This year marks 25 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that changed America forever. In the spirit of unity, former New York Mets and New York Yankees members came together with the Tunnels to Towers Foundation to reflect on their role in healing a broken nation and proving sports are more than just a game.
“Never Forget: How Baseball Helped New York Heal” is a new one-hour documentary produced by Tunnels to Towers and streaming on Fox Nation. Actor and comedian Rob Riggle guides viewers through the direct aftermath of the horrific assaults on the World Trade Center and how baseball players, managers and fans banded together to give each other hope during one of America’s darkest chapters.
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Several legends from both New York baseball clubs spoke out about their experiences during the documentary, including former Yankees manager Joe Torre. The four-time World Series champion revealed what his team’s logo represented to him after the September 11 attacks.
“This ‘NY’ on the cap represents more than the Yankees,” he said. “It represents the city of New York and what they’re dealing with right now.”
The Mets are etched in post-9/11 lore due to the heroics of legendary former catcher and Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. He hit a memorable go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of the team’s first game back at Shea Stadium against the Atlanta Braves, sending the already-emotional crowd into a frenzy.
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Partnering with Tunnels to Towers hits home for Riggle, who served in the United States Marine Corps for 23 years and was deployed to Kosovo, Liberia and Afghanistan.
“My Marine Reserve Unit was activated just hours after the attacks of 9/11,” he said. “Our unit worked night and day on the rescue efforts at Ground Zero, 12 hours on, 12 off. It was destruction on a scale you couldn’t imagine.”
A quarter of a century later, the “21 Jump Street” star says his experiences after the tragedy still stick with him.
“Like so many of you, I can still so vividly see those images,” Riggle said. “We cannot forget the horror we saw when an unspeakable evil brought the Twin Towers down, struck the Pentagon, and crashed a plane into Shanksville, Pennsylvania.“
The Tunnels to Towers Foundation is dedicated to FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who was on his way to play golf when he rushed into action upon hearing about a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He lost his life attempting to save others from the burning skyscraper, but his son, Stephen Siller Jr., refused to let his father’s heroism fade away.
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“Everybody has a cousin; everybody has a brother or an uncle that lost their lives on 9/11,” Siller Jr. said. “So they all relate to everything my family’s doing with the Tunnels and Towers Foundation. They wanted to leave something for me and my siblings to have to remember my dad. We’re going to create this organization, we’re going to do good things.”
To uncover more about how world-famous baseball teams inspired Americans after September 11 and the Tunnels to Towers Foundation’s efforts to give back to first responders and their families, tune in to “Never Forget: How Baseball Helped New York Heal,” now available on Fox Nation.
