Baseball Comes Second Today

Philadelphia Phillies (82-60) at New York Mets (69-72)

Kyle Kendrick (9-8, 4.86 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (13-9, 3.96 ERA)

"From the cradle of liberty, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Do we have closure? No. No, the heinous acts of terrorism last Tuesday will be with us for as long as we all shall live." -- Harry Kalas, 2001.

The Phillies are in the midst of a pennant race, but let's put baseball aside for a minute and remember those who lost their lives nine years ago. The tragedy on September 11, 2001 put America's pastimes on hold, but baseball eventually started the healing process.

The Phillies were one of the first teams to resume play, beating the Atlanta Braves 5-2. However, the most memorable moment from that game was a fan who carried an American Flag throughout Veterans Stadium. When the Mets returned to Shea Stadium, Mike Piazza's go-ahead home run gave everybody an unforgettable chill.

Here we are today: nine years later. The two teams meeting both helped the healing process in the United States. Today might not be about the matchups; it's about patriotism and pride for our country. We will never forget what happened on that horrible day, and we will never forget those who lost their lives.

We Remember 9/11

Call of the Day: "From the cradle of liberty, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Do we have closure? No. No, the heinous acts of terrorism last Tuesday will be with us for as long as we all shall live." --Harry Kalas, 2001.

I woke up, looked out the window, and it was a beautiful day -- weather-wise. How quickly a blue sky can turn gray.

I was going into 4th grade, but school did not start yet, due to renovations taking place.

My mother's voice awoken me. "Oh my god! I can't believe this!" I walked into her bedroom and she was watching TV. I saw that a building was on fire, and people were running. I thought it was a movie.

"What happened?" I asked.

"A plane crashed into the World Trade Center. That's what they're saying. I think it was a bomb," my mom said frantically.

People were running for their lives, others jumped from buildings. The reporters were ducking behind cars.

On the TV broadcast, a witness called in during the newscast. "Oh my god! Here comes another plane!" I watched the plane crash into the second building.

Then, I went to my neighbors house. That was where I watched the buildings collapse. It was like a horror movie. Next, we gained knowledge about the terrorist, the pentagon, and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, that's target was White House.

I always felt bad for the people who died, but to be honest with you, it didn't hit me since until last year. I was watching footage of 9/11, taped by people with video cameras. Not the media, but real life people taking footage, scared to death, living it. It wasn't until then, 7 years later, that it really hit me. Maybe it was because I was old enough to understand and it was almost like reliving it.

September 11th is almost like the Pearl Harbor of my generation. It was a tragic day, something we'll never forget. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one.