from Sportsline.com - AP

Sept. 25, 2001

SportsLine.com wire reports

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays solemnly stood on the baselines side-by-side with city rescue workers.

The Yankees' players then gathered around the pitcher's mound thanking their fans and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

The Yankees had already participated in two tributes to the victims of the terrorist attacks that devastated New York and Washington. But none like this.

"This is our home. This is New York," manager Joe Torre said before Tuesday's game. "We're not far away from that part of the skyline we're missing."

Amid tight security, baseball returned to its most famous site for the first time since the attacks two weeks ago. The Yankees also wrapped up a division title, clinching the AL East when Boston lost 12-7 to Baltimore.

New York lost the game 4-0 to Tampa Bay, but it didn't matter because baseball was back in the Bronx.

"Baseball is a wonderful thing to get you thinking about life," Giuliani said.

Cars were kept off Ruppert Place outside the stadium and fans were kept back farther than usual from the players' entrance. There was a heavier than usual police presence on the platform of the subway stop next to the stadium and police were checking IDs as people even approached.

Torre even had his three bags inspected when he walked into the stadium around 2 p.m. v "We can't continue to fear things," Torre said. "You can't live life like that. There's a certain amount of trust you have to place in people. They are doing whatever they can to make us feel as safe as possible."

The start of the game was pushed back for 1 hour, 11 minutes for a ceremony that included performances from Branford Marsalis, the Harlem Boys Choir, Michael Bolton and famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan.

Max Von Essen, the son of New York fire commissioner Thomas Von Essen, sang the national anthem.

Flags were hanging from the upper deck and waving from all the fans in the ballpark located less than 15 miles from where the World Trade Center used to stand.

The Yankees also announced that they will build a memorial to the victims and the rescue workers in Monument Park.

But the loudest cheers were saved for Giuliani, the city's No. 1 Yankees fan and popular mayor. Torre hugged Giuliani as he walked onto the field and led the mayor to the mound.

Giuliani, who was cheered Friday night in ceremonies at Shea Stadium before the Mets played Atlanta, said baseball could help ease people back into their normal routines.

"In New York, normalcy means World Series," he said.

The fans in the right-field bleachers even added Giuliani's name to their traditional roll call in the top of the first inning.

"Tonight's festivities are not a memorial. It's a celebration," Yankees reliever Mike Stanton said. "There's a lot to celebrate about even though we've gone through this tragedy.

"There's the police and fire and emergency workers, the families and the survivors and the people who came out here tonight. It takes a lot of courage after what happened to come out here and try to get your life back to normal."

It was a night for contrasts of emotions. The fans interspersed chants of "USA! USA!" with "Let's Go Yankees!" They came to pay tribute to the victims and rescue workers, and to see the Yankees clinch their fourth straight AL East title.

"It should be a special night," Yankees star Derek Jeter said. "We're going to be excited. This is what we play for. The fans will dictate how we react but hopefully this will give New York something to cheer for."

The Yankees, wearing black armbands in honor of the victims, planned a toned-down celebration for when they wrapped up the division title.

"What we do will be very subdued," Stanton said. "We're not going to have a big dog pile on the mound or a big champagne bash in here. It's not because we don't think its appropriate, it's because no one wants to do that."

The attacks did little to deter fans from coming out, especially with the opportunity to watch a clinching and Roger Clemens pitching.

"We just wanted to come down because it was Clemens' first game since he won 20, the ceremony before the game and the possibility that the Yankees would clinch," said Bob Ward, who came from Connecticut to the game with his wife, Diane.

The Wards had tickets for the Yankees' game against Boston on Sept. 10 that was rained out. The terrorist attacks hit the next day and the Yankees haven't played at home since. The Wards exchanged their tickets from the postponed game to attend the first game back and weren't concerned about safety.

"There's an enormous amount of security here," Bob Ward said. "It makes us feel very comfortable."

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