Bush thought road to recovery after 9/11 'would be a lot better' if baseball returned: ex-manager

 Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza famously hit the first MLB home run in New York after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In a Sept. 21 home game against the Atlanta Braves, Piazza stepped to the plate at Shea Stadium with the Mets down 2-1. 

However, Piazza smacked a Steve Karsay pitch to deep left-center for the go-ahead two-run homer, as the Mets won the game. Today, it is considered one of the most iconic home runs in New York sports and MLB history, as many first responders and family members of those lost in the attack were in attendance that night. 

Piazza's manager at the time, longtime player and manager Bobby Valentine, gave credit to former President George W. Bush for the catcher hitting the historic home run at that moment. 

"Bush truly believed, he was the one who believed that if baseball came back, the road to recovery would be a lot better. And he pushed for it and I believed in him and I think the reason we played in New York, the reason the Atlanta Braves came to New York, the reason Mike Piazza hit the home run in New York, was mainly because George W. felt that that was the right thing to do," Valentine said during an interview with OutKick's Dan Dakich. 

MLB had postponed all games in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. After a week of silence, games slowly resumed, but the nation was still reeling as New Yorkers were still in shock. However, Bush was one of the biggest proponents for having baseball resume as quickly as it did, culminating in Piazza's home run