New York ? This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

Not with the pesky Florida Marlins celebrating on the hallowed field at Yankee Stadium.

Not with three straight losses to a penny-pinching team that’s only existed for 11 years.

Not with a 23-year-old kid shutting out the best lineup money could buy.

For the New York Yankees, pennants aren’t enough. A World Series flop equals an empty season.

That’s the way it works around here: No title, no good.

“There’s layers of success. We created a lot of special moments in this town,” general manager Brian Cashman said in a virtually silent clubhouse. “There’s a lot of things that our players and our club can be proud of. But we all wanted the big one.”

Working on three days’ rest, cocky Josh Beckett outpitched the ultimate postseason stopper, Andy Pettitte, and Florida won the World Series with a 2-0 victory Saturday night in Game 6.

It was the first time the Yankees were knocked out of the postseason at home since losing Game 6 of the 1981 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Nobody had scripted this end,” Jason Giambi said. “It was supposed to come out different.”

When Beckett fielded Jorge Posada’s slow roller and tagged him along the first-base line for the final out, the Marlins poured out of the dugout and jumped into each other’s arms.

More than 55,000 stunned Yankees fans simply headed for the exits.

Now the only thing that remains to be seen is how angry owner George Steinbrenner will be, and which Yankees might lose their jobs.

“Obviously, everybody is very upset,” center fielder Bernie Williams said. “The front office and people in charge designed this team not to play well in the postseason, but to win.”

Pettitte, who pulled New York even 1-1 in all three series this October, spoke Friday about not wanting to let a visiting team celebrate a championship at Yankee Stadium.

Yet that’s exactly what happened — even though he pitched very well again. After the game, he said he had a “sick feeling” in his stomach.

“I’m happy with being able to get to the World Series, but that doesn’t help the hurt right now,” said Pettitte, who can become a free agent this offseason.

The 31-year-old left-hander, tied with John Smoltz for the major-league record with 13 career postseason wins, allowed only one earned run in seven innings. He yielded six hits, struck out seven and walked three — one intentionally.

But behind him, the banged-up Yankees came apart at the worst time, as they often did in this series.

All-Star shortstop and captain Derek Jeter made a crucial error and went 0-for-4 in the leadoff spot. It was a rare postseason failure for a player who has performed brilliantly in the clutch so many times. It was his first error in 27 Series games.