New York Yankees players observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Boston Marathon explosions before a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium in New York, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. / AP Photo/Kathy Willens 
 
 NEW YORK The New York Yankees paid tribute to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings by playing the Fenway Park favorite "Sweet Caroline" at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. 
 
 The popular sing-along song has been featured at Boston Red Sox home games since 2002. 
 
 The Yankees honored Boston, home of their longtime rivals, by playing the Neil Diamond hit over the public-address system after the third inning against Arizona. Yankees fans sang along, and some people in the crowd wore Red Sox hats and jerseys. 
 
 "Thank you NY Yankees for playing `Sweet Caroline' for the people of Boston," Diamond wrote on his Twitter page. "You scored a home run in my heart. With respect, Neil (hashtag)OneBoston." 
 
 A ribbon was shown on the scoreboard displaying the insignia of the Red Sox and Yankees and the words: "New York stands with Boston ... Pray for Boston." 
 
 There also was a pregame moment of silence. A message that read "United We Stand" showing the Red Sox and Yankees logos was posted on an electronic board atop the ballpark. 
 
 Deadly explosions at Boston Marathon 
 
 Earlier in the day, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said it was time to "put the baseball teams aside" and recognize "we're all behind the people in Boston." 
 
 In Miami, the crowd at Marlins Park sang along to "Sweet Caroline" before the bottom of the eighth inning, and two fans waved a large American flag paying tribute to the marathon victims. 

 "I think it's important that we recognize that we're all behind the people in Boston and everyone that was involved," Joe Girardi said. "You think about that being a song that's a tradition there, it's special to Fenway Park and the people of Boston. We're behind them. Put the baseball teams aside, we want to be there for them."
– The New York Yankees paid a touching tribute to the home of their arch-rivals last night by playing unofficial Red Sox anthem "Sweet Caroline" at Yankee Stadium at the end of the third inning against Arizona. There was also a pregame moment of silence for Boston bombing victims and a ribbon over the scoreboard bore the rival teams' logos with the message "New York stands with Boston ... Pray for Boston," CBS reports. "You think about that being a song that’s a tradition there, it’s special to Fenway Park and the people of Boston," Yankees manager tells the New York Daily News. "We’re behind them. Put the baseball teams aside, we want to be there for them.” Neil Diamond, whose hit was also played by teams including Florida, Atlanta, and the LA Dodgers last night, tweeted, "Thank you NY Yankees for playing 'Sweet Caroline' for the people of Boston. You scored a home run in my heart."