Nov 04 (NHK) - Major League Baseball World Series winner the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their championship with a victory parade in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. City officials estimate that more than 200,000 people attended.
Seven double decker buses traveled about 1.6 kilometers with players, their families and others related to the team on board as fans cheered excitedly.
Japanese Major Leaguer Ohtani Shohei was among them. He was joined by his wife, Mamiko, and their pet dog, "Dekopin," or better known as "Decoy" in the United States.
On the same bus was Yamamoto Yoshinobu, who became the second Japanese pitcher to win a World Series game. Yamamoto started Game 2 of the series against the New York Yankees.
The Dodgers won 98 games during the regular season and claimed the National League West title. During the postseason, the team beat the San Diego Padres in the league's division series and then the New York Mets in the league's championship series.
The Dodgers won the World Series for the eighth time, beating the Yankees with four wins and one loss. It is their first championship in four years.
When they won the 2020 championship, the Dodgers did not hold a victory parade due to the coronavirus pandemic. So the Friday parade was the first in 36 years, or since 1988, for the team.
Dodgers members later moved to their home stadium for an event to celebrate the championship.
Ohtani said in English, "I'm so honored to be here, to be part of the team." He added, "Congratulations, Los Angeles," drawing "MVP" chants from the crowd.
Yamamoto also expressed his gratitude for the Dodgers fans in English.
