Mets have always responded properly to 9/11: Saturday's ceremony was just another example

It’s no secret that as an organization the Mets have had their share of faux pas over the years, but in one area they’ve always been exemplary, leading the way among New York teams with their efforts to provide support and assistance in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.

In that sense it was appropriate the Mets were hosting the Yankees at Citi Field on Saturday night, as they acknowledged the 20^th anniversary of that horrible day with a powerfully touching ceremony before the game.

On the field were 13 members of the 2001 ballclub, including John Franco and Al Leiter, as well as then-manager Bobby Valentine, three local guys who all lost friends in the attack on the World Trade Center and led the heartfelt response to thank first-responders and offer emotional support to them and family members of victims.

Also on the field as part of the ceremony was Jay Horwitz, the long-time PR Director and now Alumni Director who has always been a driving force behind the Mets’ response, the man who made sure the tradition of players visiting Ground Zero and various firehouses continued to this day.

“I know I’m going to cry when I’m on the field,” Horwitz told me earlier Saturday. “It’s always been the thing that’s meant the most to me in my career with the Mets. Being here for the championship in 1986 was great but what I’ll always remember is that 2001 team and the difference those guys made in the community after 9/11.

“Those guys were unbelievable. They never said no to a request. It started with Bobby’s leadership, and Johnny’s personality. The other guys saw how much it meant to them and everyone made a commitment to helping. You had guys like Todd Zeile and Robin Ventura who just got it, they understood. That whole team, really, it became an infectious thing. They wanted to do something to help people.

“They started something that we’ve been able to carry on to this day. Guys like David Wright and Steven Matz picked up the commitment in a big way. We do the firehouse visits every year. We’re still involved with the Tuesday’s Children organization. It’s something the organization has always taken to heart.”

Yes, the Mets have always hit the right notes in their response to 9/11, and Saturday night’s ceremony was just another example, as players from that 2001 team were divided up to stand with various groups of uniformed first-responders that ringed the outfield, while current Mets and Yankees came together to shake hands and line up essentially as one team representing New York.

It brought back memories of the Mets and Braves coming together on the field to hug and shake hands before the famous Sept. 21 game at Shea Stadium, the first game back in New York after the tragedy, the night remembered as a beginning of healing in the city as well as Mike Piazza’s game-winning home run.

And then there was Valentine and Joe Torre near the mound Saturday night, each throwing out a ceremonial first pitch to a first-responder. It was thoughtful and important that the Mets included Torre, who was not only the Yankee manager in 2001 but a former Mets’ manager as well.

“I called Joe to ask him and of course he was happy to do it,” Horwitz said. “Joe was my first manager when I was hired (in 1980). He always says I got him fired. It’s great that he and Bobby are both part of this.”

It made for an emotional night at Citi Field, all the more so because MLB had the good sense to allow both the Mets and Yankees to wear first-responder hats again, as they did in 2001.

There was plenty at stake on the field as well, though for mostly the wrong reasons as the Mets have played their way to a position of desperation, barely hanging on to hope they can still catch the Braves in the NL East, while the Yankees have fallen apart only a couple of weeks after they won 13 straight games to seemingly taken command of the wild card race.

Yet the Yankees remain in much better position than the Mets to reach the postseason, as has been the case way too often for someone like Horwitz, who has lived and died with each win and loss for 41 years and counting.

On this weekend, however, Jay was happy to be immersed in the 20^th anniversary proceedings, and gratified the Mets recognized him by making him part of the ceremony, as well as others such as Sue Lucchi, now the VP of ballpark operations and the woman who was largely responsible 20 years ago for turning the Shea Stadium parking lot into a staging area for collecting and distributing supplies to help those in need.

Horwitz made a point of noting there were plenty of others who played big roles over the years in helping keep the Mets committed to the 9/11 cause, specifically mentioning PR assistants Ethan Wilson and the late Shannon Forde.

Above all Jay felt galvanized by his role in gathering the 2001 Mets and escorting them to various events and media responsibilities.

“When I see these guys I remember how we all bonded that year,” Horwitz said. “The whole world changed and these guys did something to make a difference. It’s what I’ll always remember most about my time with the Mets. It’s more important than getting a championship ring. It was a time when people needed help and those guys did everything they could.”

It’s the reason Horwitz was sure he would be unable to hold back tears on the field Saturday night. And likely the reason he wouldn’t be the only one.