If there was ever a World Series that I wanted to see the Yankees win it was 2001. For a Yankee hater like myself that is saying a lot, but I wanted them to win for the city of New York. It was a little over a month since the 9/11 attacks.
Since this is a sports commentary video, instead of relaying how I felt that day on September 11, 2001, I want to share another event that I remember after the attacks…when George Bush threw out the first pitch. It was symbolic to me. Baseball meant a sense of normalcy…to see our President at Yankee Stadium…it showed me that we survived. We were hit, but we still moved on, and things as simple as baseball still mattered to us.
Watching President Bush walk up to the mound, fire a perfect strike and walk back to the dugout with that confident look on his face…it was a proud moment for me as a sports fan and an American.
Prior to walking out to the mound, the President got some advice from Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter. That advice put more pressure on Bush. Yet, he delivered America’s first strike. Watch more on this Missourinet Mornings video.