The coronavirus pandemic brought live sports to a pause almost in an instant. As the world attempts to slow the spread and search for economic answers, sports fans eagerly await the return of sports. And when the games return, they’ll undoubtedly help in the healing process, just as they have time and time again. This week, NESN.com is reliving the times sports helped us heal.
There was nothing that could have happened at Shea Stadium on Sept. 21, 2001, that was going to erase any of the pain and loss experienced by New Yorkers in the weeks prior.
But, for three hours — with one unforgettable crescendo — those hit hardest by the Sept. 11 terror attacks at least were treated to a little bit of normalcy.
Baseball, like the rest of the sports world, went on hiatus for a week following the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. As the nation mourned, sports took a quick break, allowing the country to get back on its feet.
When that happened, a week later, a return to stadiums across the country proved to be the perfect distraction. When baseball finally returned to Flushing Meadows 10 days after New York was under siege, New Yorkers came together to reflect and start to move on with their lives. The return of baseball was one of the bigger signs the country would eventually be back to something at least somewhat resembling our lives before 9/11.
And that first night back at Shea was one that won’t ever be forgotten. Had the Mets lost, the result would have been long forgotten and secondary to the therapeutic effects of just having baseball back. But Mike Piazza made sure the night would never be forgotten for another reason, too.
The Mets superstar came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth with New York down a run and a man on base. Piazza did the improbable, hitting a deep home run to left-center field to give the Mets the lead.
Longtime closer John Franco came on for the ninth and shut down the Atlanta Braves, putting the finishing touches on one of the most important nights in Mets – and New York — history.
Piazza’s home run, however, wasn’t the only bit of hardball healing done in Gotham following Sept. 11. The lasting moment from an unforgettable World Series actually came prior to Game 3 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. With the nation and the world watching as New York City hosted the Fall Classic, President George W. Bush was in attendance to throw out the first pitch.
With wartime levels of security, fans stood and cheered as Bush confidently strode to the pitcher’s mound, went to the top of the bump and threw a perfect strike.
