Former New York Mets Catcher Mike Piazza Recalls First Post-9/11 Game
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - For sports fans in New York after 9/11, a baseball game at Shea Stadium was a capstone to a difficult time.
WCBS 880's Peter Haskell On The Story
Podcast
It was ten days later and the first professional sporting event in the city since the attacks.
New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza was uncertain.
"We just didn't know if it was the right thing to do and the right place to be," he said.
There was a lot of anxiety and emotion.
"It was very hard to hold it together and I just remember praying a lot, you know, praying, saying 'Lord. Please help me get through this night,'" he told WCBS 880 reporter Peter Haskell.
Then he hit the game-winning home run.
"It was just a release of emotion and joy and in that particular moment, only because the people really wanted something to cheer about," he said.
He says he still hears from fans about that home run all the time.
The Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2.
What are your sports memories of 2001? Sound off below in the comments section.
