(JASON SZENES/ NY POST)
(Getty Images)
Tears of pinstriped pain filled Yankee Stadium last night as thousands of fans and grieving players gathered to remember the life of The Boss, George Steinbrenner.
The pregame sadness later turned to cries of joy as the team engineered a dramatic, 5-4 walk-off victory in the ninth inning over the Tampa Bay Rays that would have filled the late owner’s heart with joy.
“I can’t imagine George wouldn’t be happy with that,” said fan Joe Curry, 50, of Spotswood, NJ. “I think it was in all their hearts. They wanted to do something special for George.”
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PHOTOS: YANKEES HONOR STEINBRENNER, SHEPPARD
In an emotional memorial ceremony before the 7 p.m. game, the Yankees solemnly recalled both Steinbrenner and longtime public-address announcer Bob Sheppard, who died last Sunday at age 99, with a dramatic farewell.
A memorial video that aired on the massive screen featured current players and Yankee greats, who recalled The Boss.
That was followed by the evening’s most poignant moment, when superstar closer Mariano Rivera laid two roses on home plate in memory of the two Yankee titans before “Taps” was played.
Yankees captain Derek Jeter then brought the heart-rending memorial to a climax as he strode to a microphone behind home plate and addressed the crowd.
“We gather to honor two men who are both shining stars in the Yankees’ universe,” he said. “They’ll forever be remembered in baseball history and in our hearts.”
He called on the fans to observe a moment of silence.
The respect for The Boss and for Sheppard — who was known as “the Voice of God” — was so strong that the Bleacher Creatures, many of whom wore black, suspended their famous roll call of players for the night in their memory.
Fans who filled the packed house arrived at the game with heavy hearts. Many helped build a makeshift memorial to Steinbrenner at Stadium Gate 4.
The spot over the team’s large interlocking NY logo was covered with countless flowers, copies of The Post from July 14 — the day after Steinbrenner died at the age of 80 — and even a pair of charcoal slacks and a blue blazer that bore a note reading “Long live the spirit of The Boss.”
“It’s sad, but it’s a celebration of his life,” said fan Stu Rubin, 58, of Holmdel, NJ.
Mike Marchman, 48, of Blaubelt in Rockland County, was like many who managed to squeeze into last night’s packed game. He was willing to do anything to be there, even pay $340 for a ticket.
“I think it’s the least I can do to pay my respects to someone who brought respectability back to the Yankees,” he said.
The game came to a fitting end when Nick Swisher singled home Curtis Granderson with two out in the ninth.
“This one’s for him, no doubt,” Swisher said.
Fans felt that someone must have been looking down on the team from above to create such a fitting victory.
“I’ve been a fan since 1958 and this was one of the greatest I’ve been to,” said Robin Newell, 59, of Staten Island. “To win it for George . . . and to have a walk-off is perfect.”
In the memorial video before the game, Jeter surely spoke for many fans when he described the way he intends to honor The Boss.
“How can you ever honor him?” he asked. “I think the way he would want us to do it is win another championship.”