The day has arrived.
The twenty twenty four Dodgers World Series Championship celebration is here in Los Angeles as Dodger fans celebrate the eighth World Series title for your Los Angeles Dodgers. We are live at Dodgers Stadium. Tim Kats live in the play by play booth here at Dodgers Stadium, and David Vassey, who is live on the bus here at Dodgers Stadium as the team and coaches get ready to head out onto the parade route in a little over an hour. We are live with exclusive coverage here on an FI
seventy LA Sports Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. We've got the parade that starts at City Hall at eleven o'clock. We've got the parade that will go through downtown in LA and then it will come to Dodger Stadium, where the gates have already opened and Dodger fans are flooding in already at nine to thirty in the morning for a celebrat like no other here at Dodger Stadium. Later on this afternoon, Dave, where are you at and what are you doing?
I'm sitting on one of the parade buses that is going to be going down this parade route. First stop is to City Hall, and I'm sitting at the front of the bus and my understanding is show Hey Otani and Yoshi Yamamoto are going to be on this bus, so you'll hear from them. Kirsten Watson is on another bus, so we'll get all the players' reactions to Los Angeles
celebrating them. And really, I'm so happy for a lot of the players that were on the twenty twenty World Series team to be able to experience this parade.
You heard Walker.
Buehler and t k Hernandez talk about it, and you know, I'm just thinking about guys that like Kenley Janssen and Justin Turner on a day today because they really wanted a parade in twenty.
They deserved a parade in twenty.
But we're keeping their spirited alive from all those Dodgers that you know, won the World Series in twenty but unfortunately could not experience this.
Yeah, that was a common message from the Dodgers during that World Series, especially after the three to zero series lead Dave that players that were still here from.
The twenty twenty team.
Dave Roberts talked about it in press conferences about how much they want to celebrate with Dodger fans. You're on one of the team buses. How many buses will there be on the parade route? Can you see how many are around you? And how many do you expect to be there?
Yeah, it looks like there's going to be about seven to nine buses on this parade route. I've seen players that you know, weren't on the postseason roster but have been a part of the regular season. Remember, the Dodgers used a lot of players. In fact, they use forty different starting pitchers during the season. And for guys like Bobby Miller and James Outman there here. So just to give you an idea that the Dodgers have expanded the roster for this parade to include guys that contributed at
some point in time during this regular season. No word if Taylor Tremmel is here, though I'm not sure about that. I did see Outman and Bobby Miller.
How about Kevin Bizio, Cavin Bigio, Oh, yeah.
Out today.
If he comes, he's not bringing his bat. I'll tell you that he didn't bring.
It when he was with the Dodgers on the field, David, So, a lot of buses will be making the trip through the parade today. It will start at eleven o'clock this morning, and you're gonna hear it right here on ANFI seventy LA Sports. Nobody else has got somebody on the bus is let alone on the bus with shoey o Tani except David Vasse hearing us at ANFI seventy LA Sports. The parade will start at eleven. It will start with
a message from Mayor Karen Bass. She will kick off the parade at City Hall on Spring Street, and then it'll go about one point two miles through downtown Los Angeles and ending right by the LA Central Main Library. And then the buses will head back to Dodger Stadium and Dave, when they get back, they're gonna be awaited and greeted by fifty two thousand Dodger fans who are on the parade route. But here at Dodgers Stadium and being inside right now, you're outside on the bus inside
the stadium right now. I mean it feels like you can feel like a playoff game in here. The fans are here. It's nine thirty five in the morning, and they couldn't be more fired up.
Yeah, I see the parking lot. It's filling up, no doubt about it. And it reminds me of when the Lakers had one of their parades with Kobe and Gasol. I believe it was in nine where they had the parade down Figueroa and ended it at the Coliseum, and that place was with what ninety thousand plus there. The Dodgers definitely could have had it and filled it up and then some at the Coliseum. But I love the idea of having a parade route and then ending it
at Dodgers Stadium. I thought it was a great idea to be able to find a way to organize something like this by selling tickets for Dodgers Stadium. But yeah, I think that's a great way to do it. I remember back in the day in the eighties, Tim, I know it seems like yesterday, but it wasn't. Watching the Lakers and the eighty eight Dodgers parade finish up at City Hall. That was somewhat the tradition back in the day.
But I kind of like how in two thousand, the Lakers first parade since their back to back championship in eighty eight ended in front of Staples Center before they built LA Live, so they had all that parking lot space. That was a controlled chaos in some ways. I like having a stadium for an ending point, and I love it being organized so everybody has a chance to celebrate their world champion LA Dodgers, and I don't know about you, Tim, but it feels like this team connected with the city
more than any other teams in recent past. Twenty twenty was a phenomenal team. They would have won the World Series even if it was a full season, but there was some sort of emotional disconnect because the city couldn't celebrate with each other. The parades like this for sports teams are a uniting kind of feeling in the city. With so many differences and extreme differences in the world today and in the city today, to bring every walk of life together to celebrate one team is really special.
Dave, Why do you think it's different this year? As you mentioned this group, this Dodger team resonates maybe a little bit more with the Dodger fan base this year. I mean, is it Otani? You think that has changed that the addition to him and maybe more Japanese fans. I mean, is it the sentiment of Clayton Kershaw and seeing him at the end of his career and wanting to win another World Series. Why this year different than previous years?
You think, well, number one, because of the way this team kind of came together after having so many injuries. And yes, Otani got the excitement going, no doubt about it. A lot of star power, but it feels like, you know, no matter how much money you spend, as Miguil Rojas said in the clubhouse after they won the World Series, this team did not just rely on talent. They relied on character. And I think the sunflower seed celebration by Taoscar Hernandez. He was a fan favorite in his first year.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman obviously have had two disappointing postseasons the last two years, so for them to come back and perform the way they did in October, especially Freddie, and you know, Mooki had his best postseason since twenty twenty.
If you go back to twenty eighteen, he wasn't one of the main guys on that Red Sox championship team in October, but with the Dodgers, he was and I just think now those two guys, they officially had been embraced by LA, they're going to experience it today.
Yeah, you mentioned Taoscar Hernandez David, and I don't think. I mean, I can't remember a Dodger player that wasn't a star like an Otani or somebody coming over like a Freddie Freeman and Adrian Gonzalez on his first game at Dodgers Dandy hitting the home run in this first AP bat, going way back when he was acquired. In recent memory, I'm trying to think of a free agent signing that maybe went under the radar and wasn't a star player like a Taoscar Hernandez who instantly, instantly fans
fell in love. But I mean to go back to media day and him and shoe a Otani on the Dodger social media platforms and talking to each other and having fun behind the scenes before they took their individual pitchers. I think it was from then on fans fell in love with him, and then certainly his production on the field, winning the home run derby. I mean, they just absolutely loved this guy.
And more importantly, his team loved him. Yeah, he was a first year guy. That found a way to bring everybody together. You know, they've had guys in the past like Anser Alberto last year or a couple of years ago where he didn't play very much. But a guy like Taoscar Hernandez who not only can perform on the field the way he did, but bring together the Latin
Spanish speaking players together with the English speaking players. That's a huge dynamic inside the clubhouse and in the dugout, and it means more when you have a player of his caliber.
And he bet on himself.
You know, he could have gotten a multi year contract, but he felt like it was under a market value for him, and he said, you know what, I'm going to bet on myself. I'm going to sign one year with a team that I believe has a chance to win a World Series championship and it's only going to boost my value across the league.
And little did we know.
I mean, I remember talking to Enrique Rojas from ESPN to sport this in spring training. He said, you are going to love Taoscar Hernandez, not just because of the player he is, but also what key brings, the intangibles that he brings. So he really lived up to it and the Sunflower Seeds celebration was organic, spontaneous, and that's why it was so great.
It was, and he was a huge part of this team in the postseason as well. Tim Kats David Vass live here on AM five to seventy LA Sports at Dodger Stadium. As the fans are starting to make their way into Dodger Stadium, the parking lot is filling up. Those that are here will be able to watch the celebration on the jumbotrons here on Dodger Vision as it's going through downtown Los Angeles. Of course, thousands have already lined up along the streets in downtown LA. I'm inside
Dodger Stadium. David Vasse is on one of the team buses. There's nobody else in LA that's got somebody on a bus during the parade except AM five seventy LA Sports and our own David Vass, So we will be having that during the parade. Dave's outside waiting with the team. Some players day are actually on the field here getting
some family shots as the players are trickling into the stadium. Obviously, in the club, I was getting ready, probably probably enjoined some coffee, but some players have trickled out here onto the field. They've got John Suhu and crew down here taking family pitchers with the championship trophy. So it's it's starting to get buzz in here at the stadium.
Yeah, you could feel it. I hear it in the background. It's a beautiful day here in La Blue Skies. I could see downtown perfectly from the players parking lot here at Dodgers Stadium, because that's where they will be loaded up and the buses will head to City Hall and from there, like you mentioned earlier, they will start that mile plus parade route that will end up here at Dodgers Stadium. You know Tim growing up here in La
I know you as well. This is a pinch me moment because the eighty eight championship period seems so far away, it seems so unattainable. And to be on one of the floats right now, for you to be at Dodger Stadium, I mean, isn't this really cool? This is the first I don't think people realize this. There are fans out there that have never experienced a Dodgers World Series parade. There are people that are alive that never got to see nineteen eighty eight. Of course they got to celebrate
with their own families in twenty twenty. But think about what this means to Dodger fans, this generation that weren't around for.
A nineteen eighty eight.
This is the first time ever they will experience a Dodger World Series parade, and I think that's what makes it all really special. It's one thing to win, but without the fans, it means absolutely nothing.
Yeah, I mean, I think we're spoiled by the Lakers and the championships in the two thousands and the parades that they had in their early two thousands, the mid two thousands, the Rams having this sort of a parade in twenty twenty one. But you're right, for the first time in thirty six years, a championship parade here for this Los Angeles Dodgers team and Mookie Betch and his family right now along the third baseline gathered taking pictures.
Together with the championship. Mookie told me he wanted me in the family picture.
Huh.
I apologize, Hey, Mo, can you wait? No, they're not waiting for you to Dave unfortunately.
Okay, Well, I mean that's disappointing for Mookie and his family.
Yeah, maybe they can photoshop you in to one of the family pictures. He is David Vat say, folks, he is live on one of the Dodgers team buzzes that is gonna make its way to City Hall and then go through the parade route. I'm inside Dodger Stadium that's starting to fill up. The entertainment has happening. We've got a band in the right field pavilion. We've got exclusive coverage here on A five seven.
Will take a band, Tim, What kind of band is it? You know? It's a I can see a saxophone. I see something reggae, ska. Who is it?
It's it's just a band, like a marching band, maybe kind of playing day.
A lot of horns and some drums. Hey, what I heard's happening?
You know what I heard is happening in San Diego today, Tim school absolutely nothing.
Yeah, that's right. They can watch on TV this championship celebration brought to you by Yama BA.
We'll come back.
We'll get an update from the parade route from break Blake trolley from kfive. David Vass inside the team bus. Nobody else has his coverage except your Home of the Dodgers A five seventy LA Sports. We're live also on the iHeartRadio appum. The Dodgers World Series Celebration continues here at Dodger Stadium, presented by Yamava Tim Kats along with David Vassa live at the Ravine as the Championship Celebration day has begun. Dodger fans filing in here to Dodger Stadium.
What a sound effect him, great sound effects? You got. We love.
The folks at Yamaba are presenting it today. David Matgic Johnson is on the field here at Dodger Stadium. Is he is getting some pictures with John Sue, who looks like the trophy. Championship trophy here is is implanted on the field and fans are, players and owner are just coming by and taking pictures one at a time as they make their way out of the dug David Masse is live on a team bus as the Dodgers will have the parade beginning eleven o'clock. We'll have it for you.
David will be on the bus during the parade with the exclusive nobody else has this interviews from the parade as it's happening, and then of course make its way back here to Dodgers Stadium. David, let's check in with camfive's Blake Trolley, who's on the parade route. In fact, he's at City Hall right now where the parade will begin in just over an hour.
Blake, what's going on out there?
Yeah, so, looking out my news truck window right now, I'm trying to wonder if there's any civilization left in the rest of southern California. I don't know how it looks for you, David, but it seems like the entire region is dressing their blue today and they are out here to show some support for the dam. Yeah.
You get a chance to talk to some of the fans already that are out there. When did you see them start arriving around City Hall and on the streets of the parade route.
Yeah, it's been really funny to actually watch the fans. So I got here about five in the morning, and uh, you know, I was telling your producer that at about five am this morning, the fans that were here, it would be like one dad with his red eyed family
that he dragged to the parade line. And the dad was really excited to do the interview and the family would be would be watching dad as what I've seen is at the rate of people that are now showing up to downtown LA and the masses have just really arrived, not only in physical presence, but also the energy is just building here. Uh and and go to this. I talked to these two fans and I just love this.
It's the type of interview where you're interviewing one and everybody wants in on if he could go to this first bit, Let's go.
Beautiful that was inile. That was incredible, Blake, that was great audio right there. It really gave us the feel of the streets.
It has been one of those situations where I pull out the mic to interview one per and it's like a newsperson's dream out here because you pull out your mic, you try to interview one person and a bunch of people start yelling into your microphone. And for us in our business, that's pretty rare that it's that easy to get people talking.
Blake, real quick, What is the situation at City Hall when the buses arrived. Karen Bass is expected to kick off the parade the LA Mayor. Is there a podium and set up for her with the players going to disembark and then get back on. What is the scene set there around City Hall?
Yeah, so of course the two buses are set up here. The mayor is set to kick this thing off at eleven am. It's really I mean, my train of vision quite honestly, has been crowded by the flocks of people that have been arriving, so I'm able to see those double decker buses and again those take off at about eleven am. They're going to ride through downtown for about forty five minutes and then it's a pretty quick trip back to Dodger Stadium for that ticketed event. I understand you're there right.
Now, absolutely, Blake. We appreciate you checking in from City Hall. We'll talk to you next hour and get it for updates. Then appreciate thanks, Blake. I got all right there, he goes Kfi's Blake trolley. He is at City Hall. We'll check o with Corbyn Carson next hour. He's on the parade route, which Dave you were gonna be on at eleven o'clock when the bus is head over there, you're gonna be on shoey Otani's bus and for show, Hey, Dave.
Being around this guy all season long, the career season that he had the fifty to fifty is one thing. The postseason and finally winning the championship after six years in baseball purgatory down in Anaheim, to finally win a championship. We saw the smile in the clubhouse. I imagine that smile probably hasn't.
Left his face now.
I saw him this morning. Actually we arrived about ten minutes apart, saw him in the clubhouse and show hey. I mean, it feels like even it was a game day. The way he came in. He had the same type of foot the way he does during the season, So it was great to see him. It'll be great to see him in this environment on the bus to see how it goes. But yeah, this is great, and I hope A Corbin has some audio from Dodger fans screaming do yours doyers, goodyers.
I watched a little bit of the local news coverage from the parade route and it's deep. I mean, we talk about parades in the eighties, the floats that the Dodger players and coaches were on for the Lakers and the Dodgers parades in eighty seven and eighty eight for the Dodgers, the last time we had one for the Dodgers, but the early two thousands and the mid two thousands
of double decker buses. You mentioned ending at the coliseum, But I remember that twenty the two thousand parade ending in front of Staples Center.
The two hundred and fifty.
Thousand Laker fans that were there with Shaq and Kobe and that crew. I imagine we're going to see numbers like that when it's all said to done. On top day of the fifty two thousand, it'll be jampacked inside Dodger Stadium.
Yeah, I mean it's going to be like two thousand, because that was the first time the Lakers had a championship since.
Nineteen eighty eight. Shack Kobe.
Now we're talking Otani, Moogie, Freddie Freeman, same type of star power. But let's face it, Tim, the Lakers were not LA's team until probably the sixties, and even then they weren't the hottest ticking in town. Ever since the Dodgers arrived in nineteen fifty eight, they've been the jewel franchise.
Of this city. There is so much emotional.
Attachment to the Dodger franchise, and obviously when Fernando Vealezuela burst onto the scene in nineteen eighty one, that took it to another level. And by the way, today is Fernando's birthday, and we're thinking about Fernando, the Valezuela family, and I know everybody was talking about trying to win the World Series in game six on Fernando's birthday. I think Fernando would be very happy that a parade is happening on his birthday instead of a game six.
So we're we're celebrating the Dodgers, and right all the others are here, they just don't ye right on cue, as you mentioned Fernando Valenzoyla's name, David, the mariachi band started and Dodger fans starting to get up out of their seats that already sitting down and starting to move around loving the mariachi movesic I'm telling you, there are a lot of Fernando Valen Valenzuela number thirty four jerseys here inside Dodgers.
Did you see all the balloons in front of the stadium when they when you first arrive at Dodger Stadium. That thing has grown to him from the day that Fernando we learned of his passing and from when the Dodgers left for Yankee Stadium after Game.
Two of the World Series.
It's the homage and the memorial in front of that landmark sign on Vin Scully Avenue. I mean, I couldn't believe it. I saw the happy Birthday balloons. It's really grown. And look, Fernando and the current players may have not had a tide of relationship as he had with his Dodger teams, but obviously the players understand what Fernando means to this city. They they had his patch on their
left sleeve. The city loved Fernando Vealezuela. And it's going to be great to celebrate the Dodgers and Fernando's birthday with this parade.
Yeah, I'm sure they're going to have a tribute for Fernando as today is Fernando Valenzuela's birthday. Miss him deeply. After a few weeks ago his passing away, they got a number thirty four certainly out here reving represented by Dodger fans, the mariachi band playing here already this morning, as we are a little over an hour away from the start of the parade, we'll take a quick time out.
We'll come back with more exclusive coverage of the Dodgers World Series Championship celebration, presented by Yamavah Tim Cats David Vesey. David is on one of the Dodgers team buses and he will be on the bus as it makes its way to City Hall in a little over an hour, and then on the bus during the one point two miles of the parade. Nobody else has this kind of exclusive coverage right here on FI seventy LA Sports. You're home of the world champion Dodgers, and all on the iHeartRadio network.