Thousands gather as San Francisco celebrates its new champion
After 56 years of waiting, the Giants’ fans and franchise celebrated their World Series championship with a parade on Wednesday, honouring the club’s first title since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958.
Elated that the squad was able to push past the Texas Rangers in this year’s championship series, tens of thousands of fans and residents gathered along the parade route, which started in San Francisco’s financial district.
For some, like Steve Williams, the experience was overwhelming. The 51-year-old usher at AT&T Park, home of the Giants, said, “This is Christmas, New Year's and your first-born all rolled into one. I’m on cloud nine.”
Several fans arrived at the crack of dawn to cement their positions along the route, while others took the day off of work and withdrew their children from school to experience what might be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. “I want to see all the hometown
heroes and share the smiles of all the fans who’ve been waiting their entire lives for this,” said bystander Teddy Hutcherson.
Even the some of the Giants’ players were mesmerized by the adulation that their accomplishments had garnered. “I’ve never seen anything like this is my life,” San Francisco centre fielder Andres Torres said while greeting supporters along the route. “The
parade has been amazing.”
Likewise, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who admitted that he grew up a zealous Giants fan, was pleasantly surprised with the team’s success this post-season. “I thought I’d see [a World Series championship] in my lifetime but never thought I’d see it
as mayor,” Newsom said. “It’s incomprehensible that this happened.”
The parade, which commenced in the financial district and ran down Market Street, ended at the San Francisco Civic Centre, where Newsom presented the World Series champions with a key to the city.
Even as minor talk of Newsom’s recent victory in California’s race for lieutenant governor surfaced, the mayor brushed politics aside. “Nobody here cares about that,” he said. “This puts it all in perspective.”
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