Former Mets revisit MLB's post-9/11 return to NY
Leiter, Rusch, Zeile, Valentine tweet during emotional broadcast
Thomas Harrigan
@HarriganMLBOn Tuesday, ESPN broadcast the Mets' matchup against the Braves from Sept. 21, 2001 -- the first Major League Baseball game to be played in New York following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Several former Mets, including pitchers Al Leiter and Glendon Rusch, first baseman Todd Zeile and manager Bobby Valentine, came together on Twitter to live tweet the emotional contest, which New York won 3-2 on a dramatic two-run homer by catcher Mike Piazza in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Here are some of the highlights:
The weight of the moment was palpable, even almost 19 years later.
Rusch did his best to build the anticipation as the bottom of the eighth inning began.
Reliving Piazza's go-ahead home run left them in awe all over again.
There was plenty of appreciation shown for left-hander Bruce Chen, who threw seven innings and allowed one run (unearned) for the Mets.
At one point, Rusch tried to coax Chen to join the chat, though he was unsuccessful.
Zeile was on the edge of his seat for his fourth-inning at-bat, a double down the left-field line.
Rusch finally spotted himself during the fifth inning.
Zeile's favorite memories of the night: Piazza's homer and Liza Minnelli's stirring rendition of "New York, New York" during the seventh-inning stretch.
Keith Lockhart, who made the final out of the game for the Braves, also chimed in.