The New York Yankees on Friday announced a series of commemorative activities and outreach to recognize the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
On-field acknowledgment will take place on Friday, September 11, prior to the Yankees-Mets game. Yankee Stadium gates will open to guests with valid tickets beginning at 5:00 p.m., and fans are asked to be in their seats at 6:30 p.m. for the start of pregame ceremonies.
Among those being recognized will be the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Tuesday’s Promise (formerly known as Tuesday’s Children).
Select alumni from the 2001 Yankees team are scheduled to participate in pregame ceremonies, and earlier that afternoon, current Yankees players will place a wreath beside the 9/11 monument in Monument Park.
The presentation of colors will be performed by honor guards from the NYPD, FDNY and PAPD, and a giant American flag will be unfurled prior in the outfield prior to the national anthem, which will be sung by internationally acclaimed opera tenor James Valenti. The pregame program will also feature a performance of “God Bless the USA” by Grammy-winning country music recording artist Lee Greenwood. FDNY Lieutenant William Arce will sing “God Bless America” in the middle of the seventh inning.
The ceremonial first pitches will be thrown by Brielle Saracini, and her husband, Sean McGuire. Saracini’s father, Victor, was the captain of United Flight 175, which was directed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, where McGuire’s father, Patrick, was working on the 84th floor. Both Brielle and Sean were 10 years old when they lost their fathers, and the couple met two years later at Camp Better Days, which was established to provide support for children who lost a parent in the tragedy. Brielle and Sean were married on September 9, 2017.
Saracini’s connection to the Yankees dates back to the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Just three days after her father’s passing, she wrote a letter to Derek Jeter detailing her family’s deeply personal loss, explaining that her dad would want her to realize her dream of meeting him. When the letter reached Jeter, he invited her and her family to attend a game, and the Saracinis were embraced by the team during batting practice. The closeness of that day never receded, and it evolved into enduring friendships for Brielle with Jeter and other members of the Yankees front office staff.
The Yankees began their commemoration with visits to three FDNY firehouses on August 27 as Aaron Boone, Aaron Judge, Spencer Jones, Will Warren and Ryan Yarbrough visited FDNY Engine 22 / Ladder 13 / Battalion 10 on the Upper East Side; Cam Schlittler greeted FDNY Engine 4 / Ladder 15 in Lower Manhattan; and Clarke Schmidt, Tanner Swanson and Matt Blake spent time with FDNY Squad 18 in the West Village. The Yankees made a fourth FDNY visit the following day, August 28, as Ryan Weathers and Andy Pettitte visited FDNY Engine 54 / Ladder 4 / Battalion 9 in Midtown.
Next week, select current Yankees players and coaches will visit the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and on Wednesday, September 10, the families of Tuesday’s Promise, including the grandchildren of those who perished on 9/11 and Gold Star families of post-9/11 conflicts, will be the special guest audience for the Yankees’ annual “Kids Press Conference” in the Yankee Stadium Press Conference Room.
Events this week have included the Yankees partnering with the FDNY Foundation and the New York Blood Center for a blood drive that took place on Monday, August 31, outside of Yankee Stadium’s Gate 6. On Wednesday, September 2, Yankees front office personnel joined with volunteers from Tuesday's Promise for a kit-packing event in honor of the September 11 National Day of Service & Remembrance. Together the group assembled 500 care packages with handwritten messages of encouragement to those impacted by 9/11, including first responders, surviving spouses and children, those suffering from 9/11-related health issues and post-9/11 Gold Star families. On Thursday, September 3, the Yankees hosted the NYPD Explorers youth group for a Sports Management Mentoring program.
Throughout the upcoming homestand, the Judge’s Chambers will host honored guests representing the New York Blood Center (Sept. 8), PAPD (Sept. 9), National September 11 Memorial & Museum (Sept. 10), FDNY, NYPD and Silver Shield Foundation (Sept. 11), Tuesday’s Promise (Sept. 12) and Tunnel to Towers Foundation (Sept. 13).