Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday’s game between the Mets and Yankees at Citi Field was one of the more thrilling (and heartbreaking) experiences Mets fans went through all season, but the real emotion and gravity of the day–September 11, 2021–came from the pregame ceremonies remembering the lives lost 20 years previous.

Before the game, both New York teams straddled the base lines intertwined–Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole standing next to each other, Javier Báez embraced by former teammate Anthony Rizzo.

It was one of many visuals of unity emanating from Citi Field on Saturday in a day full of paying tribute to the lives lost from the September 11 terrorist attacks and the resilience of the city afterward.

Mets Leaders Speak

The day started with a press conference with Pete Alonso and Mike Piazza.

Alonso has essentially been the 2021 team’s leader through their tumultuous season, and there’s a pretty direct through-line to Piazza as the Mets’ most dominant power hitter since the catcher played eight seasons in New York. Alonso has also been involved in the New York community since he came up as a rookie in 2019.

The first baseman donated 5% of his 2019 Home Run Derby winnings to the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps military veterans from post-9/11 wars, and another 5% to Tunnel To Towers, a non-profit helping first responders and their families affected by 9/11. It was created in the name of firefighter Stephen Siller, who lost his life on 9/11.

He also has his own Homers for Heroes foundation, as well, which raises money to help the “heroes of this [COVID-19] pandemic,” according to the foundation’s website.

In the press conference, Alonso talked about going to the 9/11 memorial Saturday morning, calling it a “sobering sight” and “an emotional rollercoaster.” He brought the conversation back to recognizing the gravity of the day in the city, though, saying “it’s truly an honor” to play baseball in New York and be able to remember the lives lost while representing the Mets. He also said he’s going to release an NFT surrounding his 100th home run to help raise money for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Piazza followed Alonso, reminiscing on playing for the Mets when the attacks happened and his iconic home run to put the Mets on top late in the first game back after the terrorist attacks. “I don’t really think it ever gets any easier,” Piazza said regarding recovering from that day. “Unfortunately we had to go through tragedy to experience that, but I’ve never felt such community.”

You can read more about the press conference here.

Players Return

In addition to Piazza, a handful of other Mets from the 2001 team spent time at Citi Field on Saturday.

Edgardo Alfonzo said the night was “a special moment for the New York fans, for everybody in New York,” and Al Leiter remembered the “pageantry” of the first game played after the terrorist attacks.

Other Mets from the 2001 team that attended Saturday night’s ceremonies include: John Franco, Rey Ordoñez, Bobby Valentine, Todd Zeile and others.

Honoring Local Heros

The pregame ceremonies officially got started at 7 p.m.–45 minutes before game time.

What seemed like at least 100 first responders and essential workers from New York’s police and fire departments, the Port Authority police department, New York’s emergency service division and other city departments, as well as members of 9/11 non-profits related to the recovery and care for family members after the attacks, appeared all over the field.

Some held a large America flag during the National Anthem, others held small candle lights during the ceremonies. All of them were joined by aforementioned members of the 2001 team. The NYPD Cops and Kids Chorus sang the National Anthem, and firefighter Regina Wilson sang God Bless America, too.

The ceremonies themselves were capped by Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre–managers of the New York teams in 2001–when they threw out the ceremonial first pitches to first responders.

Mets Tribute Jerseys And… The Caps!

The final touch on the night was what the Mets (and Yankees) wore during the game.

The Mets wore white jerseys similar to the style of the 2001 team with blue lettering and orange piping, but instead of “Mets” on the front, it said “NEW YORK”–unusual for home jerseys but done in the spirit of unity for the city.

The jerseys also had 9-11-01 flanked by American flags embroidered on the right sleeve and the Mets logo on the left.

The uniforms were topped off with the first responder hats the organization had been pleading Major League Baseball to let them wear during the games they play on September 11 each year. MLB finally relented in 2020 after years of unwarranted pushback, and players got to wear them in front of fans for the first time this year.

First responder hats worn by Mets and Yankees players, via Mets’ Twitter.

The teams’ batting helmets donned the same logos.

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The ceremonies were pitch perfect for such an emotional remembrance that occurs every year, only this time intensified by the 20th anniversary and the recent end to the Afghan War, which started just weeks after the terrorist attacks.

“When this date comes by every year, it is difficult to kind of look back,” Piazza said pregame. While true for millions of Americans who experienced the attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, and hundreds of millions more on televisions across the country, the Mets and Yankees acted as unifiers and eased pain from the days and weeks and years after for a night.