The tragedy and horror of the 9/11 attacks triggered a host of changes in America, including a reassessment of the role of sports and its accompanying hero-worship. Batting averages and home run totals were no longer paramount, particularly in New York, but in fall 2001 baseball played a significant role in the city's recovery efforts. Focusing on one of the more eventful and dramatic World Series ever, the documentary looks at two resilient ball clubs - the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks - engaged in an extraordinary professional sporting event, attended each night by more than 50,000 spectators, in New York City one month after the 9/11 terrorist attack. The film compares the games at Yankee Stadium with the recovery effort going on simultaneously nine miles south at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.
One of the best parts of this show has to do with George W. Bush, believe it or not. This was the President's time to step up and be the leader of our country. We were relying on him in our time of need to do what he had to do to make us comfortable in our country. Who better than to stand on a pitching mound in front of 50,000 people and millions watching and throw out the first pitch right after the attacks? The President of the United States. We needed someone to be brave and have no fear. Someone who could laugh in the face of adversity and show all of us who were watching what this country was all about. That is just what he did. He stood up tall, pumped out his chest and gave a thumbs up to the American people. Not only that, he managed to throw a hard strike right down the middle of the plate. What a sense of comfort and pride after that moment. Just for that one moment in time the people of America were proud; proud to be an American, and proud of our president. Baseball gave all of us a sense of forgetfulness. We forgot what had happened for just a few moments. That's all we needed, just a few moments.
A clip from the HBO Special...
Other than my family and my friends, baseball is the biggest and one of the most important loves of my life. My passion for every aspect of the game is undeniable. I also love this beautiful place we call, The United States of America. As you all know, Baseball is America's favorite past time. In this post, I just wanted to explain how much of an impact that the beautiful game of baseball has lifted so many people up in this time of great tragedy during 9/11, and why it is not just a game in my eyes. I am a big Philadelphia fan and hate the Yankees, but I can easily say that this one point in time, baseball brought our whole nation together to route for the Yankees. We were one.
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