Rangers celebrate with huge parade
ARLINGTON, Texas — Corey Seager took the stage to thunderous chants of “M-V-P!, M-V-P!” as the Texas Rangers celebrated the franchise’s first World Series championship Friday.
“Really this was truly special, we appreciate all of your support,” Seager, the second-time World Series MVP, said during the ceremony following a two-hour parade along a 2-mile route near the team’s ballpark.
Arlington fire officials estimated 400,000 to 700,000 fans attended the celebration.
While normally pretty stoic, though he had a couple of emphatic shows of emotion during the playoffs, Seager then took a swipe at the Houston Astros, the team that took the AL West title from Texas on the final day of the regular season. That made the Rangers a wildcard team, and they then set an MLB record by winning all 11 of their postseason road games.
“I’ve just got one thing to say. You know, everybody was wondering what would happen if the Rangers didn’t win the World Series. I guess we’ll never know,” Seager said, a clear retort to what Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said to start their champagne celebration when they clinched the division title.
Texas beat the Astros in the AL Championship Series, with the Rangers winning all four ALCS games played in Houston, including the Game 7 clincher.
Fans were stacked dozens deep at some spots during the parade, which came two days after the Rangers wrapped up the World Series title with a 5-0 win on the road in Game 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It came a week after Texas won the series opener at home on an 11th-inning homer by Adolis García after Seager hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the game.
“Years from now, I’m going to think about this moment, and I’m going to cherish the time that I had to spend with [these players],” manager Bruce Bochy told the crowd. “We talked about it at spring training. We’re going to do something special. Well, fellas, we did something her together. Thank you.”
Bochy then shared his granddaughter, who was with him during the parade, said she wanted to do that again.
“Well, I’m with her. I want to do this again. Let’s go,” said the 68-year-old Bochy, the oldest manager in the majors.
The Rangers won their first championship in their 63rd season as a franchise, which began as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 before the team moved to Texas in 1972.
AL Championship Series MVP García, Seager and all of the Rangers players were in the parade through the entertainment district of Arlington, the city where they play along Interstate 30 halfway between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas.
Seager was also the World Series MVP in 2020 when playing for the Dodgers, who won that title in a neutral-site MLB postseason played during the pandemic at Globe Life Field, the Rangers’ retractable-roof stadium.
The Rangers arrived home in North Texas on Thursday, with All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien exiting first and hoisting the World Series trophy into the air as he stepped off the plane. By that time, some fans were already staking out spots along the parade route.
After starting on the south side of Globe Life Park, the parade went along the side of AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and up around Mark Holtz Lake, named after the late Rangers broadcaster known for his “Hello Win Column!” call. The parade then passed by the Rangers’ former ballpark where they played when making their only other World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.