For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are triumphant. The Dodgers’ World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 was an instant classic, filled with absurd moments that made it the most-watched baseball game since 2017.
On Monday, the Dodgers got to celebrate their championship with their fans. The Dodgers’ championship parade took the team through the streets of downtown L.A. before a celebration at Dodger Stadium.
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Fans lined the streets for hours prior to the parade, with some holding creative signs in the sea of Dodger blue.
Once the parade began at 11 a.m. PT, players, coaches and staff witnessed the celebration from the top of double-decker buses, with the Dodgers proclaiming the franchise’s back-to-back titles on the sides of the bus.
Some in the crowd made sure to honor retiring Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who gets the perfect send-off as his career comes to an end.
Even for players and staff who had been in this position before, it was a moment to remember.
Meanwhile, at Dodger Stadium, thousands of fans packed in hours before the sold-out in-stadium ceremony, buying concessions and merchandise while waiting for the parade to reach a conclusion.
Once the Dodgers arrived — walking into the stadium to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” — the crowd went wild. Then players and coaches gave speeches to the appreciative crowd.
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Most of the speeches had to do with the team and the fans. But Miguel Rojas, one of the unexpected heroes of Game 7, used his speech to make sure the crowd acknowledged a very special birthday, as pitcher Roki Sasaki turned 24 years old on Monday.
World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who normally uses an interpreter, opted to speak to the crowd in English while thanking them for their support.
“Thank you [to] my teammates, my coaches, our amazing staff and all the fans. We did it together,” Yamamoto said as the crowd cheered. “I love the Dodgers. I love Los Angeles.”
After the speeches, the ceremony continued in classic L.A. fashion: with Ice Cube bringing manager Dave Roberts the World Series trophy in the back of a vintage, Dodger-blue Chevrolet.
Dodgers talk 3-peat hopes at World Series parade
Throughout the parade, there was a common theme among the Dodgers: They want more.
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It started with Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who spoke about wanting another title during the parade. In an interview on top of the bus while relishing the parade, Ohtani said he was “taking it in and enjoying it” while already dreaming about a potential three-peat.
“I’m already thinking about the third time that we’re gonna do this,” he said via interpreter Will Ireton.
Once at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed his star player’s thoughts on what’s next during a speech to the crowd.
“What’s better than two?” Roberts yelled. “Three!”
Ohtani then repeated his earlier sentiment during an address in English: “I’m ready to get another ring next year,” he said.
Kiké Hernandez, though, was a little more explicit about the whole issue.
“My teammates have been humble, but I think it’s time to talk that s***,” Hernandez said via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. “Everybody’s been asking questions about a dynasty. How about three in six years? How about back-to-back? We’re a motherf***ing dynasty, baby.”
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MLB has seen only four teams win the World Series three (or more) times in a row. Three of those streaks belong to the New York Yankees, who also hold the most recent three-peat in the sport, winning from 1998 to 2000.
It might be talk, but the Dodgers are the first team in many years with a real chance. It had been 25 years since a back-to-back winner — and L.A. will do everything it can to keep things going next year.