George W. Bush Reflects on Ceremonial First Pitch at Yankee Stadium After 9/11

<p>Former President George W. Bush recalled a moment he shared with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium weeks after the September 11 attacks. Bush shared this story alongside Condoleezza Rice, his national security advisor at the time, during a reunification event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.</p><p>During the World Series in October 2001, Bush described feeling the pressure of leading the nation during a fragile time when Jeter advised him, "Don’t bounce it, they’ll boo you." The audience responded with laughter as Bush reflected on the emotions he felt while walking to the mound at center field.</p><p>"I looked at the catcher, he looked really tiny, and the ball felt really heavy," Bush stated. He also mentioned that as he scanned the crowd, he could sense the sentiment that, "You can knock down our buildings, but you d— sure not going to touch our soul."</p><p>Bush recalled successfully throwing the ball over the plate and described the experience as "memorable." He stated, "I mean, it was an amazing feeling." This Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, during which al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes in a coordinated attack against the United States.</p><p>Two of the flights struck the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center, causing both buildings to collapse and resulting in mass casualties. A third flight hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., while the fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in these attacks, including hundreds of firefighters and police officers.</p>