Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Roger Clemens Recalls Bush's Strike Before 55,000 at 2001 World Series as 9/11 Nears 25th Anniversary
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

Roger Clemens Recalls Bush's Strike Before 55,000 at 2001 World Series as 9/11 Nears 25th Anniversary

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

Summary

  • Roger Clemens said George W. Bush’s ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series was “nothing but spectacular,” recalling how the president threw a strike at Yankee Stadium weeks after 9/11.
  • 55,000 fans, rooftop snipers, a bulletproof vest and dress shoes underscored the moment’s tension, Clemens said, adding Bush still delivered from the top of the mound without slipping.
  • Clemens also described Bush warming up near the clubhouse and hearing Derek Jeter’s warning not to bounce the pitch in Yankee Stadium, a detail he said made the president nervous.
  • For Clemens, baseball offered grieving New Yorkers a few hours of relief after the attacks, and he said younger generations should keep 9/11 in mind as the U.S. approaches the 25th anniversary.
  • That remembrance will frame Friday night’s Subway Series, when the Mets and Yankees meet at Yankee Stadium for the anniversary.

Insights

Can modern sports tributes ever replicate the profound unifying power of that unforgettable World Series moment following the 9/11 attacks?
How did a single baseball pitch in 2001 transform into an enduring symbol of national resilience that still echoes twenty-five years later?