Video summary
Derek Jeter reflects on his experience inviting Brielle Saracini McGuire to Yankee Stadium twenty-five years after the events of September 11th, describing it as a profound moment where he felt compelled to make her feel normal and special amidst overwhelming odds. As an athlete who initially questioned why they should play given the tragedy, Jeter realized that their role was to provide something for people to cheer about, offering a sense of comfort and predictability in an unpredictable world. He admits that when he first met Brielle, he did not know what to say or do, so he simply winged it with the intention of making her day feel like she was supposed to feel at the time, introducing her to players and bringing her down to the field to ensure she felt as comfortable as possible.
Brielle shares how this gesture deeply impacted her life trajectory, noting that if the baseball season had not been played, her entire existence would have changed forever because the sport meant so much to so many people. She recalls trying desperately to act normal after the attacks, including going to school the next day, and credits the players for providing that necessary sense of normalcy through the constant routine of daily games. For Brielle, playing in the ceremony became a healing experience that united the country, allowing her to honor her father's memory while finding strength in new family additions like her sister's baby, which helped put things into a bigger perspective and allowed her to strive to make her dad proud.
The conversation takes a humorous turn when Derek Jeter addresses the moment he threw the ceremonial first pitch, admitting that he accidentally bounced the ball because he was worried about being booed by the crowd, only for Brielle to clarify that she actually reached out and snatched it cleanly into her glove. This interaction leads to a lighthearted exchange where Jeter jokes that he was reassuring himself it was okay for who she married, referencing her husband wearing a Mets jersey at Yankee Stadium, which prompts laughter from both guests. Despite the playful banter about the pitch mechanics, the underlying sentiment remains one of immense pride and admiration, with Jeter praising Brielle's courage and inspiration, stating that he would say the same thing about her when she was ten as he does now when she is thirty-five.
Ultimately, the video concludes by highlighting the duality of learning to make the best of a horrendous situation while recognizing that some things are bigger than baseball itself. The Yankees' intervention transformed what could have been a quiet night for Brielle and Sean into a lasting memory that will endure forever, showcasing how sports can serve as a powerful tool for healing and unity. Both Derek and Brielle express overwhelming gratitude for the opportunities they were given to connect and celebrate life after such a tragic event, emphasizing that while the price of these memories was terrible, the ability to find joy and normalcy in the aftermath remains a testament to human resilience and the enduring power of community support.
Read the full video transcript
I remember
just feeling normal for a day, which was
hard to do. The odds are stacked against
me that day, but I remember just taking
a minute and just having normal
conversations and just feeling like a
kid. And having the opportunity to
reflect 25 years
now looking back, I don't know how you
were able to do that. I don't I don't
know um
I don't know how you managed to make
somebody feel just so special, so
normal, and just
like a kid like I was supposed to feel
at the time.
>> You know, as an athlete, it was the
first time that I said to myself, why am
I even playing? You know, cuz obviously
the games got canceled.
And um
my initial thought was we're not going
to come back and play. What what does
baseball mean?
And then you had a chance to meet a lot
of family members who lost loved ones.
And Brielle's right at the top of the
list cuz I got a chance to get to know
her. And then you realize from the
stories that they shared, she even said
in her letter
um
the memories that they have at Yankee
Stadium, her and her dad, or going to
games, or being a Yankee fan.
And then that's when you realize that
our job was to
at least try to give people something to
cheer for for a few hours a day.
And in Brielle's situation, when we
invited her to the stadium
you really don't know what to say.
So, you know, I don't I don't even know
if I said I'm sorry or anything like
that. I just tried to make her day feel
special. And I remember introducing you
to all the players and bringing you
down. And you just try to make her feel
as comfortable as you possibly can. But
to be quite honest with you at the time,
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know
what to do. So, it was basically just
I guess what I winged it.
>> Nailed it.
I If I could just add one thing to that,
um I have heard a lot of ball players um
say like we weren't we didn't want to
play we or we didn't know if we should
play or what was the right thing and
it's amazing to think that if there
wasn't
a season if if the season wasn't
finished um like how my entire life and
trajectory like would have changed. So,
I can't imagine a scenario
of baseball not being played because it
meant so much to so many people and um
yeah looking looking back I mean I went
to school the next day um after 9/11 and
I just tried everything be normal
everything be normal. So, I guess back
to your question um I just was striving
for that normalcy and that's what you
all provided and you you provided me
with the normalcy of baseball is
constant every day there's a new game um
every every you know you wake up you try
again the next day
and uh having that sense of comfort and
predictability in a very unpredictable
scenario where nobody knew what to do
was was really special and you you gave
us something to cheer about you gave us
something to look back on and
um I'm so I understand the position
looking back now I can't imagine if
somebody said, "Okay, go play a baseball
game you know when bigger things were
going on but that's definitely what the
country needed and what the country
united around and it became this um
special thing that healed me. It healed
10-year-old Brielle and 25 years later
I'm still looking back just wondering
how
how I was invited to play the throw of
the ceremony first pitch though.
um
>> It looked like before you guys hugged on
the field Derek looked like you were
saying, "It's okay. It's okay." Was that
just because you threw it kind of low?
Was that
>> it.
I bounced it and he was in my head of
don't bounce it they'll boo you and then
I bounced it.
>> Well, be honest.
>> Thank you for pointing that out.
>> Yeah, no I really [clears throat] I was
saying it's okay for who you married.
>> [laughter]
>> Cuz he came out in a Mets jersey at
Yankee Stadium. So, that's really why
it's okay. Don't worry.
>> It feels like I'm in the right place
today. Um I never know what I want to do
on each anniversary. I never know the
proper way to honor my father.
Um this feels
really special. I know he'd be so proud
of me. Um I only cried like
six times today this morning. So, um to
balance it out with
smiles and laughs and
um just overwhelming feelings of
gratitude and
and everything now um just kind of is a
beautiful display of
how the last 25 years has been. You're
so happy and thankful for so many things
that have come your way
after 9/11.
Um
but it comes at a terrible price. So, I
think it's just the duality of learning
to make the best of a horrendous
situation and realizing that
um
you can't
There's some things that are bigger than
baseball. Everyone always knows that
phrase and this is definitely just one
of them. And
um
we welcomed uh
my sister had a baby, which is really
beautiful and it kind of put things into
a bigger perspective um for me as well
just uh having a new member of the
family and wishing my dad could have met
her. Um but also just living our lives
to strive to make
make my dad proud.
>> Some wonderful reflections there for
both Brielle and from Derek. But I do
have to say this. Whoa, Brielle. Hang on
a minute. You did not bounce that first
pitch. That's what she was saying. That
made it all the way into the glove.
>> Well, Belly's got to reach out and
snatch that. He showed up there.
>> [laughter]
>> I told her to aim high. I always say
that people should go on top of the
mound, but I said to her and Sean, stay
in front of the mound. I'm giving
Brielle a strong solid score on the
throw.
>> I'm giving her an even better score on
the press conference. I'm so proud of
her. I actually did meet her that same
day when she came to Yankee Stadium and
developed a friendship with her as well.
She worked with us at the YES Network.
She is as inspirational and as
courageous as anyone I have ever met. I
would have said that when she was 10. I
would say that again when she is 35.
Before the Yankees reached out guys, she
and Sean were just going to have a quiet
night by themselves, maybe with other
family members and then I think the
Yankees helped turn 25 years later
obviously into a memory that will last
with them forever.