But soon enough it's Mike turn at bat again. And on the second pitch, he connects. Mike knows immediately that it’s a good hit. He jogs around the bases as a Braves outfielder scrambles back, hoping in vain that the ball will somehow fall inside the fences. But it doesn’t. The ball sails outside into the bleachers for a two-run home run. The crowd’s cheers echo through the evening and are audible well beyond the ballpark. It’s the moment of release New Yorkers have been waiting for—the first thing they can celebrate together since the attacks. As Mike rounds the bases to complete his home run, he knows he’s played a small part in the city’s emotional recovery—and now he has no doubt that resuming baseball was the right thing to do.

Mike Piazza’s home run will win the game for the Mets. And after the emotional victory, the team’s city rivals, the Yankees, will also return home to New York. But unlike the Mets, the Yankees will not only play to help the city and nation return to normalcy. They will also resume their quest to qualify for the playoffs—and their homecoming will be a chance to take another step toward the World Series and return a spirit of celebration to the city.

Act Two

It’s the evening of September 25th, 2001 at Yankee Stadium in New York, four days after Mike Piazza’s game-winning home run for the New York Mets.

New York Yankees star pitcher Roger Clemens throws in the bullpen, warming up his arm and shoulder before tonight’s game. He’s feeling loose and rested, which is no surprise. Because Roger hasn’t pitched a game for twenty days.

Two weeks ago, on September 11th, Roger was due to start for the Yankees against the Chicago White Sox. That game was postponed because of the attacks. And since the baseball season resumed, the Yankees have had six games on the road. But they didn't find much luck. Roger suspects some of his teammates are struggling to motivate themselves in the aftermath of the attacks. But tonight, he hopes to turn the team around and seal the Yankees’ place in the playoffs with a win in their first game back at Yankee Stadium.

His warm-up complete, Roger leaves the bullpen wearing a New York Fire Department jacket given to him by Fire Company 22. Earlier today, he stopped off at their firehouse on his way to Yankee Stadium. The firefighters told him that they’d all be watching today and cheering the Yankees on. Roger gratefully took the jacket they offered and proudly wears it now and another pre-game ceremony to recognize the many first responders and rescuers who worked and died at the World Trade Center.

The length of the tribute allows Roger’s muscles to cool down though, and when play begins, he opens the game with a few erratic pitches. The White Sox are soon 2-0 after the opening inning. But Roger eventually finds his groove, and by the fourth inning, he strikes out one of the White Sox batters. This single strikeout has little impact on the game, so Roger is puzzled when the crowd responds with a huge cheer. Then, the flashing big screen catches his eye, and Roger reads that he’s just earned the 3,702nd strikeout of his career. And with that, he's moved up to number four on the all-time list.

Roger is pulled from the game during the seventh inning, and despite his historic achievement, he’s not happy. By the time he leaves the field, the Yankees are down four runs and unlikely to win. But then, during the eighth inning, the crowd cheers loudly once again. News filters through that the Boston Red Sox have lost a game elsewhere, meaning that the Yankees have won their division and will progress to the playoffs. No matter the result of this game, New Yorkers will still have the chance to cheer on their team in the World Series.

***

One month later, on October 30th, 2001, Roger Clemens is scheduled to pitch another game at Yankee Stadium. But he isn’t the first person to take the pitching mound. That honor goes to the man who’ll throw out the ceremonial first pitch: President George W. Bush.

Although the Yankees lost their first game back in New York after 9/11, they progressed through the playoffs and qualified for the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. President Bush was invited to throw the first pitch for the opening game of the World Series. But Games One and Two were held at the home ground of the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. So, instead, the President opted to take the first pitch for today’s Game Three, the first at Yankee Stadium, to pay his own personal tribute to the city of New York.

President Bush stands in the Yankees dugout before the stadium announcer calls his name. Yankees player Derek Jeter jokes that the crowd will boo if he botches his throw. But this is no laughing matter to the President. Earlier that year, he failed to reach the catcher when he threw the Opening Day pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers, and Bush was widely mocked on television. He doesn’t want to make the same error here when the eyes of the entire nation are on Yankee Stadium.

Making the situation more tense, Secret Service agents have intelligence that terrorist groups want to attack the President tonight, on live television. But President Bush insists that he must be visible on a national occasion like this, otherwise, the terrorists have won. So, he pushes aside any security reservations and walks onto the field wearing a New York Fire Department fleece. On the orders of his protection detail, he wears a bulletproof vest underneath. And the man dressed in black and white stripes behind home plate is not actually an umpire—he’s a Secret Service agent carrying a concealed weapon.

Bush winds back his arm and steps forward as he throws the ball to the catcher. He breathes a sigh of relief as the ball loops safely into his glove without bouncing, and with a satisfied smile, Bush shakes the hands of both team managers while the crowd begins to chant “USA.”

The 2001 World Series will go on to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. After President Bush’s first pitch, the Yankees will win the game at their home stadium. But eventually, the Diamondbacks will win the World Series in seven games, thanks to a comeback in the final inning of the final game. But despite the Yankees’ loss, the team’s run to the World Series will be recalled as a positive focus for the city of New York, a city struggling after 9/11. And twenty years later, a new generation of baseball players will pay their own tribute to the sportsmen who helped revive a city.

Act Three

It’s September 11th, 2021 at Citi Field in New York, twenty years after the 9/11 attacks.

Mike Piazza walks onto the ball field and waves to the Mets fans in the seats facing the outfield. Now aged 52, Mike is long retired from baseball. But today, he’s decided to make a special guest appearance. In a quirk of the schedule, the Mets are about to play their adversaries from across the city, the Yankees, on the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Mike is not the only former Met who’s returned for the special occasion. With him are his teammates from the 2001 Mets, along with veterans of the fire, police, medical, and port authority departments who battled to save lives when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.

As Mike waves to the crowd, he glances back across the field—and what he sees chokes him up. Both teams Mets and Yankees were lined up on the foul lines ahead of the national anthem. But now, the players have crossed the diamond to shake hands and embrace. When they take their places for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the players from the two teams stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and likewise, fans of both teams freely mingle in the stadium—many of them holding photographs of loved ones who never returned home after 9/11.

It's an unusual moment of unity for two rival teams who normally can’t bear the sight of each other. But the players recognize that this is no ordinary ballgame. Twenty years ago, the two New York baseball teams helped that city heal after a devastating and shocking attack, one that shook its residents to their core. Now, by gathering together on the field, the modern baseball players pay tribute to those who died, those who survived, and to all the responders and relief workers who came to their aid. But the baseball players also honor their predecessors, the ones who helped New York and the nation find meaning in ordinary life again, through their public show of unity on September 11th, 2021.

Outro

Next on History Daily. September 12th, 1942. During the Second World War, a German U-boat sinks the RMS Laconia, killing over 1,600 of the British liner’s passengers.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.