In what has become an annual tradition whenever the Yankees play at home on Sept. 11, manager Aaron Boone was joined by multiple players — this time, pitchers Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón — in placing a wreath on the monument commemorating the 2001 terrorist attacks in Monument Park.
“Really meaningful,” Boone said before Thursday’s 9-3 win over the Tigers at the Stadium. “I’ve gotten to do that now a few times when we’ve been here. So to get to walk out there with Gerrit and Carlos and just really, I mean, take in an amazing monument, and really see the Pentagon, and see the Twin Towers and the police dogs and the firemen all kind of honored on there. You know, it hits home.”
With the win, the Yankees remain three games back of Blue Jays in the AL East after Toronto’s 6-0 win over the Astros.
The Yankees and Mets will face each other on Sept. 11 next season in the Bronx for the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
They also met on the 20th anniversary in 2021 at Citi Field.
“I think you just wake up and it’s different when you wake up today,” Boone said. “A couple years ago, we had the game over at Citi Field where it’s Mets and Yankees, and there was a bigness and a meaningfulness to that and knowing how many personal stories there are to the people that will be in the building tonight, the people that were in the building that night at Citi Field.
“To feel that kind of raw emotion in the building that you just look around and you see people’s, in some cases, tears in their eyes, that kind of buzz, but silence, too. You feel that. And I felt that a number of times in this chair on this day.”
The Yankees wore caps Thursday night representing New York’s first responder agencies, and FDNY firefighter Regina Wilson sang the national anthem.
The Savannah Bananas will play games at the Stadium on Saturday and Sunday while the Yanks are in Boston.
“Oh yeah, I went in Tampa two springs ago when they were there, it was at [George M. Steinbrenner Field], so I watched it, and it was cool,” Boone said. “I mean, it’s amazing; the following and the venues that they’re selling out. I enjoyed it, maybe not to the level of some, but it’s definitely at least interesting.”
Luis Gil is slated to start the opener Friday of a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, followed by Max Fried and Will Warren the next two days.
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