2001 Mets visit firehouse impacted by 9/11

NEW YORK -- Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a tragic event that claimed nearly 3,000 lives -- 2,753 at the World Trade Center alone. Members of the 2001 Mets have never forgotten that day that still deeply impacts America, especially those in New York.

Led by then-manager Bobby Valentine, the Mets were relentless in reaching out to the community following the attack on the World Trade Center, helping families of the victims, from police officers to firefighters to everyday citizens.

Twenty years later, Valentine and three former players -- Todd Zeile, Al Leiter and John Franco -- continued their outreach. On Thursday afternoon, they visited the firehouse of Engine 3/Tower Ladder 12/Battalion 7 in Manhattan. The team often pays a visit to the firehouse to see how the firefighters are doing, and it was greeted by the firefighters who talked about their experience on 9/11.

“It’s a great honor, because the Mets never forget us,” battalion chief Thomas McCarthy said. “They come around and spend a lot of time with the guys. They talk baseball. They talk everything. They are just regular guys. We really appreciate it.”

Fifteen members of the battalion were at the World Trade Center site trying to put out the fires, but four did not return after both buildings collapsed.

The firefighters were grateful that members of the 2001 Mets stopped by to talk shop and fondly recall the first game that took place after the attacks between the Mets and Braves at Shea Stadium. Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza hit the game-winning two-run homer against Braves right-hander Steve Karsay in a 3-2 victory, a cathartic event for the 41,235 fans in attendance and many others nationwide.

“The game was such a back-and-forth game,” said Franco, a native New Yorker. “It was another tight game against Atlanta. But our superstar player comes up and hits a home run. He is the superhero, running around the bases with his cape.

“That home run uplifted everyone in the stadium or maybe a lot of people around the city. The game was kind of subdued, the crowd was kind of quiet. Once Mike hit the home run, you turn around and see people jumping up and down, hugging, screaming, crying, throwing popcorn in the air, waving the American flag. I still get chills when I talk about it. It’s great to be part of the healing process.”

Valentine had a big smile on his face in the firehouse. He is proud of efforts to help the fire and police departments on a regular basis and he's thrilled that the Mets put together a nonprofit organization called Tuesday’s Children, which helps the children of the victims of 9/11.

“It was a wonderful experience of meeting people who were in need,” Valentine said. “But it was a terrible circumstance to have to meet people [because of a tragedy]. … It was the little things. It was going to a house, going to a firehouse, meeting people at a diner and inviting them to Shea Stadium.”