A day after the Dodgers clinched the title, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass stopped in for some official team gear at the Olympic Shop, operated by Rumi Fujimoto and her family.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking cool in his shades as Will Ireton takes some memorable video.
Thousands upon thousands jammed the streets of Downtown Los Angeles on Friday, to witness the Dodgers’ World Series victory parade. After winding their way down First Street, Grand Avenue and Fifth Street atop double-decker busses, the team and their families gathered at Dodger Stadium for a special rally. See story in Sports.
Jubilation and tears at Far Bar in Little Tokyo once the final out is recorded.
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU SPORTS EDITOR
First Street in Little Tokyo was transformed into a celebration site on Wednesday night, after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series to capture their first championship since 2020.
A capacity crowd at Far Bar hung on every pitch and play as the Dodgers took advantage of several Yankees miscues and staged a stunning comeback from a 5-0 deficit, en route to a 7-6 victory. L.A. wins the series, four games to one.
“The timing of this, and the whole story around this season has been wonderful,” said Mariko Igarashi, who came to Far Bar with Robert Vargas, whose iconic mural of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani towers over Little Tokyo just across the street from the bar. “I’m so happy for this, and that I’m here,” she said.
Seated next to Vargas for most of the evening was veteran actor and lifelong Dodger fan Edward James Olmos. The sight of his hometown team securing the championship appeared to bring the East Los Angeles native to tears.
This is the second title in four trips to the World Series for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was asked about talk about himself as a future Hall of Famer, joining multiple championship-winning Dodger managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda.
“It’s humbling,” Roberts said. “Never thought I would be in that same conversation. I’m a part of a great organization, a lot of great people around me supporting me, and we’ve won a lot of ball games. This is something I really wanted. I wanted this one.”
After six years with the Angels that never yielded a postseason appearance, Ohtani was filled with gratitude.
“I’m honored to be able to be part of a season where we played the longest, and to be able to get to know this team,” said Ohtani. “My first year and experience winning a World Series has been a tremendous honor.”
Following the win, a boisterous but controlled crowd of perhaps 200 spilled onto First Street to cheer, wave flags and trade high-fives with folks passing in cars. By 10:30 or so, the size of the crowd had diminished considerably.
“Something has been activated in Downtown,” said Sammy Tang. “We love the sports, we love the arts, and there’s something universal about all of that.”
Kei Abe gestured to the mural of Ohtani on the side of the Miyako Hotel and said the championship is precious and important to the Nikkei community.
“Coming all the way from the history of internment to today and feeling this … it is a great sense of pride,” she said.