Back to Blog
Save the hostage in the upper city5/12/2023 You can watch the birds and still concentrate on what is going on. “There is something beautiful about the game. “Baseball rescued me, us, and continues to,” Rosen said. ![]() And it was baseball that helped him survive his captivity and rebuild his life and reconnect with his family. But how could league officials have known what baseball meant to Rosen? It was that lifetime pass that got Rosen into Citi Field on that recent April afternoon. It was a kind gesture - thanking Americans with the all-American pastime. Not long after their release in January 1981, Rosen and the other hostages received a rare gift from Major League Baseball, a “golden ticket.” Signed by then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, under the words “In Gratitude And Appreciation,” the brass lifetime pass entitled each hostage and a guest admittance to any regular-season game. That’s because, he says, the game saved him, not once, but twice.įour decades ago, Rosen was one of 52 Americans held hostage for 444 brutal days in Iran. Listen to the story:Īs he took his seat, the 77-year-old felt a special joy at baseball’s return, after its COVID year without fans. ![]() Even with the New York ballpark nearly empty, it all felt good and familiar to Barry Rosen: the food, the sounds, the smell, the hapless Mets, Jacob deGrom looking masterful on the mound even as fans warily eyed the bullpen. ![]() The early April afternoon was perfect for baseball, sunny and cool. Returned Iran hostage John Limbert, left, Barbara Rosen, returned hostage Barry Rosen and Limbert's 14-year-old grandson Otto met during a capacity-restricted game on April 10.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |