Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and to commemorate the date, the New York Mets and New York Yankees will meet in a special Subway Series game. It will be the first time the two crosstown rivals play on Sept. 11.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s game:
Date: Sat., Sept. 11| Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Citi Field (Flushing, NY)
TV channel: Fox | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature righties Corey Kluber (4-3, 3.69 ERA) and Taijuan Walker (7-9, 4.15 ERA). Kluber will be making his third start since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him since May. Walker was an All-Star this season, though he’s had a rough second half (7.36 ERA) and is looking to finish the season strong.
Here are five things to go into Saturday night’s Sept. 11 commemorative game.
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1. Both teams will wear first responder caps
MLB has been a bit ham-fisted over the years when it comes to commemorating Sept. 11. Two years ago Mets slugger Pete Alonso said the league rejected his proposal to wear specially designed caps, so he and his teammates instead wore custom cleats and didn’t bother to seek MLB’s permission. There will be no such issue this year. The Yankees and Mets will both wear first responder caps during batting practice and during Saturday’s game itself.
“Caps from the FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority Police Department, Department of Sanitation and Department of Correction will all be represented to commemorate their bravery and sacrifice,” the Mets said in a statement.
The Mets are also set to wear special home uniforms with “New York” on the front instead of their team name.
2. Bobby V will throw out the first pitch
Prior to Saturday’s game, Bobby Valentine will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Joe Torre, the Mets announced. Valentine was of course manager of the Mets in 2001. Torre managed the Yankees that year.
Also, the Mets say 14 members of their 2001 team will be in attendance Saturday, including Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. Piazza hit the first home run in New York following the Sept. 11 attacks, and it was an emotional moment.
3. Several charitable organizations will be featured
Among the organizations that will be represented on the field pregame include Tuesday’s Children (a nonprofit helping communities impacted by terrorism), Answer the Call (an organization that assists families of firefighters and police killed in the line of duty), the FeelGood Foundation (assists emergency personnel injured in the line of duty), the Visionary Network from the 9/11 Museum, and the New York Police and Fire Widows’ & Children Benefit Fund, which was created by Mets legend Rusty Staub. Mets employees who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 and worked at Shea Stadium during the recovery effort will also be honored.
4. MLB Network released a documentary
Major League Baseball shut down for a week following Sept. 11, and it wasn’t until Sept. 21 that baseball returned to New York. Earlier this week MLB Network released a documentary, “MLB Network Presents: Remembering the Game for New York,” telling the story of baseball’s return to New York following Sept. 11.
“As soon as we got to the George Washington Bridge, everybody on the left side of the bus came over to the right side of the bus, and you could see the smoke and the spotlights down at Ground Zero and the bus [went] silent,” said reliever John Franco, a native New Yorker and captain of the 2001 Mets. “From the George Washington Bridge to Shea Stadium, nobody said a word.”
The Mets faced the NL East rival Braves in the first MLB game in New York following Sept. 11. Jason Marquis, a native New Yorker, started the game for Atlanta, and Piazza hit his game-winning home run off Steve Karsay, another native New Yorker.
Former MLB executive David Samson discussed the 9/11 attacks and their impact on baseball on Friday’s Nothing Personal with David Samson. Listen below:
5. It’s an important game too
As for the game on the field, it’s really important for both teams. The Yankees go into the series only a half-game up on the Blue Jays for the second wild card spot. They’re 2-10 since their 13-game winning streak. The Mets are five games behind the Braves in the NL East. They’ve lost four of their last six games (to the Marlins and Nationals, no less). There are only three weeks remaining in the regular season and both the Yankees and Mets badly need every last win to secure their spot in October. The Mets lead the season series over their crosstown rivals, having taken two of three at Yankee Stadium in early July.
