mike piazza and the mets lead 3 to 2. applause] jon: iconic moments in baseball just after the 9/11 we are or the attacks. the national past time widely credited with helping america heal its pain and just about an hour from now marking the 20th year since the tragedy, the mets and the yankees take to the field in queens for game 2 of their weekend subway series. alex hogan live at cifi field with more, alex. alex: hi, jon, a lot of people are walking into the stadium for the somber anniversary for those who were alive during the terror attacks. we all remember where we were. the mets were actually all together at an away tournament and came back here and after here the parking lot becoming surprise center for donations sent around the country and shift to workers at ground zero. baseball returned with the team unsure if it was the right decision. mike piazza reflecting on how that day was so much more than one game. >> even though the game didn't really have playoff indications, it wasn't a postseason game or wasn't worl

mike piazza looks like he could hit a homer or two. and manager bobby valentine.you say to the guys before you came on the field that evening? >> we were in pittsburgh a couple of days before. we did a lot of talking then. there was no need to talk on this day. once we decided we were going to play because our commander-in-chief said it was important to play baseball and play it in new york. we together with franco's leadership took the field. jesse: did you understand there was something significant before you hit that 2-run home run reflecting on everything that happened in the city in the past week? did you know that? >> i felt the pressure and excitement. i have been pleased in my life to have this ability to focus. it's amazing when you feel the love from the fans and from god. i just prayed before the game. i wanted to get through the game emotionally. the good lord lifted me up and put me in that moment. just blessed. a great feeling of happiness to give people something to cheer about. judge jeanine: can i ask you, bobby, you talked about the fact that you

but we were behind, and the crowd came to their feet wondering what could happen as mike piazza camewas magical, it really was. >> he hit that ball with a sound and the repercussion from the fans, elation and joy was miraculous. >> a message to the world, we're still here. >> we're here and we're back. >> and then the yankees when you played at home, what was the 25th. >> yeah, but, john, before that, you know, we played on the tuesday a week later after 9/11, we played in chicago. and, you know, when you're a yankee -- when you're a member of the yankees, people either hate you orl love you. >> i'm option a, a mets fan. strongly option a. >> don't worry, he'll get over it. so, we come out to -- into chicago, and we come out and all of a sudden you look out in the stands. people are holding banners, "we love new york," "we love new york." it was such a different feel. and i had said to my players in our pregame meeting and after, you know, having gone to the armory and realizing that, as i said, we had a job to do, i just told them that the ny on the cap, it represents more than the

home run, mike piazza! and the mets lead 3-2!of scripted in a sense. families that had lost fathers and husbands and wives, that there was something about that that gave them just a tiny bit of spark or gave them an opportunity to kind of forget everything that was going on for just a split second and kind of live in that moment. >> when he heads to the dugout, some guys are crying. i mean, some guys were hugging each other and with tears, you know? if the -- the fans, there were so many tears in the stands. >> reporter: and i understand why. it was only a baseball game. >> i know. it was only a baseball game. >> reporter: it was, but -- >> but. >> reporter: but, right? >> yeah, absolutely. but. absolutely. it was so much more than a baseball game. [audio difficulty] >> reporter: -- series here tonight at citifield. so they won't have the game tomorrow on the anniversary, and bobby valuen tier, mike piazza, they'll both be here. former yankees' manager joe torre will also be on hand for the pregame festivities tomorrow. neil?neil

mike piazza and the mets lead 3-2!hat was going on for just a split second and kind of live in that moment. >> when he got to the dugout, some guys were crying. some guys were hugging each other and with tears, you know? the fans -- there were so many tears in the stands -- >> reporter: and i understand why. listen, it was only a baseball game -- >> i know. it was only a baseball game. >> reporter: but -- >> but -- >> reporter: but, right? >> yeah, absolutely. but. absolutely. it was so much more than a baseball game. >> reporter: yeah. the present day mets and the present day yankees, cross-town rivals, they begin a series of three games tonight here at citifield including a game played tomorrow on the 20th anniversary. and bobby valentine, mike piazza who hit that home run, they will be here, and so will joe torre, former general manager of the yankees. should be another emotional night. 9 stuart? stuart: connell, thank you very much, indeed. and do you remember this? former president george w. bush was called to thr

mike piazza and the mets lead, 3-2. >> to this day that emotional play seen as a moment of healing, andne, it's so good to see you. we had hoped to have your partner joe torre, not always a partner, we hoped to have him. but we weren't able to get that connection made. as we think about this, bobby, that game was the first regular season professional sporting event here in new york city after this september 11th attacks. talk about the mood, the atmosphere and the stadium, the dugout that night and also talk about what we just witnessed there when mike piazza hit that home run. did that offer a buoyancy to the atmosphere? could you feel a moment of healing with that home run? >> well, there was definitely a change of mood, you know, we went there, everyone, the fans and the players, and the umpires and the broad casters with great tepdation. were we doing the right thing? were we going to be a target for the bad guys? was the game going to actually continue and go on? and there was fear and sorrow and sadness at the beginning of the game and uncertainty during the game. but when mike hi

up came the star catcher, mike piazza. >> home run. >> families that had lost fathers and husbands anda tiny bit of spark or gave them an opportunity to forget everything that was going on for a split second and live in that moment. >> when he got in the dugout, some guys were crying. the fans. there were so many tears from the fans in the stand. >> i understand why. >> it was only a baseball game. >> it was. but, absolutely, it was so much more than a baseball game. reporter: the 2021 mets begin a 3-game series at citi field tonight. tomorrow on the 20th anniversary of the attacks they will have special pregame festivities. david: sometimes baseball is really magic. a very important game. there were many saints who died on 9/11. my remembrance as someone who resembles someone else... i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. [ nautical horn blows ] i mean just because you look like someone else doesn't mean you eat off the floor, or yell at the vacuum, or need flea medication. oh, yeah. th

adds it happened, mike piazza hit a home run at the bottom of the inning to win the game for the metse everything better? f of course not. but with players wearing nypd shirts and hats, and with roland tynan singing "go ad bless america" when it was really appropriate and moving at the yankees stadium, it was appropriate that the yankees went to the world series. they won the world series in exited fashion, and president bush standing as he did on the mound with purpose, a sense of confidence. people came to the ballpark but they didn't know what was going to happen that night. we didn't know if we would be a target yet again, and just how safe it was. but the park was full. and bush's demeanor on the mound -- he threw a perfect strike, it turned out -- was appropriate and perfectly defiant. he said to the attackers, yeah, we took a blow, but you didn't win. we're back here doing what we do. joe torre reminded me this week that when they met with the umpires -- remember, there are six umpires a season, not just four -- he saw a seventh umpire, someone he didn't recognize. it turned ou

. >> mike piazza -- >> i feel honored had we gave the people something to feel good about. >> it wasfrom the horrors and sadness. >> we showed what being new yorkers is all about. >> the film captures the effects of the tragic events on the lives of the story tellers now 20 years later. turner sports who produced the doc and hbo max are owned by cnn parent company warnermedia. and just going back to that time, i certainly remember watching baseball and all those yankees games and how much of a big part of it was of just the emotion of that time. >> it was so special. here in new york, it was really special to have people coming together. i mean, i can close my eyes and i'm back there in a second. i can't believe it has been 20 years. i can remember just how awful it was here and how it took sports and it took just everyone together getting through it. looking at those clips, i remember it. just amazing. >> thanks, andy. >>> finally this morning, an elderly couple trapped in a burning car on a san diego area freeway saved from a fiery death by five men from a local homeless shelter. t

game itself was close with the mets trailing the braves 2-1 in the inning and the upcoming catcher mike piazzabase. >> this one has a chance. >> the mets deleted, 3-2. >> in a sense, families that have lost fathers and husbands and wives, there was something about that that gave them just a tiny bit of spark and gave them the opportunity to kind of forget what was going on for just a split second and live in that moment. >> when he went to the dugout, some guys were crying. some guys were hugging each other, with tears. there were so many tears in the stands. >> and i understand why. listen, it was only a baseball game. but -- >> but absolutely. it was so much more than a baseball game. >> the mets and yankees in 2021 will play three games here at citi field this weekend including one tomorrow on the 20th anniversary of the attacks. and bobby valentine and former yankees manager joe torre will be those on hand hurts his abating in the pregame festivities. >> sandra: we know you from business news but sports are so personal to you and as a new yorker, i know there's nobody better to cover that

. >> game was close mets trailing braves 21-in 8th mike piazza a man on base. >> -- to left center --re was something else about that that gave them just a tiny bit of spark or gave them an opportunity to try to forget everything that was going on for just a split second. and kind of live in that moment. >> when he from dug kout some guys crying some guys hugging each other with tears, you know, the fans, there were so many tears in stands, i understand why, that this was a baseball game i know it was only a baseball game. >> it was, but -- >> but -- right? yeah! absolutely. >> but. >> absolutely. it was so much more than a baseball game. . you know, the mets yankees real life preday mets and with yankees many play three games this weekend starting tonight and a game tomorrow on 20th anniversary of 9/11 bobby you heard from with former yankees manager will be at citi field in pregame festivities tomorrow. maria: it is a really good story we were all grasping needed it so much connell mcshane, thank you live at citi field dagen what do you remember most about 9/11. dagen: i was in new

fan, 10 days after 9/11 when baseball returned to new york city, the mets played the braves, and mike piazzaay still travels across time, and what a single hit meant to so many families and so many people in new york city, who were so deeply affected by what had happened. you know, we often wonder, why does something as simple as a game or a moment in time on a field, how can that take on such great meaning and i think the proof of that, guys is in how vivid the memory still is so we revisit that 20 years later we'll be out at citi field, it'll be a very powerful scene, as ainsley suggested very emotional for those who remember ainsley: you had a beautiful feature on espn and it's an extraordinary story of the man in the red bandanna, you also wrote the book the red ban dan a, a life, a choice, a legacy tell us about that story. >> this is a story which has continued to resonate. we're so grateful for it, as the legacy spreads. one of the reasons why, guys, as you've evoked this morning, is we, in a way, we now move from history into memory, and an entire generation has passed of young peopl