Bleeding Blue

Shortly after their World Series victory, the streets of Downtown Los Angeles were filled with a sea of Dodger blue on Friday, Nov 1st as the Dodgers celebrated with a parade that brought the city together. This celebration was particularly memorable. This is now the Dodgers eighth World Series title in franchise history, it was also their first parade since 1988. While the Dodgers won in 2020, there were no celebrations due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dodger fans arrived downtown bright and early, some camping out overnight or waiting in front of City Hall as early as 5 am. Even in the early morning, the fans maintained good energy and high spirits, cheering as they flooded through Gloria Molina Grand Park, with a crowd of almost 250,000 people. The support for the Dodgers had no limits, as fans traveled from afar to celebrate alongside the team.

“My grandmother is a big Dodgers fan, she’s 94 years old - she became a Dodgers fan during the Jackie Robinson days,” said Dale Martin, a fan who traveled to Los Angeles from Phoenix, Arizona. “My whole family are Dodger fans…the Dodgers do spring training in Phoenix, so sometimes my grandmother comes out and we go to about three or four spring training games a year.”

Fans continued to cheer and show their support, some blasting music from their own speakers, dancing and chanting for the team. Fans were also watching clips from the World Series that were being displayed on screens in the park. The crowd continued to play “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, a song that has become the anthem of the World Series victory, as the parade anticipation continued to build.

“It came at a perfect time because it became our hype song,” said Cici Hernadez, a Los Angeles native and diehard Dodgers fan. “It represents us Los Angeles people…it means a lot, he represents us just as Fernando (Valenzuela) did for us Hispanics as well.”

Alongside celebrating the World Series victory, fans commemorated legendary Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela on what would have been his 64th birthday. Valenzuela had recently passed away only a week earlier, on Oct. 22nd.

At around 11 am, the police escorts arrived in front of City Hall awaiting the Dodger's arrival as the streets erupted with cheers. Those waiting by City Hall continued to celebrate with each other; dancing around, speaking with television hosts and even drinking to the victory.

The Dodgers then arrived in their blue buses and stopped in front of City Hall for a moment. The Dodgers waved to fans, as the crowds cheered for their favorite players, especially celebrating Dodgers’ hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani’s beloved dog, Decoy, made a special appearance and the crowd went wild.

“We all root for the Dodgers…we always bleed blue,” said Aaron Im, a Los Angeles native. “We are all from LA and we all root pretty much for the same team and this is really about the community because we all have the one common team that we root for.”

Confetti filled the air as the Dodgers embarked on their parade route. As the fans made their way to Grand Park to continue the celebration, everyone came together as a community, with kids playing in the confetti, fans waving flags and signs, playing instruments, and dancing to music in the park. The celebration continued all over Los Angeles, fans sharing the moment with each other. This win meant something special to everyone.

“It means a lot because my husband was a diehard fan but he passed away, so that’s why I am here and I feel like he’s with me,” said Maria (Letty) Mosqueda, a Los Angeles native speaking on what the celebration meant for her. “...I hope that they win it again, it would be nice to do it back-to-back…that was like history made, I absolutely love it.”

The parade concluded at Dodger Stadium, with a special event following shortly after.  The Dodgers were able to speak to fans and continue the celebration, bringing the series trophy home. The streets of downtown Los Angeles were still flooded with Dodger blue, as fans continued to show their support throughout the day. The anticipation for next season still lingers, many fans are hoping for a back-to-back victory in 2025.