Piazza's 9-11 homer lifts, heals a nation

NEW YORK -- One of the most socially impactful games in Major League history took place in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Braves in New York City’s first professional sporting event following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Following more than a week of debate about if or when sports should return in 2001, the Mets and Braves took the field in front of 41,235 emotional, vibrant fans at Shea Stadium on Sept. 21. As newly minted Mets captain John Franco put it, “Nobody knew what the right time was, or if it was the right time to come back.” He and his teammates took the field wearing the caps of service agencies around New York City, including the NYPD and FDNY, to create a poignant scene at Shea.

With that energy in the air, starting pitchers Jason Marquis of the Braves and Bruce Chen of the Mets both pitched well, and Atlanta took a one-run lead on Brian Jordan’s RBI double in the eighth. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Piazza came to the plate against Steve Karsay with a man on first base. He took a fastball for a strike, before crushing a go-ahead two-run homer over the center-field fence as Shea Stadium erupted.

“It was almost like a blur to me,” Piazza said. “It was almost like a dream, sort of surreal. … People wanted to find refuge in baseball, and a crowd, and being around other people. It has a tendency to kind of ease the pain a little bit when you have that support group.”

Piazza has spoken often about the healing nature of that game -- a humbling thing for a player simply trying to do his job. Fans can relive it on MLB.com and Mets.com.