Full Breakdown
Yankees and Mets honor 9/11 victims on the 25th anniversary
By Drooid · · How we work
The ceremony and game
On the Friday that opened the three-game Subway Series, the Yankees staged a pre-game ceremony at Yankee Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Members of the 2001 Yankees—including Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Torre—walked onto the field in their former pinstripe jerseys. Honor guards from the NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority presented colors, and a giant American flag was unfurled in center field.
Brielle Saracini and her husband, Sean McGuire, each threw a ceremonial first pitch. Saracini’s father captained United Flight 175; McGuire’s father worked on the 84th floor of the South Tower. Both lost their fathers at age 10, met at Camp Better Days and married in 2017.
After the ceremony, the Yankees defeated the Mets 6–4. Carlos Rodón allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings, and Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer.
Background & context
Baseball halted after the attacks and resumed on September 17. The Yankees returned in Chicago on September 18, and the Mets opened their New York return on September 21 with Mike Piazza’s game-winning home run. Those early games were credited with offering a sense of normalcy to a grieving city. The 25th-anniversary ceremony echoed that role, linking the 2001 postseason run to the present moment.
Key figures
- Derek Jeter – former Yankees captain, 2001 World Series hero.
- Aaron Boone – Yankees manager, called the ceremony a “huge honor.”
- Brielle Saracini – daughter of United Flight 175 captain, first-pitch thrower.
- Sean McGuire – husband of Saracini, also a first-pitch thrower.
- Joe Torre – former Yankees manager, participated in the tribute.
Official statements & responses
Derek Jeter said the invitation to Saracini “felt special” and that meeting families of victims gave him a new perspective on the purpose of sport.
Verbatim quotes
Data & statistics
- Alumni present: Seven members of the 2001 Yankees roster (Jeter, Rivera, Posada, O’Neill, Martinez, Brosius, Torre).
- Score: Yankees 6, Mets 4.
- First-pitch participants: Brielle Saracini and Sean McGuire.
- Attendance: Sold-out crowd.
Why it matters
The ceremony reinforced baseball’s role as a communal balm after tragedy. Players described the day as “bigger than a game,” highlighting how the sport helps keep the memory of the attacks alive while honoring first responders and victims’ families. The presence of Saracini and McGuire underscored the personal, multigenerational impact of September 11.
Conflicting reports & gaps
No substantive discrepancies emerged among sources regarding the ceremony’s participants, the score, or the personal histories of Saracini and McGuire.
