On 21 September 2001, just ten days after the attack on the Twin Towers, baseball returns to the field. Shea Stadium in New York, Mets against Braves: in that match, the home run beaten by Mike Piazza makes all of America explode in an almost cry of liberation. The player and his home run make history. “Knowing that I have inspired many people at that time is the greatest honor of my career,” says The Legend, as he is nicknamed by the fans.
Mike Piazza, a legend for the Mets and all American baseball. An athlete who has worked hard and entered the Hall of Fame. Not only that of the sports players he represented in his career years, but also of the many fans who on 21 September 2001 attended the match against the Braves. When everything went wrong, the number of victims following the September 11 attacks was unknown and America was shaken by a tragedy, baseball, the country’s symbolic sport, returned to the field. Right in New York, with Mike Piazza’s Mets challenging the Atlanta Braves, in a full Shea Stadium. The emotion was great, for everyone. But it was even stronger when the number 31 hit a historic home run: the New York arena was unleashed, all of America was excited. It also happens to the same “hero” of that match, Mike Piazza, although he doesn’t like to be defined as such, “because the real heroes are the firefighters, the nurses, the policemen who tried to save lives“Chatting with him was special, reliving those emotions through the images gave me some beautiful, almost touching shivers.
Special thanks go to Michele Gallerani, Sky Sport colleague, who made this interview possible.
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If we go back twenty years, what do you remember about 9/11?
I still remember it: that was a very difficult week. With all the players of the Mets we were on our way to a game that was to be played in Pittsburgh on 11 September. When we heard about the attacks, the world stopped. The game was canceled immediately. The team and I decided to take some time to figure out how to get back to New York: in fact, all flights had been blocked. I only remember the fear, it seemed there might be more attacks and that terrorists could access airline data. There was a lot of confusion combined with anxiety and fear. When we got back to town and saw the devastation it was incredible. If you have been to New York before 2001 and have seen the World Trade Center you can never imagine seeing a different skyline. No you can not. Not having it in front of your eyes anymore will seem strange. And to know that the twin towers were destroyed was a shock. Seeing them disappear, and seeing the devastation, the amount of people, families who were suffering from what had happened was very difficult.
Shea Stadium, a collection point for aid, came from all over the country
Shea Stadium, where the team played, was one of the areas chosen as a collection point for aid
Many packages of aid from the rest of the country arrived at Shea Stadium. You could see trucks arriving from Ohio, Chicago, Tennessee, even from Far West states like Colorado, New Mexico. Unfortunately, sometimes, you have to go through a tragedy to see the good side of people. The country has truly united and supported New York City, supported families, and tried to do whatever it could to help the city heal and recover. The aid staging area was Shea Stadium because it had a very large parking lot, there was ample space for all supplies. A couple of other players and I went to visit survivors, police and injured firefighters in hospitals. We felt it was uplifting for them and we wanted to give some emotional support, also to let them know that we were thinking about them. A week that has stuck in my soul: I don’t know any human being who can experience something like this and have no impact on the rest of his life.
Being there, playing a game and hitting a home run I think it was just doing my job, but inspiring so many people and having such a response even today is the greatest honor in my career.
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Let’s go back to September 21, the day of the match against the Braves. As a team, you have been able to heal an entire country and, of course, she hit an exciting home run, everyone remembers that. Can you describe that day and what it meant for you to be the hero of that match? Did he feel he had a responsibility to the world of baseball and America?
I feel uncomfortable when people tell me I’m a hero, I don’t really feel like that after seeing real heroes, at Ground Zero. And I am not only referring to the victims and those who tried to survive, but also to the firefighters, the police and the first responders on the spot. Many of them knew they were going to die, but they rushed to save people. But it’s important to remember that, when we got together, there was an overwhelming desire to be together, people wanted to hug each other and talk about what they were experiencing. It seemed almost cathartic, I guess. When we got to the stadium everyone felt the same thing. As for the sporting event itself, the September 21 game at Shea Stadium I think it brought people some healing. But also a little strength, because you can go ahead and try to heal from a moment like this, however difficult it may be. Being there, playing a game and hitting a home run I think was just doing my job, but inspiring so many people and having such a response even today is the greatest honor in my career.. But I’d be lying if, looking back, I said it wasn’t a complicated time. This September 11th will be difficult because the sadness, frustration and despair of that time will come back to the surface.
The home run on September 21, 2001 entered the Hall of Fame with me
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Sport can be a unifying force. Baseball was able to bring New York together in the aftermath of 9/11.
It does me a lot of honor. Of course, it warms my heart that so many people have seen that match. Baseball is very popular in the United States, not so much when in Italy but is growing here as well. As you know, in America it’s a national sport, it’s something where people identify with being American, parents go to baseball games with their kids, and it’s a game that is based on history and statistics. I think it’s emblematic, fitting that people look to baseball for a feeling of healing and inspiration. For me it’s an honor, it really is. That home run, however, on September 21, will always be part of me: I also remembered it when I entered the Hall of Fame. It is one of the most important moments of my career, one of the most beautiful. And, thinking about it, it gives me so many beautiful sensations.
I have beaten the most important home runs in more significant games for the standings, but the one on September 21 has a very strong emotional and personal value
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If you had to pick the best moments of your career, would that include that home run too?
I don’t know, maybe I have beaten more important home runs in more significant games for the championship standings. But I don’t think there has been a more important home run than September 21 for the people, not just in New York, but across the country. The fact that so many people still mention it today makes me happy. As it transcends the game, it rises above the real importance of baseball. I was very lucky, I was in the right place at the right time and I had a lot of people supporting me. It was overwhelming, it is still very overwhelming today.
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What did people tell you after that game?
I remember a very significant fact that happened to me: I was flying I don’t even remember where, perhaps towards New York City. Like almost everyone, when I’m on a plane I isolate myself, put on headphones, read a magazine or my iPad, let’s say I don’t interact much with other passengers. I sat next to this guy the whole flight and during the landing, we were gathering our things and he said, “Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I lost my brother on 9/11 and that your home run really helped. me and my family to get better “. It was shocking because he knew who I was and the whole time of the flight he didn’t bother me. But only at the end did he say: I just wanted you to know that home run meant a lot to me and my family. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate it. That sentence took my breath away. But this is only a moment. Many stop me when I return to New York: the welcome of these people warms my heart. And it’s not just fans, New Yorkers in general. And generally from all over the world. I live in Italy for most of the year now, so being here is very nice and the fact that people remember that moment is very special.
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I have another question. If I had to use a word to describe it, I would use “one of a kind”. She is very humble, her career has been so special, for what she has done with the Mets, and beyond. She tells in the book “Long shot” the difficulties she had to face for many years, but in the end she achieved her goals because she worked hard. Do you feel that you are inspiring not just baseball athletes, but so many other athletes and people around the world?
I could probably try to teach people that diversity is itself a teacher, a lesson, and that you can’t always be successful in life. And sometimes there are other things you have to contend with, like politics and other forces beyond your control. I’ve learned that you can’t control what people think. When there is a difficulty, you still have to find a way to overcome it. I’ve always had that kind of calm that I imagine comes to me in difficult times, I also try to tell the people I meet: when something is wrong, stop and breathe.
I am proud of my Italian origins
In my speech at the HOF I talked about my Italian origins, of which I am very proud. My family is originally from Sicily and we are very grateful and proud to be Italian-Americans, we have a deep love for Italy. Now I live in Italy and it is something very special, so thank you very much to all of you!
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