On Sept. 11, 2001, former big leaguer, Big 10 pitcher of the year in 2000 and current Eastern Illinois baseball head coach Jason Anderson was woken up from his mother’s couch to the alarm of the terrorist attacks in New York City. 

After the initial shock of the attack, Anderson remembered a bone-chilling fact. 

Two days prior to the attacks, he was in New York playing baseball. 

Anderson, who was 22 years old at the time, had just wrapped up his second season of professional baseball with the Staten Island Yankees—the then, Short Season-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. 

While he had spent the majority of his second season in the minors with the high Single-A affiliate Greensboro, he had been sent down to Staten Island for the playoffs. 

Staten Island would be taking on New York Mets affiliate the Brooklyn Cyclones in a best-of-three playoff series, one that ended with Anderson’s team losing 4-1 in a winner-takes-all game three. 

That game was on Sept. 9, 2001, and, like many of his teammates, Anderson wanted to get back home as soon as possible after another long and grueling season in the minor leagues. 

Had Staten Island won that game, Anderson would have still been in New York continuing the playoff run when the 9/11 attacks happened and said he would’ve been oblivious to the attacks that morning. 

Anderson stayed in a dorm room during the baseball season and was picked up and taken to the ballpark for a full day of action. 

He would eat at the ballpark when he wasn’t doing other baseball activities, and then get dropped off back at his dorm room at the end of the day. 

Anderson’s room didn’t have very many amenities. He had no TV and had to sleep on a big air mattress to elevate himself off the ground, he said. 

On 9/11, Anderson would’ve gotten ready for baseball like any other day and walked out to the pickup spot like any other day. 

“If we would’ve won that series, there’s a good chance I would’ve woke up that morning without turning on the radio, walked out to the corner with everybody else and we would’ve been standing there looking at the smoke and everything going on,” Anderson said. “There probably would’ve been a bit of panic at [22 years old] with no communication at home, no car and no way to get out of the city or anything like that.” 

Staten Island’s ballpark, which is now called Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, was brand new in 2001. 

It was situated so the view of the Statue of Liberty was just behind the batter’s eye, and the World Trade Center was just offset from that in right-center field. 

Anderson didn’t go back to Staten Island again during his playing career, and when he became the first former Staten Island Yankee to get called up to the major leagues, they retired his number. 

On July 14, 2003, the Staten Island Yankees declared July 14 will be known as Jason Anderson Day in Staten Island. 

When Anderson returned after his career to be honored by the Staten Island Yankees, he noted that the outfield appearance looked a little different. 

It was his first time looking out towards the outfield since 9/11, and right away the missing towers drew his attention. 

“When you’re watching the view [as a fan], it’s like ‘alright there’s a big [void],’” Anderson said. “You used to take batting practice every day and see these two towers sitting there.” 

This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the tragic events that occurred on 9/11. 

Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.