The final homestand
Yanks prevail as Stadium goes dark
Jeter delivers final address at Stadium
Final Stadium events will stand forever
Reality of finale sets in for Yankees
Stadium leaves night to remember
Bodley: Girardi moved by big night
Yogi enjoys final night at Stadium
Yanks alumni consumed by nostalgia
Generations merge in Stadium sendoff
Babe's daughter throws out first pitch
From Cathedral, new Stadium in sight
Steinbrenner looks on from Florida
Fans soak in Cathedral for one final day
Bernie returns to House That Ruth Built
Stars bask in Stadium's festivities
World has changed since Stadium's opening
Longtime fan a witness to proceedings
• Farewell to the Cathedral: Complete coverage
Sights and Sounds
Yankees fans salute Jeter
Pettitte's historic outing
Jeter addresses the crowd
Hal Bodley on the Stadium
Girardi: Cathedral memories
Jeter's press conference
Berra's press conference
Bernie's press conference
Girardi's press conference
Posada on the Stadium's end
Cashman on the finale
Pettitte on the atmosphere
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The poignant moment came at the end of an emotional day for the Bombers and their fans. Jeter said he had been asked a few days earlier to speak following Sunday's game, though he wasn't sure what he would say.
The words came from his true feelings. When Jeter was taken out of the game with two outs in the ninth inning, he receive a standing ovation and a curtain call, and realized he didn't have anything prepared. "When I came out in the ninth inning I said, 'I've got to think of something quick,'" Jeter said. "I knew I wanted to acknowledge the fans. "I was scared to death," Jeter said. "When I was younger, I used to get really, really nervous when I had to do an oral report in front of 25 people. I guess I've come a long way." His speech will be the last in a line of memorable speeches at Yankee Stadium, and the fans will never forget the words spoken in their honor from the man who has represented the organization they follow with pride. Jeter said that moment will stand out to him in a night filled with memories, and he gave other members of the organization something to remember as well. "I thought that it was perfect," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's someone who has grown up in this organization, and who is a true Yankee. It was just perfect. He did everything right, and it's just who he is." "I think it was great," former teammate Bernie Williams said. "I think I would have been a nervous wreck, grabbing the microphone in front of all these people and saying what he did. He looked very poised, and he did a great job." When they finished their lap around the field, the Yankees stayed on the field a while longer, soaking everything in. Family and friends were invited onto the field, and Williams watched as his daughters ran around in the outfield, scooping up dirt. And they weren't alone. Baltimore's Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff took some from the third-base line to remember Yankee Stadium, and Mariano Rivera took a plastic storage container to the mound, scratched the dirt with his cleats, then filled the container. At one point, Jeter started to walk toward the dugout, then turned around and went back onto the field, not yet ready to leave the place he's called home since 1995. He just needed a little bit longer. "I think a lot of people don't want to leave," he said. "Look at all the people that are still in the stands. We know we're not going to be in this stadium for a regular-season game at least with people in it, and we want to enjoy it. "The night was perfect."
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