On the night of Oct. 30, 2001, President George W. Bush stepped onto the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series, just six weeks after the
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On the night of Oct. 30, 2001, President George W. Bush stepped onto the mound at Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series, just six weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With New York City and the entire country still trying to heal, the ceremonial first pitch that night meant more than "play ball." ESPN Films' new 30 for 30 Short "First Pitch" looks at how important that famous pitch was to the nation, and how baseball became a part of the recovery after 9/11.
The 23-minute film, directed by two-time Academy Award-winning director Angus Wall and executive produced by Jim Gray, relives that anxious October night and the days leading up to it with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from President Bush, Derek Jeter, Condoleezza Rice, Joe Torre, Rudy Giuliani, Billy Crystal, George Tenet, Bush family members, Cabinet officers and Secret Service agents. "First Pitch" recounts stories from the Yankees' visit to the New York City Armory, where they comforted citizens looking for lost family members, as well as what it took for the president's Secret Service team to safely allow him to throw out the pitch.
