Los Angeles Dodgers’ players, staff, families and friends celebrate with fans during the Dodgers' World Series championship parade in downtown Los Angeles on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Etienne Laurent / AFP)
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their eighth World Series championship with a downtown parade and a stadium gathering featuring Shohei Ohtani and other star players on Friday.
Seven double-decker buses filled with players, their families and the coaching staff rolled to the start in front of City Hall. Manager Dave Roberts hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy.
Several players smoked cigars and drank beer on the sun-splashed day. Ohtani held his dog, Decoy. Walker Buehler, who pitched the ninth inning in the Series finale, did a beer bong while wearing Orel Hershiser's jersey from the team's 1988 World Series championship.
"This is crazy, man. I love this,” outfielder Teoscar Hernández said.
Blue-clad fans packed both sides of the street, cheering and waving at their heroes. The parade occurred on what would have been the 64th birthday of Fernando Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year winner who died days before the World Series began.
The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games, clinching the title with a 7-6 victory in the Bronx on Wednesday.
The team said that because of logistics, traffic and timing, fans won’t be able to attend both events.
The parade began at Gloria Molina Grand Park as part of a 45-minute route that culminates at the intersection of 5th and Flower streets.
The celebration at Dodger Stadium will begin shortly after noon. The parade will be carried on the stadium’s videoboards ahead of the team’s arrival.
A portion of the proceeds from the ticketed stadium event will be donated to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.
There were more than a dozen arrests during informal celebrations after the team's comeback win to clinch the Series. Burglaries, vandalism and fires occurred in some parts of the city.
