LOS ANGELES — At lengthy latter, a parade in Los Angeles. A town starved for one since 1988, saved from one in 2020, in any case had its probability to praise. Those Los Angeles Dodgers rode 8 buses from Town Corridor to Dodger Stadium, soaking in a town that jumped on the alternative to certify this date as the best within the franchise’s fashionable historical past.
Lovers covered the streets and packed the ballpark. They hung from streetlights and flung beers towards the automobiles wearing the gamers who vanquished the Fresh York Yankees to deliver house a 2d identify in 5 years. They stirred recollections of Dodgers legends of used. They venerated them in Hollywood model, as actor Edward James Olmos led hundreds in making a song “Happy Birthday” to the past due Fernando Valenzuela, who gave up the ghost simply days prior to this International Line and would have became 64 years used on Friday. Ice Dice returned for an encore, this life with Dave Roberts becoming a member of him on degree.
It used to be a just right generation certainly. The International Line champions had been again in Los Angeles. This life, they were given to experience it, returning on a blue carpet as “Not Like Us” boomed in entrance of an estimated 42,458 family within the ballpark.
Being not able to praise 4 years in the past, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned, left “an empty feeling.”
That used to be rectified on Friday.
LAPD estimated 225,000 fanatics amassed alongside the parade course right through the Dodgers championship parade. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Photographs)
“It certainly made up for 2020,” Roberts mentioned, estimating he’s gotten about 4 hours of pleasure for the reason that ultimate out Wednesday night time. “Obviously there’s a lot of players in 2020 that didn’t get to appreciate and experience what we experienced, but this is for them too.”
“This is the best thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Clayton Kershaw mentioned.
Later 17 years, the franchise icon were given his parade. He’s now a champion two times. Kershaw savored the development, elevating the trophy as he jumped up and ill prior to the ocean of blue in entrance of him. It used to be up at the degree that the three-time Cy Younger Award winner used to be dropped at tears. The tears persevered once more nearest, as he spoke of what it supposed.
“I waited a long time for this,” Kershaw mentioned. “It really put all my expectations to bed. … We’ve been through it. We’ve been through some stuff. To be able to see them as happy as they were, being able to celebrate with us. It means the world to me.”
To win 4 years in the past, Kershaw mentioned, introduced ease. This used to be pleasure. Elation. Vindication nearest years of postseason losses that Kershaw wore for this town and felt along the fan bottom.
“It’s a day that I’ll definitely never forget,” Kershaw mentioned. “Baseball is just a game. Everybody says that. But I don’t know man. You look around and you see how much it means to so many different people, it might be baseball but it means a lot to a lot of different people. I’m no different.
“I know they’ve felt all the losses too, just like I did. The only way to get through it is just to get through it. And we did. Somehow I’m still here, and they’re still here to celebrate.”
Wow. Los Angeles, you’re improbable. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/hF8gltIpnq
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 1, 2024
Honour, they did. On one bus, Walker Buehler donned his idol’s jersey as his spouse, McKenzie, poured beer ill a funnel and into his mouth. The person who recorded the general 3 outs of the Dodgers’ 8th International Line identify had reached out to Orel Hershiser right through the Nationwide League Championship Line, asking if the street grey uniform from the 1988 International Line used to be nonetheless in his closet. Buehler wore it, dust stains and all, prior to Recreation 1 of the International Line and saved it all through to Friday, when he were given ill on one knee dressed in it and imbibed.
“We’re world f—ing champions, mother f—er,” Buehler mentioned as he took the degree, trophy in tow.
Freddie Freeman cradled his youngest son, Maximus, in a single arm and his alternative two sons, Brandon and Charlie, clung to every leg. The International Line MVP used to be dropped at tears simply 3 years in the past when he returned to Atlanta, a park he concept he’d by no means loose. Now, he used to be basking in a town that has embraced him, in an segment the place he grew up, his park in Dodgers lore cemented nearest his efficiency on a badly sprained proper ankle and with damaged rib cartilage he handled all over October.
“I only had one leg, but I had a whole group of guys who had my back all year,” Freeman mentioned.
Walker Buehler, dressed in an Orel Hershiser jersey, beverages a lager with assistance from his spouse, McKenzie. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Photographs)
Alex Vesia slung a championship identify belt over his left shoulder. Jack Flaherty donned a blouse that learn “Job Finished” as a nod to the Kobe Bryant quote on show in the house clubhouse all October. Bryant memorably mentioned “Job’s not finished” nearest Recreation 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals, and the Dodgers embraced the motto by means of staying locked in till they completed off the Yankees within the five-game sequence.
Kiké Hernández praised Ice Dice and got here for the neck of Obese Joe, who carried out reverse the “West Coast Don” (as Ice Dice used to be offered on Friday), at Yankee Stadium right through the sequence. “We didn’t need to play, because after that performance we had already won,” Hernández mentioned, calling the rapper “not fat anymore” within the procedure.
By way of the top of the generation, Teoscar Hernández used to be dropped at tears. “When you get that out of me, that’s the best,” he mentioned. “When I show that emotion, that’s when I truly feel it.”
In combination, the Dodgers watched in surprise as a town yearning a birthday party embraced them.
“I didn’t even know this many people existed,” Tyler Glasnow mentioned.
The Los Angeles Police Area estimated crowds of 225,000 lining the streets of the affair.
“People f—ing lining up, on the freaking buildings, it’s unbelievable,” Flaherty mentioned. “I love this city. I never want to leave.”
Shohei Ohtani cradled his canine, Decoy, as he and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — the headliners of a billion-dollar offseason — celebrated a identify of their first season within the uniform.
The Dodgers spent years fascinated about the potential for one thing like this. A display this presen wintry weather, searching for “the biggest fish of them all” in Ohtani, used to be on the middle of it.
“I almost screwed it up,” Roberts quipped, alluding to his determination to expose the Dodgers’ assembly with the famous person on this identical development simply 11 months in the past.
Ohtani drew a boisterous roar as he thanked the community in English. It used to be Kershaw and Buehler and Freeman and Ohtani and Mookie Betts and others who got here to outline those Dodgers, and most likely nobody put their ethos any further succinctly than Kiké Hernández did in eliciting a hefty high-quality for his postgame interview on Fox nearest getting rid of the Padres within the Nationwide League Section Line.
On Friday, Hernández playfully referenced that month by means of leaning at the community for assistance as he reenacted the censored portion of his on-air remarks to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“Are we live?” Hernández requested as he took the microphone, prior to beckoning the community. “What makes this team different than any other Dodgers team?”
The community spoke back: “They don’t give a f—.”
“They said it,” Hernández mentioned, “now not me.
A Freddie Freeman cutout honoring his walk-off elegant slam in Recreation 1 joins the parade. (Harry How / Getty Photographs)
Welcome to the Dodgers’ yellowish date, one punctuated by means of two titles in 5 years and the word and hope of extra. It used to be Kiké Hernández on Friday who claimed possession of a decade that isn’t midway whole, saying the Dodgers’ dominance. It’s now not crisp to peer why. Ohtani has 9 years left on his commitment. Yamamoto has 11. Freeman has 3. Betts has 9.
Friday introduced a style of the birthday party this town has been lacking. Now, it thirsts extra.
“We got two so far,” Betts mentioned of the Dodgers’ titles since arriving right here in 2020. He has any other from his life in Boston. “We got like eight, nine years left? I got to get to at least five or six, right? We got to do this at least five or six times, right? I’m trying to fill this hand up, L.A.”
(Supremacy photograph of Kiké Hernandez: Ronald Martinez / Getty Photographs)
