Nationals fans rejoice at Washington parade
WASHINGTON— The song “Baby Shark” blared over loudspeakers and a wave of red washed across this politically blue capital Saturday as Nationals fans lined the city’s version of the Canyon of Heroes to rejoice in Washington’s first World Series victory since 1924.
“We just felt itwas a onceinalifetime experience,” said Bridget Chapin, who came from Burke, Virginia, with her husband, Mark, for the parade along Constitution Avenue and a rally a fewblocks from the Capitol.
Nick Hashimoto of Dulles, Virginia, was among thosewho arrived at 5 a. m. to snag a frontrow spot. He brought his own baby shark toy in honor of backup outfielder Gerardo Parra’s walkup song, which began as a parental tribute to the musical taste of his 2yearold daughter and ended up as a rallying cry that united fans at Nationals Park and his teammates.
As “Baby Shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo” played on a crisp morning, early risers joined in with the trademark response— arms extended in a chomping motion. Chants of “Let’s go Nats!” resonated from the crowd hours before theywere to hear from the team.
“I’ve met all these people today. I’ve got newfriends,” said Kimberly Ballou of Silver Spring, Maryland.
The Nationals got a hero’s welcome home from tens of thousands of people in a city that had thirsted for a baseball champion for nearly a century. The Nationals gave them that by winning in seven games over the HoustonAstros; the clincher came on the road Wednesday night.
“I just wish they could have won in DC,” said Ronald Saunders of Washington, who came with a Little League team thatwas marching in the parade.
The crowd along the route was deeply packed. Cheers went up and fans waved red streamers, hand towels and signs that said “Fight Finished” as the players rode by on the open top of doubledecker buses. GeneralManager Mike Rizzo, a cigar in his mouth, jumped off with the World Series trophy to showthe fans lining the barricades and slap highfives. Manager Dave Martinez also got in on the fun.
“We knowwhat this title means to DC, a true baseball town, from the Senators to the Grays and nowthe Nationals,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the rally. “By finishing the fight you have brought a tremendous amount of joy to our town and inspired a newgeneration of players and Nationals fans.”
Bowser added: “We are deeply proud of you and I think we should do it again next year. What do you think?” Then she started a chant of “Back to back! Back to back!”
President Donald Trump has invited the Nationals to the White House onMonday, though relief pitcher Sean Doolittle doesn’t plan to attend.
“There’s a lot of things, policies that I disagree with, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with the divisive rhetoric and the enabling of conspiracy theories and widening the divide in this country,” Doolittle told TheWashington Post.
Doolittle found support from Larry Stokes of Boyds, Maryland, citing Trump’s stand on immigrants. “They’re playing this game, but he doesn’t like immigrants,” Stokes said.
But to fan Bridget Chapin, “Regardless of howyou feel, you go to the Oval Office. I’m really weary of athletes making political statements. Iwatch sports to get away from all that.”
The president attended Game 5 in Washington and was greeted with loud boos when hewas shown on the giant video screen during a tribute to veterans. The boos more than overwhelmed a scattering of cheers.
Delores Smith o fWashington, a longtime baseball fan who said she had an uncle who pitched in the Negro Leagues, said the World Series was “a big win” for the city. “This is the first time in a long time that I’ve seen the whole city come together. There’s no fussing about Trump.”
In a city divided by politics, race and economics, the Nats were something of a unifier— at least for the time being— as partisans and nonpartisans alike openly congratulated one another on their team’s win.
Evenwith the threat of stars leaving for free agency — as outfielder BryceHarper did after 2018— fans hoped the Nationals’ successwould continue.
“I don’t think it’s going to be our last time. This team, evenwhen our last superstar left, this team rallied around, they played as a team,” Stokes said.