Yankees Honor Steinbrenner, Sheppard at First Game Since Deaths

As fans stood through "Taps" and a 2-minute moment of silence, the 27 World Series championship flags that George Steinbrenner cherished with all his might could be heard flapping at half-staff toward center field from the top of Yankee Stadium in the stiff breeze.

The New York Yankees celebrated the life of "The Boss" with a solemn 15-minute pregame tribute Friday night that included an vivid remembrance from Jeter, spoken to the crowd of 47,524 from behind the plate before New York beat Tampa Bay 5-4 on Nick Swisher's ninth-inning single.

Steinbrenner, the team's driving and blustery owner, died Tuesday, two days after the death of Bob Sheppard, Yankee Stadium's longtime public-address announcer. New York returned home following the All-Star break to mark what both meant to a franchise obsessed with its tradition.

"We gather here tonight to honor two men who were both shining stars in the Yankee universe," Jeter said as teammates and the Rays stood ramrod straight, caps off, in front of their dugouts. "Both men, Mr. George Steinbrenner and Mr. Bob Sheppard, cared deeply about their responsibilities to this organization and to our fans, and for that, will be forever remembered in baseball history and in our hearts."

The new ballpark, opened last year in one of Steinbrenner's final acts, could not have been quieter. Yankees executives in business suits watched somberly from behind the plate.

"Simply put," Jeter said, "Mr. Steinbrenner and Mr. Sheppard both left this organization in a much better place than when they first arrived. They've set the example for all employees of the New York Yankees to strive to follow."