Braves fans celebrate World Series title with parade in Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves were cheered by hundreds of thousands of fans in a twostage parade on Friday celebrating the team’s first World Series championship since 1995.

Some area schools closed, and students seized the opportunity to attend the event.

“That’s what the fun part of this is,” Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said. “Every block it was just kids and it was all kids. Never, never did I expect to see that many little guys.”

The parade started in downtown Atlanta, near the Braves’ former home at Turner Field. The route took the buses, floats and pickup trucks past a memorial to late Hall of Famer Hank Aaron at the site of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The procession then headed to Peachtree Street, where fans packed sidewalks several rows deep.

Atlanta police estimated 300,000 to 400,000 fans attended the downtown portion of the parade.

ASTROS: Dusty Baker will return as manager of Houston for a third season after agreeing to a one-year contract with the AL champions. Baker took over from AJ Hinch, who was suspended by MLB for his role in the team’s sign stealing and then fired. The Astros lost to Tampa Bay in the 2020 AL Championship Series and to Atlanta in this year’s six-game World Series

HALL OF FAME: Gil Hodges, Roger Maris and Minnie Miñoso are among 10 men on the ballot of the Golden Days Era committee for baseball’s Hall of Fame. Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Billy Pierce and Maury Wills also are on the ballot along with former Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh, the Hall said Friday. The vote by the 16-person committee, whose members will be announced later, is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida.