The Diamondbacks are beginning the final three regular season games. These are the make up games from when Major League Baseball postponed the season in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. I of course was excited to get three more games in this season and regardless of whether the Diamondbacks made the play-offs I could at least say I saw October baseball at Bank One Ballpark. As game time approached, I put my Diamondbacks black jersey on and my new Diamondbacks hat with the American flag emblazoned on the side and packed the seat cushions to go to the game.
At the ballpark, I stopped at the security checkpoint so that the guards could make sure that my water would not explode or the peanuts I was carrying could not be used as a weapon. I then made my way to the gates and handed the usher my tickets. It was at that moment that I actually looked at the tickets. On the bottom was the date, September 11, 2001. This was the game that would have been held on that fateful night three weeks ago. We made our way to our seats and then rose as the color guard brought the flag out onto the field. The players from each dugout were now standing on the field with their heads lowered and their hats in their hands. Earlier this season, most of the players were in the clubhouse during the National Anthem. Now, everyone was standing at attention gazing at the flag singing this song. As the game went on, the Seventh Inning Stretch arrived and everyone once again rose to their feet. On the field, players and umpires alike stopped what they were doing and removed their hats to sing God Bless America along with the fans. Warm ups and playing catch ceased for a few minutes as everyone paid tribute to the country. Baseball and our perception of the game have been forever changed due to the events of one September morning.
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