Sept. 11 is a day that will obviously never be forgotten by Americans. In the years that have passed since, the day remains one of reflection and remembrance after the darkest day in the nation’s history. It’s a day we’re supposed to at least ignore grudges and petty disputes and try to put at least a sliver of life into perspective.
Leave it to Bobby Valentine to try and screw that up.
The ex-MLB manager, who is now serving as the athletic director at Sacred Heart, certainly has a special tie to the infamous day. He was managing the New York Mets at the time, and he’s been (rightfully) praised for his work within the city in the days following the terror attacks as someone who helped in the healing process. There’s no taking that away from him.
But it’s certainly fair to scratch your head and wonder why he said what he said on Wednesday, the 12th anniversary of 9/11. Speaking on WFAN in New York, Valentine actually criticized New York’s other baseball team, the Yankees, for a perceived lack of volunteerism in the week following the attacks.
“Let it be said that during the time from 9/11 to 9/21, the Yankees were [not around],” Valentine said. “You couldn’t find a Yankee on the streets of New York City. You couldn’t find a Yankee down at Ground Zero, talking to the guys who were working 24/7.”
It kind of got worse.
“Many of them didn’t live here, and so it wasn’t their fault,” he added. “And many of them did not partake in all that, so there was some of that jealousy going around. Like, ‘Why are we [the Mets] so tired? Why are we wasted? Why have we been to the funerals and the firehouses, and the Yankees are getting all the credit for bringing baseball back?’ And I said ‘This isn’t about credit, guys. This is about doing the right thing.’”
Hear the interview below.
