After 9/11, 'God Bless America' a mainstay during MLB 7th inning stretch

[Auggie]

mlb.com / 9-10-11

WASHINGTON -- "God Bless America" has become a baseball tradition during the seventh-inning stretch since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Credit John Dever, the (Washington) Nationals' senior director of baseball media relations, for the idea.

SNIP

At the time, Dever was living in San Diego and working in a similar position with the Padres. In the hours after the attack and temporarily working under the assumption there might be games that night, Dever was trying to figure out how the team could best remember and honor the victims of 9/11.

Then Dever tossed out the notion of going beyond "The Star-Spangled Banner." He mentioned "God Bless America," but worried about the original placement right after the national anthem. Dever thought the fans' focus might waver after standing for a lengthy period of time.

SNIP

"It went to the right people's hands, and it spread to a league-wide thing," Dever said.

FULL STORY: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110910&content_id=24486076&vkey=09112011

yuck