When the World Series brought America to a Standstill

20. The 2001 World Series was credited with boosting national morale

Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Major League Baseball suspended play until September 17, though the postponed games were rescheduled. The adjustment pushed the World Series back until late October, ending in November. The seven-game 2001 series began in the home of the National League Champion, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Some call it the greatest World Series of all time. Arizona won the first two games, defeating the New York Yankees. Game three brought the series to Yankee Stadium, on Tuesday, October 30, just seven weeks after the World Center’s collapsing towers shocked the city and the world. It was not the first game to be played by the Yankees at home since the tragedy. But it was the first World Series game. The pregame ceremonies and the fans during the game made it one of the most memorable of all World Series games.

President George W. Bush was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, the first President to do so in a World Series game since 1979 and Jimmy Carter. The President threw the pitch from the mound, rather than the stands, and wore a New York Fire Department jacket to honor the heroes of that organization. Due to Secret Service concerns, the jacket covered a bulletproof vest. The Yankees won that night, as well as the next two games in Yankee Stadium, before ultimately losing the series in Arizona. The return of the World Series to New York is credited with giving a boost in morale to the city, as well as to the rest of the nation. Game 3 of the 2001 World Series truly brought the rest of the country to a standstill as it demonstrated its resilience in the face of a national tragedy.