How Jeter's last home game compares to other Yankees greats'

When they tell the story of a soggy-turned-beautiful night in the Bronx, the 48,613 in attendance Thursday at Yankee Stadium might not remember the final score. They might not remember the winning pitcher, or who had the most RBIs.

But they will remember it as Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium.

The events that transpired Thursday night at Yankee Stadium don't happen often. A player saying so long to the home crowd after an illustrious career, one individual capturing all of the attention is almost certainly more significant than the result.

Jeter and the Yankees beat the Orioles, 6-5, on Thursday on Jeter's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Jeter finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a strikeout.

Seconds after Jeter inside-outed a first-pitch changeup from Evan Meek to plate Antoan Richardson, the Yankees mobbed Jeter near first base and the sold-out crowd didn't go anywhere. A storybook ending if there ever was one.

In the storied history of the Yankees, though, quite a few legends have had to say so long. Of the five below -- Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle -- only one, DiMaggio, went out with a win. Only DiMaggio and Berra made it to the postseason.

Here's a look at all of them:

• Babe Ruth: The Yankees lost to the Red Sox, 5-0, on Sept. 24, 1934. Ruth walked in his only plate appearance. (He played through May with the Boston Braves the next season.)

• Lou Gehrig: The Yankees lost to the Washington Senators, 3-2, on April 30, 1939. Gehrig went 0-for-4 and never played in another game. The Yankees announced his retirement in June and he made his "Luckiest Man" speech on July 4.

• Joe DiMaggio: The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 3-0, on Sept. 30, 1951. DiMaggio went 1-for-1 with a walk in his final regular-season game in the Bronx.

A week and a half later, on Oct. 10, DiMaggio went 1-for-2 with a double and four walks (two intentional) in the Yankees' 4-3 win over the Giants to win the World Series at home.

• Yogi Berra: The Yankees lost to the Twins, 6-3, on Sept. 28, 1963. Berra pinch-hit and lined out in the ninth inning, his only action in the game.

• Mickey Mantle: The Yankees lost to the Indians, 3-0, on Sept. 25, 1968 -- 46 years to the day before Jeter played his last home game. Mantle went 1-for-3 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.