LA toasts its champion Dodgers: “The city needed this parade”

Many of them have dreamed about it for four years. Others had waited their entire baseball lives for this.

Two days after winning the 2024 World Series and four years removed from a 2020 title that was never properly christened, the Dodgers celebrated with all of Los Angeles on Friday by parading through the streets of downtown in open-top double-decker buses before the game a championship rally in front of a nearly packed Dodger Stadium.

An estimated nearly a quarter of a million people lined the streets along the parade route, tightly packed in dozens of rows from City Hall to Walt Disney Concert Hall to the procession's end point at Fifth and Flower.

The Dodgers then rode the bus back to the ballpark and entered Chavez Ravine, where they received a hero's welcome from center field and an additional 42,000 fans less than 48 hours after the team's victory in Game 5 of the World Series over the New York Yankees accompanied a serenade.

“It’s one thing to celebrate with the coaches, the organization and the players,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But I tell 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.”

In fact, Friday was a long time coming for the Dodgers, as they last had a parade in 1988 after being unable to hold one following their pandemic title in 2020.

Twelve players from this year's team were involved in this year's championship, including postseason heroes Mookie Betts, Walker Buehler and franchise icon Clayton Kershaw.

“That was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of,” a smiling, hoarse-voiced Kershaw said afterwards, joking onstage that he had “nothing to do with this championship” after missing most of the season. and all playoffs, with injuries.

“I’m just so grateful for every single fan that was there,” Kershaw added. “I am so grateful for how well they have treated me and my family over the years. I mean, we went through this, you know, we went through a lot to see them as happy as they were and to be able to celebrate with us. It means the world to me.”

Roberts and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, who passed the Commissioner's Trophy back and forth during the parade, also led the 2020 and 2024 clubs.

“2020 was incredibly special, but it was nothing like this,” Friedman said on stage. “Not being able to celebrate with the biggest fans in the world left a little feeling of emptiness.”

Roberts added with a smile: “We got our parade.”

The day got off to a fitting start when a half-dozen buses carrying the Dodgers and their families got stuck in traffic trying to get to City Hall. There, the players witnessed a scene they could only imagine before: thousands of people in Dodger blue waving flags, signs and rally towels as the team drove by.

“I'm completely overwhelmed by the amount of fans that are here,” most valuable reserve player Shohei Ohtani said in the team's broadcast of the event through interpreter Will Ireton. “It's unbelievable.”

“This is a lot of fun,” added utility man and National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman. “It feels like the whole city of LA is supporting us today.”

Even Los Angeles native Jack Flaherty couldn't believe it.

“I love this city,” said the veteran starting pitcher, a trade deadline acquisition who will be a free agent this offseason. “I never want to leave. I never want to leave.”

Back at Dodger Stadium, a near-capacity crowd watched the parade on the stadium scoreboards and cheered each time a player was interviewed. As the team wound up the 110 Freeway and returned to the stadium, there was a roar of approval as Ice Cube appeared on stage – with an excited Roberts dancing alongside him – and introduced the team.

“Like I said,” Roberts joked, quoting an Ice Cube song, “today was a good day.”

The first player to address the crowd was Buehler, wearing Orel Hershisher's game-worn jersey from the 1988 World Series and punctuating his statement about the team's championship with two curse words.

Kiké Hernández then got the audience to drop a profanity when he was called back for his viral postgame on-field interview after the Dodgers' win in the NL Division Series.

“Hey Los Angeles, are we live?!” he shouted, before repeating the same question reporter Ken Rosenthal had asked him that night: “What makes this team different from all the other Dodger teams?”

“We don’t give anything—” the crowd replied.

Hernandez laughed. “You said it, not me.”

World Series MVP Freddie Freeman received the loudest cheers after suffering a sprained ankle and rib injury in the postseason.

“I did everything I could to get on this field with you,” Freeman said. “And I’m glad I did because now we’ve won a championship.”

The decibel level rose again when Ohtani, the $700 million offseason signing, thanked the fan base in English.

“This is a very special moment for me,” said Ohtani. “It’s a great honor to be here and to be part of this team.”

The most emotional speaker was outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who choked up at the end of his first season with the team.

“I just want to say thank you,” said the veteran outfielder, who will be a free agent this offseason but hopes to re-sign with the club. “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 made this dream come true.”

Betts, on the other hand, dreamed of doing it all again.

“We’ve reached two (World Series) so far,” said the outfielder, whose $365 million contract runs through 2032. “I have to do at least five or six, right?”

Once again, the crowd erupted, hoping they wouldn't have to wait another 36 years to experience a day like this again.