Watch Mike Piazza blast a towering home run and soothe New York post-9/11

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Major League Baseball canceled all games for 10 days. It was not a time for baseball, or for sports at all, really, but for reflection.

On September 21, 2001, play resumed in New York, with the Mets taking on division rival the Braves. It was an emotional night, with a lengthy pre-game ceremony honoring the victims, the NYPD, the FDNY. Fans waved little American Flags in the stands.

With the Mets down by one in the bottom of the eighth, catcher Mike Piazza came to the plate and blasted a two-run shot, putting the home team on top for good.

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We tend to overstate the real-world importance of sports. But in trying times, they can be an uplifting spectacle that bonds viewers around one singular moment, one emotion. Piazza's storybook at-bat did just that.