For the last twelve years, John Franco has been living a dream. The 40-year-old relief pitcher is playing ball for the Mets, in his hometown of New York City. But everything changes for Franco, his teammates, and the country on the morning of September 11, 2001. And in the days that follow, the Mets, led by Franco and Mike Piazza, will do their part to help America heal from a national tragedy. You can binge all episodes of Sports Wars exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's early in the morning on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, at a hotel in Pittsburgh, John Franco is lying in bed.
Franco is a 40 year old left handed relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and this morning, something feels off.
He turns 41 in a few days, but thats not it.
His body feels fine.
A few years ago, Franco was the best closer in the league.
Recently, hes made the transition to setup man.
He enters games in the late innings to preserve the lead before the Mets hand the ball to their new closer.
Hes more a workhorse than a star these days, but still, he's valuable.
Just last year, his Mets won the pennant, and though they're hovering around 500 this season, they still have an outside shot at the playoffs.
It'll take a lot of work, sure, but there's still time to pull it off.
Grinding it out without the glory has never bothered Franco.
Really, it's the opposite.
He wears an Orange T shirt under his jersey every game in honor of his dad, a New York City sanitation worker.
It was his dad who taught him the value of hard work.
Franco may have been a bigger star in the past, but he's never felt more a part of a team than he does at this stage of his career.
For the last twelve years, he's been living his dream to be a baseball player in New York City, his hometown.
So as he lies in bed this morning in Pittsburgh, he asks himself, why am I feeling off?
He cracks the door of his room and scoops up a copy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
He flips through the paper as he makes a cup of coffee in the cheap bathroom.
Coffee maker.