Bronx hosts 9/11 anniversary tributes with Yankees-Mets game
The New York Yankees and New York Mets commemorated the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with a series of tributes at Yankee Stadium. The evening featured a pre-game ceremony, special guests, and the continuation of traditions established after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The pre-game events included honor guards from the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority Police, alongside a group of 2001 Yankees alumni. Current Yankees players laid a wreath at the 9/11 memorial in Monument Park earlier in the day. A large flag covered the outfield for the national anthem, performed by opera tenor James Valenti, followed by Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless America.”
A Lasting Tradition
The playing of “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch has become a daily tradition at Yankee Stadium since the attacks. While all 30 major league ballparks initially played the song after 9/11, Yankee Stadium is now the only MLB stadium where it has been heard every game since. Team officials have indicated there are no plans to discontinue the tradition.
Randy Levine, the team president, described the moment as a “beautiful moment every night to reflect and to thank the veterans for their service and honor them and America.” The tradition was a directive from late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and has continued under his son, Hal, who now runs the club.
The song, written in 1918 by Irving Berlin, is performed by a member of the New York City Fire Department during the anniversary game. Before the song, the Yankees highlight a “veteran of the game,” a military member who stands on the warning track. Members of the Bleacher Creatures also unfurl an American flag in the bleachers, which is often displayed on the scoreboard.
The tradition has garnered support from players. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole considers it a “tremendously important song for our country” and a key part of the “pageantry of a Yankee game.” First baseman Paul Goldschmidt noted that hearing the song serves as a “small memory of what happened” on 9/11, fostering appreciation for military personnel. Right fielder Aaron Judge views singing “God Bless America” as a sign of respect for the veterans honored on the field.
Community Connections and Tributes
The anniversary game also highlighted personal stories connected to 9/11. Brielle Saracini and Sean McGuire, both of whom lost fathers in the attacks, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Saracini’s father, Victor Saracini, was the pilot of United 175, which struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. McGuire’s father, Patrick McGuire, was working on the 84th floor of the same tower. The two met as children at a camp for those who lost parents on September 11, 2001, later fell in love, and married.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Tuesday’s Promise were also honored during the event. The Mets and Yankees have maintained a connection to 9/11 for 25 years. Days after the attacks, Shea Stadium served as a supply hub, with players helping to pack supplies for Ground Zero. On September 21, Mike Piazza’s eighth-inning home run secured a 3-2 victory against Atlanta in the first game back in New York. Six weeks later, the Yankees hosted President George W. Bush’s ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series.
The Yankees prepared the field for the anniversary game in a manner similar to how it was set up in 2001 when baseball resumed. The national anthem was dedicated to Valenti’s father and a friend who died on 9/11. Both the Yankees and Mets continue to support 9/11 charities 25 years later.
Read Also
Source: eu.usatoday.com
