For the "Key Three" of the New York Yankees, the death of Osama Bin Laden brought back memories of the worst day in the life of the city they have grown to love.
Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, now the Key Three after the retirement of Andy Pettitte, are the only members of the New York Yankees who were on the team on September 11, 2001. They all expressed both shock and satisfaction that the monster that perpetrated the death of thousands of people that horrible day was finally found and punished for the pain he caused.
For Posada, that day represents tremendous fear for more than just the terrorist attacks. His son Jorge Jr. was undergoing a delicate and dangerous operation for a rare brain condition. Posada seems to have mixed emotions from that day, happy that the operation to save his son was successful, but terribly sad about the pain and the loss felt by so many other families.
Jeter was unusually expansive about Bin Laden’s death, expressing happiness at the welcome news. The captain never gives any hints of his political leanings, firmly believing those issues are private and fiercely guarding his thoughts. But his openness reflects the fact that the death of Bin Laden is not about politics, it’s about justice.
Justice was the word Rivera used to describe his thoughts about Bin Laden’s death. Rivera, Jeter and Posada all hoped that the news would finally bring some peace to the families of the victims and the city that rallied around the Yankees that postseason.
For me, that World Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks was the most painful Yankees loss, much more so than the four-game comeback by the Boston Red Sox, because I had so much emotionally invested in the Yankees after the 9/11 attacks. But during that World Series, the Yankees brought a lot of joy to a city that desperately needed it.
Thanks to wallyg (Wally Gobetz) via Flickr for the photo.
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