"Lost Father to 9/11": Pilot's Daughter's Letter Leads to 25-Year Special Bond

A bereaved family member who lost her father in the 9/11 attacks climbed the mound at Yankee Stadium in New York to honor her father and other victims.

Brielle Saracini, who stepped up as a special ceremonial pitcher on September 12 to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, is the daughter of the late Victor Saracini, the captain of the airliner that was hijacked by 9/11 terrorists and crashed into the World Trade Center.

Having lost her father at the age of ten, she sent a letter to her idol and Yankees star shortstop Derek Jeter three days after the attacks, sharing her sorrow over losing her father. This marked the beginning of a special bond that has lasted for 25 years.

Upon receiving the letter at the time, Jeter invited the Saracini family to the old Yankee Stadium, introducing them to the players and allowing them to watch batting practice up close, gifting them a special day.

Looking back on that day, Saracini said, "That one day, we were able to just be normal. It was hard to find that back then." She added, "Jeter made me feel like I could just be a kid of that age."

Jeter stated, "After meeting many families who lost loved ones, I realized our role as players was to win." He added, "We wanted to give people something to root for, at least for a few hours a day."

Jeter continued to check in on her from time to time, and even sent a voice message wishing her a full recovery when Saracini was battling cancer.


On this day, Saracini threw out the first pitch alongside her husband, Sean Maguire, who also lost his father in the 9/11 attacks.

Maguire's father, Patrick, was working on the 84th floor of the South Tower at the time and died. The couple met at a camp supporting children of terror victims and got married in 2017.

After the pitch bounced once in front of the catcher, Saracini shared her thoughts, saying, "My dad would have asked, 'I taught you how to throw, so why did you bounce it?' And then he would have given me a big hug and said, 'Good job, kid.'"

Meanwhile, New York-based Major League Baseball teams the Yankees and the Mets also honored the victims by laying wreaths at memorials and participating in volunteer activities for vulnerable communities to mark the 25th anniversary.

(Photo: Getty Images Korea, AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.