‘Arigato’ chants break out in L.A. streets for World Series MVP
Thousands of fans from across the region lined city blocks for the Dodgers parade Monday morning.
Jane Lee made sure she was among them, securing a spot on Temple Street in the heart of downtown L.A.
She had regretted not going to last year‘s Dodgers parade, so when the team recorded the final out in game seven, the Monterey Park resident knew she couldn’t miss it this year.
The lifelong Dodger fan said that before game seven, Shohei Ohtani had been her favorite Dodger.
Now?
It was pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the World Series most valuable player who became an unexpected hero in the deciding game, taking the mound and recording the final eight outs.
But she still had love for his teammates.
“I don’t just want to see Yamamoto — I want to see everybody,” Lee said.
She held a sign a that called the Yamamoto the “best pitcher” and included writing in Japanese.
Jane Lee holds a sign celebrating Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
(Daniel Miller/Los Angeles Times)
What did it say?
“Arigato!” she shouted.
Before long, others were joining in, and it became a chant, the gleeful thank yous tumbling out in a raucous chorus.