Brother of 9/11 Victim Honors Him Through Annual Mets Game Tradition
On September 11, 2001, Joe Quinn lost his older brother James Francis Quinn, an employee at the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, located in the North Tower.
In the years that immediately followed, before the 9/11 Memorial was even under construction, Joe and a few of his brother’s friends searched for a place and a way to honor Jimmy Quinn, whose remains have not yet been identified.
With the help of Jimmy’s friends, Joe realized there was a place where he could remember Jimmy in a fun, uplifting way: Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. From there, the 16-year tradition of the “Jimmy Quinn Mets Game” was born.
Every year, about 180 family members and friends attend a Mets game in late June to honor Jimmy. Through many tumultuous Mets seasons and a new stadium, they have come back every year, remembering Jimmy’s love for his hometown team. In a recent interview with SportsNet New York, Joe explained how meaningful this tradition has become to Jimmy’s loved ones.
The group wears matching “Jimmy Quinn Mets Game” T-shirts, the #1 on the back an homage to Jimmy’s habit of putting up his index finger in photos “like he just won the championship,” Joe recalled.
Since the 9/11 Memorial opened in 2011, Joe has made multiple trips to the memorial to honor his brother. However, the “Jimmy Quinn Mets Game” will always be the original way he and his loved ones celebrated Jimmy’s life.
“His soul is at the 9/11 Memorial,” Joe said. “But his spirit is in Citi Field.”
By 9/11 Memorial Staff
The Lens: Capturing Life and Events at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a photography series devoted to documenting moments big and small that unfold at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Father Brian Jordan first laid eyes on the conspicuous object on Sept. 23, 2001, after celebrating Sunday Mass for the Ground Zero rescue and recovery crew.