Why Mike Piazza will always own a piece of my heart
A rerun from 2009 (edited for typos, spelling, etc.)
He was always one of my favorite players on the Mets, one of my heroes during the Subway Series in 2000 -- who could forget the "bat incident" with Roger Clemens?
but what earned him that special place in my heart...
September 21, 2001. The first major sporting event in NYC after 9-11. A game at Shea involving solemn ceremony and players wearing the caps of NYPD and FDNY.
It wasn't very good baseball that night, neither the Mets nor the Braves played particularly well that night....
Until Piazza hit a 2-run homer that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, and which ultimately won the game.
As we watched that ball sail over Shea we knew...we knew ...that no matter how much we were hurting, no matter how awful we all felt (you could still smell the burning at Ground Zero, after all)...that even though life would never be the same...somehow we'd go on, somehow everything would be ok. With one swing of the bat Piazza lifted the spirits of 8 million New Yorkers.
and for that one moment he has earned a special place in my heart.
Looking back 18 years now...
Just a few days earlier, Shea was still a staging ground for bringing supplies to Ground Zero. The Mets-Braves game was an attempt to return to a semblance of normal. Rudy Guiliani (before he lost his mind) urged New Yorkers to return to their regular activities as much as possible.
That night at Shea was cathartic. First responders on the field. Diana Ross singing "God Bless America".Marc Anthony singing the national anthem. NYPD Pipers performing. Liza Minelli singing "New York, New York" during the 7th inning stretch. And then that incredible home run. What a testament to the healing power of sports. Watching this on TV was incredible. I cannot imagine the feelings in the ballpark that night.
He was always one of my favorite players on the Mets, one of my heroes during the Subway Series in 2000 -- who could forget the "bat incident" with Roger Clemens?
but what earned him that special place in my heart...
September 21, 2001. The first major sporting event in NYC after 9-11. A game at Shea involving solemn ceremony and players wearing the caps of NYPD and FDNY.
It wasn't very good baseball that night, neither the Mets nor the Braves played particularly well that night....
Until Piazza hit a 2-run homer that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, and which ultimately won the game.
and for that one moment he has earned a special place in my heart.
Looking back 18 years now...
Just a few days earlier, Shea was still a staging ground for bringing supplies to Ground Zero. The Mets-Braves game was an attempt to return to a semblance of normal. Rudy Guiliani (before he lost his mind) urged New Yorkers to return to their regular activities as much as possible.
That night at Shea was cathartic. First responders on the field. Diana Ross singing "God Bless America".Marc Anthony singing the national anthem. NYPD Pipers performing. Liza Minelli singing "New York, New York" during the 7th inning stretch. And then that incredible home run. What a testament to the healing power of sports. Watching this on TV was incredible. I cannot imagine the feelings in the ballpark that night.
I do remember hearing about that game.
ReplyDelete