Metro

Yankees feted with parade; get keys to the city

The Bronx was up and so was the Battery today as Yankees fans flooded the Canyon of Heroes for the first time in nine years to toast the World Series champs.

Afterward, the players were handed keys to the city by Mayor Bloomberg at a City Hall ceremony.

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Manager Joe Girardi vowed to repeat the feat next year.

“The only thing greater than this celebration is doing it two years in a row,” Girardi told the crowd. “So [Yankees owner George Steinbrenner] asked me to remind everyone, pitchers and catchers report in 96 days. Be ready to defend it.”

In the morning, an estimated crowd of 1 million lined Broadway to celebrate the title. The players, standing on floats, made their way through Wall Street toward City Hall Plaza as confetti rained down from nearby office buildings.

Vincent Rogner, 18, skipped school with his friends to attend the big party.

“I’m a die-hard Yankees fan,” he said. “I love the intensity.”

Hideki Matsui’s six RBIs helped the Yankees to the 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win their 27th title.

Reggie Jackson said the Yankees’ victory had him thinking “a lot” about George Steinbrenner.

“I wish he was here,” he said.

Steinbrenner made few public appearances since his health deteriorated three years ago. He attended the first two games against the Phillies, returning to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time since Opening Day.

His son, Hal, took over the day-to-day operations of the team last year.

“It’s a magical day,” said Hal Steinbrenner. “New York just has the best fans in the world.”

The celebration was the team’s first since beating the Mets in the 2000 Subway Series. The World Series victory this year came during the inaugural season at the newly built $1.5 billion ballpark.

Following lunch at City Hall with Bloomberg, the players were given keys to the city before 500 lucky fans who scored tickets.

The players waved to fans as they marched onto a podium as “We are the Champions” blared over loudspeakers.

Derek Jeter pumped up the crowd by lifting the World Series trophy above his head as a loud roar filled the air and rapper Jay-Z sang to close out the ceremony.

Pitcher Mariano Rivera, who waved a Panamanian flag as he rode in the parade, called the outpouring of support “beautiful.”

“You can’t put it into words. It’s magnificent,” he said.

Alex Rodriguez, finally free of the criticism that had dogged him over the past few years for failing to come up big in the postseason, wore a black fedora, shades and a big smile.

“We waited a long time for this,” he said. “I’ve never seen so many people connected in one place.”

With AP