In what is looking to be an extremely emotional game, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, the city’s two representatives in Major League Baseball, will play next year on Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001 that took so many lives and was printed in our memories.
According to Tim Healy of Newsday, MLB, who will release the 2021 schedule this week per reports, scheduled a touching all-New York matchup to commemorate the 20th anniversary of that fateful day in which four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists and crashed into several objectives, including the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.
No additional about the game have been offered at this time, other than it will be at Citi Field, the house of the New York Mets.
The Sept. 11 attacks, which resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and many long-term health consequences, not to mention billions in infrastructure damage, changed many lives in New York.
A special night for both the Yankees and Mets
Professional sports were suspended for ten days at the time, and the Mets – Braves of Sept. 21 marked the first game played in New York after the events. That night at Shea Stadium was very emotional, with Mike Piazza belting a touching home run. Per CBS Sports, several Mets players and manager Bobby Valentine visited Ground Zero and exchanged hats with first responders.
That year, the New York Yankees made it to the World Series, but lost on seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. President George Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium the night of Game 3, the first in New York, since the D-Backs held homefield advantage.
Sept. 11 has become a very representative day in the calendar for New York and its citizens. The game will be meaningful and it will surely bring back some painful memories, but is a way to commemorate those who were lost in the attacks and show appreciation to first responders, paramedics, doctors, firefighters, and others who risked their lives to help during the rough times.