Game 3 ceremonial and off-field activity details
BILLY JOEL TO PERFORM THE NATIONAL ANTHEM: Legendary musician and Madison Square Garden franchise, Billy Joel, will perform the National Anthem prior to Game Three of the 2015 World Series. Joel, who famously performed the last concert at Shea Stadium in 2008, has sung the National Anthem each of the last two times the Mets were in the World Series (1986 at Shea Stadium, 2000 at Yankee Stadium). Following his World Series performance, he will perform his 23rd consecutive show as part of his record-breaking residency at The World's Most Famous Arena on November 19, 2015. Having sold 150 million records over the past quarter century, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in history. The singer/songwriter/composer is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time, the third best-selling solo artist and is one of the highest grossing touring artists in the world. In November 2014, Billy Joel received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which honors living musical artists' lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations, and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award, which is presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. In December 2013, Joel received The Kennedy Center Honors, one of the United States' top cultural awards. He is also the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has received numerous industry awards. "Movin' Out," a Broadway musical based on Joel's music choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp, took home two Tony Awards, including Best Orchestrations - Joel's first Tony Award win - and Best Choreography. For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Joel has also performed alongside other music greats at two of Madison Square Garden's most extraordinary benefit concerts - "12-12-12, The Concert For Sandy Relief," which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy and "The Concert for New York City," which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes. Billy Joel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, adding another milestone to his extraordinary career.
MIKE PIAZZA TO THROW CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH: 12-Time MLB All-Star and Mets Hall of Famer Mike Piazza will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game Three.
VETERAN OF THE GAME: Oregon Army National Guardsman Specialist Alek Skarlatos will be the "Veteran of the Game." In August, Skarlatos was among a group who stopped a gunman from opening fire on a Paris-bound train from Amsterdam. Skarlatos, who has been awarded the United States Army Soldier's Medal from President Barack Obama, is competing on this season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. At every home game at Citi Field, the Mets salute the "Veteran of the Game." A player presents the honoree with an American flag that flew over Citi Field. This is a continuation of MLB's commitment to veterans and families, including through Welcome Back Veterans.
MLB/SU2C/METS/UMPS CARE HOSPITAL VISIT: The New York Mets, Major League Baseball, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and UMPS CARE Charities made a special visit with kids at the Tisch Cancer Institute and Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai. Members of the umpiring crew working the 2015 World Series offered Build-A-Bear Workshop® stuffed animals to patients and families at Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai. Each child chose from a variety of pre-stuffed animals as well as clothing outfits for their new "furry friend." The umpires also visited rooms for kids who were not able to be at the event. Commissioner Rob Manfred, Hall of Famer & former Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, former Mets closer Jesse Orosco, Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen (who's featured in a new SU2C/MLB PSA campaign for awareness of pediatric cancers), MLB Goodwill Ambassador Vera Clemente and representatives from SU2C and the Mets, also visited with the kids as they work on Mets and baseball-related arts & crafts later that afternoon.
IN-GAME SU2C MOMENT: MLB and Stand Up To Cancer will conduct a special in-game moment at Citi Field with players, umpires, coaches and fans, as they all hold up placards with the names of loved ones affected by the disease. The moment, which will take place after the 5th inning, will have a special focus on the need to support awareness for pediatric cancers.
MAKE-A-WISH: MLB will host three young fans from the Make-A-Wish Foundation whose wishes were to attend the World Series - Trey Georg, 12, from Madison, TX, Lincoln Becker, 10, from Fairmont, MN, and Connor Coughenour, 11, from Santa Clarita, CA, who are all battling life-threatening illnesses. All three will stand on the field with players during the in-game Stand Up To Cancer moment.
MASTERCARD DONATION PRESENTATION TO SU2C: During pre-game ceremonies, MasterCard executives along with Ambassador Sandra Lee will present a $4.25 million donation to SU2C, which was raised through its 2015 "Priceless Causes" campaign. Over the past five years, the MasterCard program has raised a total of more thatn $30 million for critical cancer research.
SU2C SPOTS: SU2C and MLB debuted a new PSA campaign, titled "Potential," to raise awareness for pediatric cancers. The PSAs feature childhood images of MLB stars Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Felix Hernandez, David Price and Anthony Rizzo, who is a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Along with authentic home video footage and photographs of these MLB stars, the PSA highlights children who have survived, or are currently in the fight against, cancer. Worldwide, more than 163,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year. The spots can be viewed at the following links:
http://m.mlb.com/video/v526492883/major-league-baseball-stand-up-to-cancer
http://m.mlb.com/video/v526493783/major-league-baseball-stand-up-to-cancer
http://m.mlb.com/video/v526492283/major-league-baseball-stand-up-to-cancer
ABOUT STAND UP TO CANCER: Major League Baseball and its 30 Clubs are the founding donors of SU2C and a lead donor since 2008, committing nearly $40 million to date. As the initiative's founding donor, MLB has collaborated with SU2C on significant awareness-building efforts, including public service announcements, in-stadium promotion and fundraising events, and has supported SU2C throughout the year, including at the MLB All-Star Game and World Series. Stand Up To Cancer raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry's resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C's scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.
ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD PRESENTED BY CHEVROLET WINNER ANNOUNCED TONIGHT: The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet will be announced in a press conference prior to Game Three. The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement. The annual Award pays tribute to Roberto Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. It is named for the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
"GOD BLESS AMERICA" PERFORMANCE: Singing "God Bless America" before the bottom of the 7th inning will be United States Arm Master Sergeant Mary Kay Messenger from Newburgh, New York. Master Sgt. Messenger is the premier vocalist for the West Point Band. This is her second World Series "God Bless America" performance as she did so during Game One of the 2009 World Series.
FIRST-BALL DELIVERY: Elijah McDuffie, 15, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens, will deliver the ceremonial first ball to the mound with Mets Hall of Famer John Franco. McDuffie is a sophomore at Richmond Hill High School.