25 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks brought the country and professional sports to a standstill, MLB Network will revisit the role baseball played in helping America begin the difficult process of returning to normalcy.
MLB Network will premiere its new two-hour documentary, When America Took the Field, on September 10 at 10 p.m. ET, one night before the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The film examines baseball’s response to the attacks through players, managers, broadcasters and families directly impacted by the tragedy. It will also re-air September 11-13 before becoming available through MLB.TV.
For New York baseball fans, many of those memories remain inseparable from the game. Mike Piazza’s dramatic eighth-inning home run against the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium on September 21, 2001, the first Major League game played in New York following the attacks, became one of the most emotional moments in Mets history. Ten days after 9/11, Piazza’s two-run shot gave the Mets a 3-2 lead and ultimately the victory.
The documentary reunites Piazza with former Mets teammates John Franco, Al Leiter and Todd Zeile for a conversation about that historic night and the responsibility the team felt taking the field in a grieving city. Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine also appears, while Zeile serves as an executive producer on the project.
The film extends well beyond Shea Stadium. Hall of Famers Joe Torre, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio are among those interviewed, along with Bernie Williams, Roger Clemens, Luis Gonzalez, Curt Schilling and Paul Konerko. Bob Costas, Joe Buck, Tom Verducci, Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo also provide perspective.
Other defining baseball moments from that period are revisited, including President George W. Bush’s ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium and legendary broadcaster Jack Buck’s emotional address when baseball returned to St. Louis.
“September 21st, 2001 will always be the most significant day of my baseball career,” Zeile said. “While wearing the caps of our first responders, it wasn’t just another baseball game. It helped unite America through the healing power of baseball and the strength of the human spirit.”
Baseball couldn’t erase the pain of September 11, and nobody involved pretends that it could. But for a country searching for some sense of familiarity, the game provided a place to gather, mourn and eventually cheer again.
A quarter-century later, When America Took the Field isn’t simply revisiting what happened between the lines.
It’s preserving the story of why taking the field again mattered.