Aaron Boone calls Yankees' 9/11 night 'special' after Trump clubhouse visit
President Donald Trump attended the Yankees' Sept. 11 game in the Bronx; Aaron Judge hit two homers after meeting Trump and New York beat Detroit 9-3.
NEW YORK — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone described Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers as a “special” and “meaningful” night after President Donald Trump visited the team’s clubhouse before the Bronx club’s 9-3 victory on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Roughly a few miles from Ground Zero, Trump received a mostly positive ovation from the more than 40,000 fans at Yankee Stadium and the crowd broke into multiple “USA” chants during ceremonial moments. The Yankees lined up for a moment of silence and the national anthem before play, and Boone said the city’s energy was palpable.
“It was an awesome night. Meaningful,” Boone told reporters after the game. “Captain [Aaron Judge] just spoke about it, just having us out there kind of all lined up together, first for the moment of silence, then back out there for the anthem, and just that buzz that New York City can create, you definitely felt it tonight. Obviously, the president being here, just an added layer.”
Trump met with the Yankees in the clubhouse before the game and called Judge a “fantastic player,” according to Boone. The reigning American League MVP responded by hitting a home run in each of his first two at-bats, tying Joe DiMaggio for fourth place on the Yankees’ all-time home runs list.
Boone said the interaction in the clubhouse — he was standing with pitchers Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole when Trump entered — was cordial and upbeat despite a delayed arrival. Trump walked into the clubhouse around 6:40 p.m. Eastern, Boone said, later than an initially expected 5:45 p.m. arrival.
“It was a little intimidating, you’re a little nervous, but he was great,” Boone said. “He's great in that setting, real personable, took some pictures, shook hands. And then we walked him into the main area where the players were, and they got to greet him.”
Boone highlighted the symbolism for Judge, who wears the Yankees’ pinstripes as one of the city’s leading sports figures. “It was meaningful to see your superstar go out there and do that. And I know what it meant to Aaron,” Boone said, noting the significance of representing New York on a night of remembrance.
The game marked the first time a sitting U.S. president had attended a Major League Baseball game since 2019. Trump has attended other sporting events since beginning a second term, but the pairing of a presidential visit with the Sept. 11 anniversary and a high-profile Yankees outing gave the night added attention.
New York’s offense provided ample support for its pitching staff in the 9-3 win, and Boone said he hoped the team did not take the night for granted. Asked whether the visit had any effect on the players’ focus, Boone said the club treated the game with the gravity of the date and the normal concentration required in a September contest against a competitive club.
Boone concluded that the evening combined the city’s emotional weight tied to Sept. 11 with the excitement of late-season baseball. “A special night to be a part of, and hopefully none of us took it for granted,” he said.