One Question

This is a bonus blog. It contains both a story and a bit of a mystery. The clues are scattered through the story, and the question is: What occasion or event is being described? If your life is full of stress, just skip the whole thing and wait for next week's regular blog.

In the last year or so, my name has become known as a possible candidate to fill tennis foursomes at our "sad sack" tennis club. This week I turned out to be the "go-to" guy for the oldest foursome of all, with the other three all over EIGHTY years old. As the junior guy in the group I was paired with the oldest fellow, who's a competitive old buzzard, though he can't cover much ground anymore. The results? Ah, forgettable.
The upside is that they invite me to lunch. The conversation is friendly, and Pete, whose eastern accent gives him away as "not bein' from around here" starts to talk about having the choice of two teams to go see during his growing up years, in a city which has just opened a brand new and expensive ballpark. I ask which players he had seen in those long gone days and he replies with the names of several Hall of Fame members.
This is very impressive to me, though Pete seems pretty nonchalant. Then he mentions that he was there on a certain day known by people throughout the world. The scene was reconstructed in a movie, one which has brought tears to the eyes of millions. Perhaps the most famous player of all was present, but was not the center of attention.
Here are two other clues: this took place on a holiday, just weeks before the outbreak of war. OK, here are the questions: (I know the title says "One Question", but why limit the fun?) Who are we talking about here? What was the occasion? The date and place? And, for the true hardcore, what was the movie? First prize is a free lifetime subscription to this blog. That's MY lifetime, just so everyone understands. I will probably publicize the winners, if there are any. The answers will be forthcoming around May Day.