Former New York Mets pitcher Al Leiter shared his personal account of the September 11, 2001 attacks, detailing his clandestine trip home to be with his daughter and his observations as the tragedy unfolded. Leiter recounted the events on The Craig Carton Show, explaining that he flew back to New York from Pittsburgh, where the Mets were scheduled to play, without informing team management.
Leiter's decision to travel was motivated by a desire to comfort his daughter, who was frightened about his absence. He described it as a departure from his usual routine, one he believed his managers, Bobby Valentine and Steve Phillips, might not have known about at the time. After dropping his daughter off at school, Leiter found himself on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport as initial reports of an incident at the World Trade Center began to emerge.
"The pilot says, 'Oh, it looks like a news helicopter by the [World] Trade Center. We're about ready to take off,'" Leiter recalled. "And then not five minutes later, we're going back to the airport. Get your stuff. New York airspace is closed, LaGuardia is closed, evacuate."
Initially unaware of the full scale of the crisis, Leiter attempted to travel to Philadelphia to catch a flight to join his team. He hired a cab driven by a woman who was crying, and as they drove toward the Triborough Bridge, he witnessed the towers burning. Later, while heading north on the Major Deegan Expressway towards the Tappan Zee Bridge, he heard news that the Pentagon had been hit.
Leiter contacted then-general manager Steve Phillips, confirming that baseball would likely not be played that day. He described the morning as "bizarrely unique" given his actions contrasted with the "most heinous terrorist act in the history of our country."
Decades later, Leiter expressed concern about what he perceives as shifting narratives surrounding the 9/11 attacks. He stated that while historical events do not change, he has encountered discussions that alter the perception of what occurred. "I think a narrative that is out there is trying to paint 9/11 in a way that I just disagree with," Leiter said. "That was a heinous terrorist act that killed 3,000 lives, right? Almost 400 firefighters running up there to help people. And so many more."
He emphasized the importance of remembrance, stating, "It couldn't be a simpler moniker of Never Forget, right? And it's not just a slogan. It's true. Because it's easy, I can see how as time goes on, you start... wait a minute, that happened. Let's not forget that it happened."