Lots of them spent 4 years dreaming of it. Others had waited their complete baseball life.
Two days after successful the 2024 World Sequence, and 4 years faraway from a 2020 title that was by no means correctly christened, the Dodgers celebrated with all of Los Angeles on Friday, parading by the streets of downtown on open-top double-decker buses earlier than holding a championship rally in entrance of a near-capacity Dodger Stadium.
Near a quarter-million folks had been estimated to be lining the streets alongside the parade route, packed dozens of rows deep from Metropolis Corridor to the Walt Disney Live performance Corridor to the procession’s endpoint at Fifth and Flower.
Then, the Dodgers bused again to the ballpark and entered Chavez Ravine to a hero’s welcome from middle discipline, being serenaded by one other 42,000 followers lower than 48 hours after the crew’s Recreation 5 World Sequence win over the New York Yankees.
“It’s one thing to celebrate with your coaches, the organization, the players,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “But I’m telling you, the game is about the players and the fans. And in 2020 we just didn’t have that opportunity …The city needed this parade.”
Certainly, Friday had been a very long time coming for the Dodgers, who final celebrated a parade in 1988 after being unable to carry one following their pandemic-season title in 2020.
Twelve gamers from that yr’s crew had a hand on this yr’s championship, together with postseason heroes Mookie Betts, Walker Buehler and franchise icon Clayton Kershaw.
“This was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” a smiling, hoarse-voiced Kershaw stated afterward, having joked onstage he “didn’t have anything to do with this championship” after lacking many of the season, and all the playoffs, with accidents.
“I’m just so thankful to every single fan that came out,” Kershaw added. “So thankful how well they’ve treated me and my family for all these years. I mean, we’ve been through it, you know, we’ve been through some stuff, so to be able to see them as happy as they were, being able to celebrate with us. It means the world to me.”
Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who handed the Commissioner’s Trophy backwards and forwards throughout the parade, led each the 2020 and 2024 golf equipment as nicely.
“2020 was incredibly special, but it wasn’t anything like this,” Friedman stated on stage. “To not be able to celebrate with the greatest fans in the world left a little bit of an empty feeling.”
Added Roberts, with a smile: “We got our parade.”
The day began fittingly, with the half-dozen buses carrying the Dodgers and their households getting caught in site visitors whereas attempting to achieve Metropolis Corridor. As soon as there, the gamers took in a scene they’d solely earlier than been in a position to envision: Throngs of hundreds of individuals in Dodger blue, waving flags, indicators and rally towels because the crew drove by.
“I’m totally overwhelmed with the amount of fans who are here,” most precious participant shoo-in Shohei Ohtani stated on the crew’s broadcast of the occasion, by interpreter Will Ireton. “It’s incredible.”
“This is a blast,” added utilityman and Nationwide League Championship Sequence MVP Tommy Edman. “It feels like the whole city of L.A. is out supporting us today.”
Even Los Angeles native Jack Flaherty couldn’t imagine it.
“I love this city,” stated the veteran beginning pitcher, a commerce deadline acquisition who can be a free agent within the offseason. “I never want to leave. I never want to leave.”
Again at Dodger Stadium, a near-capacity crowd watched the parade on the stadium scoreboards, cheering each time a participant could be interviewed. As soon as the crew snaked up the 110 Freeway and returned to the ballpark, they roared in approval as Ice Dice carried out on stage — with an ecstatic Roberts dancing beside him — and launched the crew.
“Like I said,” Roberts joked, riffing from certainly one of Ice Dice’s songs, “today was a good day.”
The primary participant to deal with the gang was Buehler, who was carrying Orel Hershisher’s game-used jersey from the 1988 World Sequence and punctuated his declaration of the crew’s world championship with a pair of expletives.
Kiké Hernández then obtained the gang to drop an expletive, when referred to as again to his viral on-field postgame interview following the Dodgers’ NL Division Sequence win.
“Hey Los Angeles, are we live?!” he shouted, earlier than repeating the identical query reporter Ken Rosenthal had requested him that night time: “What makes this team different from every other Dodger team?”
“We don’t give a f—,” the gang responded.
Hernández laughed. “They said it, not me.”
World Sequence MVP Freddie Freeman obtained a few of the loudest cheers, after taking part in by a sprained ankle and rib harm all through the postseason.
“I did everything I could to get on this field with you guys,” Freeman stated. “And I’m glad I did, because we got a championship now.”
The decibel ranges spiked once more when Ohtani, the $700 million offseason signing, thanked the fan base in English.
“This is such a special moment for me,” Ohtani stated. “I’m so honored to be here and to be part of this team.”
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández was essentially the most emotional speaker, getting choked up on the finish of his first season with the crew.
“I just want to say thank you,” stated the veteran outfielder, who can be a free agent this offseason however stated he’s hopeful of re-signing with the membership. “I play this game to win. And the Dodgers gave me the opportunity to come here, so I could help this organization, this team, these people, this city, win a championship. You guys made this dream come true.”
Betts, on the opposite, dreamed of doing all of it once more.
“We got two [World Series] so far,” stated the outfielder, whose $365 million contract runs by 2032. “I got to get to at least five or six, right?”
As soon as once more, the gang erupted, hoping they wouldn’t be ready 36 extra years to expertise a day like this once more.
