The pitch that lifted a nation’s spirits
By Tom Quiner
Life is all about working, playing, and loving. The loving part connects the two and gives them meaning.
On this 14th anniversary of 9/11, I think back to a wonderful moment in the aftermath of our national tragedy.
The country had been deeply wounded. We were temporarily shaken. The moment called for leadership. What better way to lift a nation’s spirits than for the President of the United States to come to New York and throw out the first pitch at a Yankees game.
We work hard so we can play and enjoy lives a little. Baseball, with its rich traditions, perhaps still best personifies the American spirit when it comes to national play.
It’s a simple thing, throwing a ball to another guy 90 feet away. But on September 12th, 2001, it was a profound, uplifting moment for a nation.
Watch the video above to relive the moment.
I’m from Brooklyn, NY. My feelings were very high that day, opening day of the World Series. My leader, my president, didn’t let me down. He threw a nice strike, as if telling the terrorists, “Don’t you ever mess with us, especially on my watch. I’ll strike you out.” From that moment on, I knew that God, and Bush, would not let anything happen to us. Bush is not a coward.
I’m no Yankees fan, but that was a very special day.
To be fair…the distance from the plate from the pitcher’s mound is only about 60 feet. It is 90 feet between bases… (Sorry, the math teacher in me….)
I am not a Bush fan, but he was a great leader when we needed him the most.
Imagine if Obama were president at that time in our history. Frightening.
But of course. No, I cannot imagine if Obama were president in 2001.
Or Gore, for that matter. Ugh.
I used to be a semi-pro pitcher. The distance is 60 feet, but that’s one of the hardest distance to reach as you pitch. Have you seen how many of those who throw out the first pitch, tend to bounce the ball? it’s such a funny sight. Bush threw a nice strike. Blessings.
I wasn’t a fan of GWB; he was way too much of a big spender for my taste. But he was a brave, honorable man — the polar opposite of the cowardly narcissist currently infesting the Oval Office.