New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was given a standing ovation from the fans of his team in an emotional ceremony just three days after his death. Yankee manager, Joe Girardi had tears in his eyes while reliever Mariano Rivera laid two roses coiled with blue and white ribbons, across Yankee Stadium’s home plate in honor of George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard, the longtime announcer for Yankees.
In a video tribute, emotional Derek Jeter asked,” How can you honor him enough?" He said the only way to do this is to go out and win another championship for him. The video showed Steinbrenner's career, from his battles with Billy Martin to his appearance on "Saturday Night Live."
The pre-game ceremony started with the familiar voice of Bob Sheppard, whose longtime association with Yankees came to an end with his death just two days prior to Steinbrenner’s demise. He offered his greetings via tape, he said;
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium."
Steinbrenner's picture in the central field video screen gave crowd enough reasons to cheer and this was not the only instance. The crowd found its calling again when Yankee captain No. 2 Derek Jeter stepped up to address the gathering.
During his soft hearted and brief speech, Jeter stood at the same place where once Lou Gehrig stood at the old stadium. Jeter in his emotional address said, "We gather here tonight to honor two men who are both shining stars in the Yankee universe," He also added, "Mr. George Steinbrenner and Mr. Bob Sheppard cared deeply about their responsibilities to this organization and to our fans, and for that will forever be remembered in baseball history and our hearts." The tribute to Steinbrenner and Sheppard came to an end when the future Hall of Famer asked for a moment of silence.
The Yankees Park became silent before the strains of Taps - played by a lone trumpeter. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mary Kay Messenger delivered a powerful National Anthem and the West Point Color Guard presented the colors. With their blue hats on their heart, the Yankee players stood outside their dugout on the field for the tribute
