The New York Yankees, rocked by the deaths of owner George Steinbrenner and longtime Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard, paid tribute to both Friday in an emotional pre-game ceremony.
Closing pitcher Mariano Rivera laid red roses across home plate. Manager Joe Girardi had tears in his eyes and Derek Jeter's voice was filled with emotion as he spoke to the crowd.
"We gather here tonight to honor two men who were both shining stars in the Yankee universe," Jeter said as his teammates and the Tampa Bay players stood, their 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."
Fans stood as "Taps" was played, and for a two-minute moment of silence. The 27 World Series banners won by the Yankees - seven of them during Steinbrenner's tenure as owner - were lowered to half-mast.
"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."
Steinbrenner died on Tuesday at the age of 80 after an apparent heart attack. He had owned the Yankees for 37 1/2 years.
Sheppard, whose dignified introductions were the voice of old Yankee Stadium from 1951-07, was 99 when he died on Sunday.
In his honor, there were no introductions of batters in Friday's game.
The Yankees followed up the the pre-game tribute with another fitting memorial - rallying to beat Tampa Bay 5-4 on Nick Swisher's ninth-inning single.
"We definitely wanted to win that game," Swisher said. "That was definitely his day."
Yankees fans had made their own tribute to Steinbrenner, laying bouquets, candles, newspaper clippings and Yankees memorabilia outside the main entrance to the stadium.
Steinbrenner headed a group that bought the storied but struggling team in January 1973 for 8.7 million dollars net.
He turned it into a 1.6 billion-dollar empire with innovations that revolutionized sports marketing.
Known for his bombastic style and his penchant for firing employees - especially managers who didn't deliver victories - Steinbrenner has also been remembered for his generosity to charitable causes, his love of the game and his pursuit of excellence.
"He always asked you for the best. He didn't want no mediocracy," closing pitcher Mariano Rivera said. "He wanted 100 percent or 1,000 percent that you had to give."
