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Mariners unveil statue of unifying moment after 9/11 attacks
The Seattle Mariners unveiled the new "Legacy Hall" at T-Mobile Park, featuring a statue depicting an iconic moment for not just the franchise, but the entire country.
SEATTLE - The Seattle Mariners unveiled their new Legacy Plaza at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, featuring a statue of Mike Cameron and Mark McLemore and their iconic moment from 2001 raising the American flag following the 9/11 attacks.
The plaza, located in center field, includes a recreation of the moment by Cameron and McLemore, surrounded by a wall of 116 commemorative bats and 2,269 baseball medallions bought by fans to support Legacy Field projects across the state.
"The statue we unveiled this afternoon captures a powerful image from one of the most memorable seasons in baseball history," Mariners chairman John Stanton said in a statement. "It depicts Mike Cameron and Mark McLemore carrying an American flag across the field when baseball restarted days following September 11. It was a simple moment. There was no speech. No ceremony. Just two teammates carrying the flag together. Yet the image spoke volumes. At a time when Americans were searching for signs of strength and unity, it became a symbol of both."
The inventory of bats and medallions raised more than $300,000 in support of Legacy Field projects.
The backstory:
After the September 11 terrorist attacks shut down the country and Major League Baseball for several days in 2001, the Mariners returned to action a week later in the midst of their MLB record-tying 116-win season. The Mariners clinched the AL West title during a game against the Los Angeles Angels on September 19, with fans erupting in celebration when the needed result between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics was posted on the in-stadium scoreboard.
After shutting out the Angels 5-0, Mariners players came onto the field to celebrate their accomplishment in a far more subdued manner than is typically seen by teams that are playoff-bound. Video coordinator Carl Hamilton, a veteran of the Marines, brought a large American flag onto the field to wave with outfielder Stan Javier.
McLemore took the flag to the pitcher's mound as the team gathered around. Following a moment of silence and prayer, McLemore and Cameron raised the flag and walked around the bases.
"There was no ‘hey man, let’s get the flag and hold it up.' There was none of that," Cameron said on Thursday. "It was just a part of who we were and what we did on a daily basis. I'm grateful to be a part of it and to be able to express it with everyone here and the community and city of Seattle, and obviously the team itself."
The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Mariners and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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