Mike Piazza’s game-winning home run on September 21, 2001, offered a fleeting moment of joy, but former Mets reliever John Franco reveals a starker truth about that night. The New York Daily News reported that Franco remembered the team’s attempt was merely “a small Band-Aid on a big wound for a couple of hours.” With the nation still recovering from the deadliest act of terrorism in United States history, the ballpark was located just 12 miles away from the World Trade Center attacks.
The First Game Back
Major League Baseball suspended play for six days before the league allowed games to resume. Shea Stadium hosted the first sporting event in the city since the tragedy, featuring the Mets against their archrival Atlanta Braves. The atmosphere was heavy with fear. “There was a sense of trepidation from all of us as players,” Franco noted in the report. Players and fans found it difficult to comprehend the loss of 2,977 lives at the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Penn.
Security had changed overnight. “Life had changed real fast, because after the tragedy, when you pulled up to the ballpark, there were tons of police and FBI and bomb-sniffing dogs,” Franco said. Despite the tension, 41,000 fans packed the stands to watch Piazza drill the decisive home run. The moment lifted spirits, yet the emotional toll on the roster ran deep. “I had players coming into my office with tears in their eyes, wanting to be with their family, and I got that,” Franco explained.
A Tradition Born in Grief
The bond between the team and the city did not end when the final out was recorded. Supplies were delivered to first responders by the 2001 team in the morning, followed by practice sessions in the afternoon. Shortly after the attacks, media relations director Jay Horwitz and Manager Bobby Valentine organized the first civilian trip to Ground Zero. Horwitz recalled how the tragedy hit players with local ties the hardest. “It was personal for a lot of our guys. Bobby Valentine was from Connecticut. John Franco was from Brooklyn,” he said.
That spirit of service evolved into a lasting tradition. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 on Sept. 8, 2026, Former New York Mets players visited firehouses in Manhattan, including Ladder Co. 25 in New York City. On Tuesday morning, Franco joined Todd Zeile, Al Leiter, Robin Ventura, David Wright and other Mets personnel to show their support at FDNY Ladder Company No. 25. Firefighters and first responders who served during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are honored by these visits.
Passing the Torch
Even players who missed the 2001 roster feel the weight of this history. Although he was not on the 2001 roster, David Wright participated in the tradition. Zeile said Wright “picked up where we left off.” Wright emphasized the need to keep the memory alive for the next generation.
The cost of that day remains visible in the community. FDNY Ladder 25 Captain Daniel Donleavy remarked that the unit lost seven members after 9/11 and everyone working that day. Since 2001, the team has maintained these annual visits to firehouses across the city. As the 25th anniversary approaches, the Mets continue to stand with the families of those lost, proving that the game was never just about baseball.
