Texas Rangers third base coach Gary Pettis still has vivid memories of that day 12 years ago, when two hijacked jets were flown into the World Trade Center towers. Back then, Pettis was a coach for the Chicago White Sox, who had arrived in town only a few hours earlier for a scheduled game that night against the New York Yankees. "You could smell the smoke. It wasnt a good feeling that day," Pettis said Wednesday before a home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Its so sad that so many people lost their lives, and its ruined other peoples lives. ... Its like it was a movie, its like that wasnt something that actually happened. I still cant believe it." What he does believe is the importance for Major League Baseball -- and all Americans -- to take a moment to remember Sept. 11. Players, coaches and umpires wore American flag patches embroidered on the side of their caps in commemoration of the tragedy. Special lineup cards were used, and patriotic on-field tributes were planned for the days 15 games, involving all 30 teams. Flags were half-staff, and there were moments of silence across baseball. There were impromptu remembrances, too. In New York, art students made a chalk drawing in blue and orange on the sidewalk outside Citi Field, showing the Twin Towers, the Mets logo and the words "Never Forget." New York Mets manager Terry Collins wore an NYPD hat and his players wore caps representing other first responders during batting practice before hosting Washington. "Youll always remember how you felt on 9-11," Collins said. With so many tributes planned at the stadium, a memo was written on a board in the Nationals clubhouse -- "Note: Everyone on the field (at) 6:55." Both dugouts were filled with applauding players, managers and coaches as members of rescue and security organizations marched onto the field. The Mets and Nationals then lined up along the baselines for a moment of silence and the national anthem. At Rangers Ballpark in Texas, the 531st U.S. Air Force Quintet performed the national anthem instrumentally. The honorary first pitch was thrown out by former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch, who was 19 when she was captured along with five other soldiers after the U.S. Armys 507th Maintenance Company took a wrong turn and came under attack in Iraq in 2003. She was held for nine days before being rescued. The Cleveland Police Department presented the colours at Progressive Field before the national anthem at the Indians game against Kansas City. Clevelands Jason Giambi was with Oakland when the Athletics were in the 2001 playoffs against the Yankees. He recalled the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium being "unbelievable," even more electric than usual for the post-season. "It will always be a time Ill remember, going out there playing against the Yankees during that time," Giambi said. "It kind of healed the nation, especially the city of New York, which was hit so hard. There they were, the Yankees playing in the playoffs, going all the way to the World Series." Giambi signed with the Yankees after that, and spent seven seasons in New York. "Playing there all those years, the kids, the firefighters, the people who lost their lives saving the other lives, Ill always remember that, very much so," Giambi said. At Cincinnatis Great American Ball Park, where the Reds hosted the Chicago Cubs, a steel beam from the World Trade Center was on display courtesy of the Cincinnati Fire Museum. Before San Francisco hosted Colorado at AT&T Park, first pitches were thrown out by two San Francisco firefighters who went to New York in the days after Sept. 11 to provide help and support. Dean Crispen, captain of Station 28, and Derek OLeary, driver of rescue squad one from Station 1, flew on the first commercial flight allowed to land in New York. Pettis and the White Sox had arrived in New York 12 years ago around 2-3 a.m., and he was awoken by a phone call from a friend checking to make sure he was OK. "I said, Yeah, Im OK, Im asleep. He said, "you dont know, do you?" Pettis recalled. "I turn on the TV and I see that the building -- smokes coming out of the building -- and they said there had been a plane crash." Like so many others, Pettis thought maybe it was just a tragic accident before the second plane hit the other tower. The White Sox were staying in a hotel at Grand Central Station, a little more than three miles from the World Trade Center site. Pettis and the rest of the staff worked to locate everybody with the team, and to get out of the building, with concerns about more potential attacks. "We were going down the stairs and you hear this rumble, and were going what the heck is that?" Pettis said. "We just kind of take off running out the doors, and now we see people running out of the train station, and we had no idea what they were running from." Pettis cant believe its been 12 years. Before going to the ballpark on Wednesday morning, he turned on his TV knowing what he was going to see. "It took me a minute to get up and get my day going because I started watching some of the stories and listening to some of the people talk about being there, and then seeing some of the messages that were left for families," he said. Pirates infielder Clint Barmes remembers exactly where he was and what he was doing 12 years ago. He was only 22 years old in his second season of pro ball, and on the way home after winning the championship with high-A Salem the night before. "I didnt get a chance to see anything on TV until I got home later that evening. ... Had my car already packed ready to go," Barmes said. "I woke up, jumped in my car and started driving home before I realized exactly what happened. "Theres a lot of things that goes through your mind when something like that happens. It was a scary moment for sure." To veteran Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, it was a day to remember the terrible images on television, and a pal. "One of my best friends in college has just been appointed the head of the N.Y. Port Authority. Neil Levin," he said. "So then Im thinking, OK, Neils pretty cool, hes the boss, hes going to show up late, hes not going to be there early." "As it turns out he was having breakfast that morning in that restaurant on the top floor. So we lost Neil on that one," he said. "So whenever I hear 9-11, this date ... while I was riding my bike today, seeing the flag at half-mast, I thought of Neil." Washington star Bryce Harper was just 8 and at home in Las Vegas when the attacks occurred. "I was in my moms bed, watching TV. I used to watch CHiPs and Saved by the Bell in those days. Then it came on, all over the news," he said Wednesday. "I was trying to understand it, we were trying to decide whether I should go to school." "I remember my dad came right home from work. I remember he came in the door and I ran right to him, gave him a big hug and told him, I love you." Harper said he and some Washington teammates hoped to visit the National Sept. 11 Memorial plaza in lower Manhattan late Wednesday night, after their game against the Mets, to see the "Tribute in Light." "We wanted to see the beams," Harper said. "I think its important." Andre Roberts Youth Jersey . Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson. Andre Roberts Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Bills will head into the regular season short on experience at quarterback after trimming the roster on Friday. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/authentic-frank-gore-bills-jersey/ . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. Buffalo Bills Jerseys . -- Floridas smothering defence returned to form just in time for the third-ranked Gators to keep their winning streak going. Doug Flutie Womens Jersey .com) - Jenny Boucek is the new head coach of the Seattle Storm.Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says his series and NASCAR wont be competing for the same motorsport fans in Texas when they hold races 190 miles apart in November. Ecclestone dismissed on Wednesday any clash between the series, after the top executive at Texas Motor Speedway called F1 "arrogant" for scheduling the United States Grand Prix in Austin on the same weekend that his track hosts NASCAR in Fort Worth. "I absolutely think its foolish," said Eddie Gossage, the track president and general manager. "Its a shot fired by Formula One at NASCAR. I cant say I was surprised because Bernie Ecclestone does a lot of foolish things. The thing he unfortunately doesnt recognize is there is an 800-pound gorilla when it comes to major American motorsports. The 800-pound gorilla is NASCAR." Texas Motor Speedway will host NASCARs Texas 500 on Nov. 2, the same day F1 will hold its only race in the U.S. this year. Fort Worth is about a 3-hour drive from Austin. While Gossage thought a stronger stance by the management at Circuit of the Americas would have prevented the scheduling issue, Ecclestone believed it was a non-issue. "Ive also spoken to the people that run the race at COTA and their position is thhat they believe the NASCAR crowd is a different crowd to Formula One, different people, different customers," Ecclestone said.dddddddddddd "At the end of the day, they run a domestic series in America -- we run a world championship." F1 requires considerable logistical planning by the teams, he said. "Weve a small problem they (NASCAR) dont have -- we have six jumbo jets to move around all our equipment, and we have to find the most sensible way to use them to do that," Ecclestone said. "We have to be efficient and bear in mind we may also encounter problems at an airport. "There are issues that can occur, but (Gossage) and other people do not realize these things. The race prior to the one in the U.S. is in Russia, in Sochi. Weve never been before, and we have to get out of there and into Austin. That is probably a lot easier than trying to get into Brazil, and then we have to get out of there (Sao Paulo) to go to Abu Dhabi." Gossage said F1 could have found another weekend to race in the U.S. "Its just not smart," he said. "Theres 52 weeks in the year. But that was the only weekend that Formula One could make it work in Austin, Texas. Give me a break." ' ' 'h attacked the Pacers for three quarters and led 69-68 after Kanters layup to open the fourth quarter. But the deeper into the fourth period they went, the more difficult it was for the Jazz to score. The Pacers disrupted the Jazz offensive sets and when Utah found open looks they misfired down the stretch. "The altitude and my asthma kicked me in the rear to begin with. But I got my second wind and I was trying to be a defensive presence," said Hibbert, who blocked two shots and altered several others. The Pacers tough trip concludes with a back-to-back set against San Antonio on Saturday and Oklahoma City a day later. NOTES: Jazz rookie Trey Burke had a career-high nine assists. . Stephenson, upset with an offensive foul call in the fourth quarter, threw the ball over his shoulder and got a technical foul. . Kanter looked as if he threw Hibbert to the floor in the final two minutes but Hibbert gave a sly smile, indicating he may have helped sell the call. . Though he travelled with the team, Danny Granger has only played five games this season for the Pacers due to a strained calf and is still inactive. ' ' 'f weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . After overcoming a three-goal deficit the Senators forced the game to overtime only to watch it slip away as Seth Jones scored the winner 3:49 into the extra period as the Nashville Predators defeated the Senators 4-3 Monday night. Paul DeJong Cardinals Jersey . - First-timer Chris Harris Jr.BEREA, Ohio - The switch at quarterback for the Browns appears inevitable this week.Johnny Football may be about to take over Clevelands offence.After Brian Hoyer played poorly again in Sundays loss to Indianapolis, Browns coach Mike Pettine seemed to be on the verge of giving rookie Johnny Manziel his first NFL start against Cincinnati.I think its natural to lean the other way, given the results, Pettine said Monday. I still want to make sure we do our due diligence and talk to everybody involved.Pettine was unclear on if he had already decided to make the change and promote Manziel, the high-profile backup who came off the bench and replaced a struggling Hoyer in the fourth quarter two weeks ago in Buffalo. Pettine, who stuck with Hoyer last week because he had the Browns in the playoff mix, said he wants to meet with his coaching staff and general manager Ray Farmer before telling both quarterbacks and announcing who will face the Bengals.Pettine said the offensive problems in Sundays game were deeper than the quarterback, but he called the Browns passing attack sub-standard. Pettine cited dropped passes, receivers running wrong routes and execution as factors but that Hoyer has to play better.There are clearly some throws that he missed, but I think it was also exaggerated by how poorly we were in the pass game around him, Pettine said. We always say it, A quarterback is only as good as his supporting cast. When the guys around him play well, Brian will play well. Its rare that theres a quarterback that can transcend his supporting cast.Were in a results business. Weve lost two in a row. We all know what the numbers have been in the pass game. For us to be successful, they need to improve.The Browns (7-6) blew a 14-point lead in the third quarter, when Hoyer and Clevelands offence failed to get a first down in three straight series.Pettine said Manziel would absolutely be ready if called upon to make his first start. Pettine said nothing is giving him pause to go with the first-round pick.Ill fall back on what Ive said all along. We pull together the circumstances that we have, just like we did last week. Who gives us the best chance to win? Pettine said. Thats the decision we go with. To this point, its been Brian.Pettine was peppered with questions about Manziels dedication and if he worked hard enough to warrant the proomotion.dddddddddddd Since he was drafted, there have been questions about Manziels commitment, with much of the scrutiny stemming from off-the-field behaviour. Manziels penchant for partying and late nights became an issue a few weeks ago when he was involved in a 2:30 a.m. scuffle at a downtown hotel where he lives.On Sunday, Manziel didnt arrive at the stadium until shortly before 11 a.m. for a 1 p.m. kickoff. However, Pettine said Manziel was on time and he had no issues with Manziel attending a Cavaliers game last week when some felt he needed to have his nose in the playbook.Hoyers freefall has been striking. He has thrown just one touchdown pass and eight interceptions in the past four games, a slide that has damaged the Browns hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2002.Its crazy how fast things change, said Hoyer, who is in the final year of his contract. I feel like four or five weeks ago were talking about contract talks and now were talking about if Im even going to be staying here. Its the furthest thing from my mind right now.Hoyer doesnt think hes playing any differently. He bemoaned missed opportunities against the Colts, especially on long passes in which he overthrew receivers Josh Gordon and Taylor Gabriel. Hoyer, too, says others need to play better around him.Everybodys got to be able to step up and when youre not being perfect you need one guy to step up and make a big play and we didnt have that yesterday, he said. We didnt have one play that just changed it all for us and when youre having a game where theres some inconsistencies, and not everybodys doing their job on every play, you need that one play or that one player to make a play and we didnt have it yesterday.NOTES: Browns S Tashaun Gipson has begun running and believes hell play again this season after missing two games with a strained knee ligament. Gipson was leading the NFL in interceptions when he got hurt. ... Pettine said Hoyers first interception on Sunday was because TE Jordan Cameron ran the wrong route. ... Pettine expects C Ryan Seymour to start for the second straight week. He made his starting debut against the Colts.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL(A previous version of this story incorrectly said the Browns had a 21-point lead. They were ahead 21-7 in the third quarter). ' ' '