Photo by Marco Torres/@MarcoFromHouston
Beloved Astros manager Dusty Baker carries the trophy with pride.
Houston Astros players rallied them. City officials rallied them. Even our own Ken Hoffman rallied locals all over Greater Houston and beyond to shatter the 1 million-in-attendance marker from the 2017 World Series downtown parade.
And wow, did Houston rally on Monday, November 7 for their beloved Houston Astros, who clinched their second World Series title on Saturday, November 5 at Minute Maid Park. The City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner released parade details at 2 pm Sunday, November 6 and by 11:30 pm that night, fans were already lining the streets with chairs, coolers, and flags preparing for the Monday event.
CultureMap caught up with fan favorite Alex Bregman as the team boarded buses at Minute Maid Park before the parade. "It's unbelievable," he told us. "Just to be able to celebrate this championship today — my son's here, my family's here, they're gonna be riding on that float. I think everyone in that clubhouse believed we could do it. And that's a big reason why we did do it."
Rookie Jeremy Peña, named the World Series MVP for his outstanding and clutch play against the Philadelphia Phillies, told us that he was "on Cloud 9. "I still haven't processed everything that's going on. This is special."
Then, it was on to the parade, which ran a 1.7-mile stretch from Preston Street and Smith Street and ran to Tuam Street and Smith Streets. The tens of thousands of fans lining the streets were greeted with fair weather, confetti cannons, and a slew of VIPs. Local high schools join the Texas Southern University and University of Houston marching bands.
Houston's rap icon Bun B caused an eruption when he appeared on a float with Jim "Mattress Mack" Ingvale — who's looking quite happy after cementing a $75 million win on his World Series wager, despite news on his actual payout. Astros Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio also received roaring love from the crowds.
Not long after came the Astros players, with cherished manager Dusty Baker carrying the Commissioner's Trophy as he stood next to his wife Melissa, Astros owner Jim Crane and his wife Whitney, and Mayor Sylvester Turner, who tossed beads to crowd.
Beads and orange rally towels were hot commodities; folks on floats tossed them to eager onlookers. When it was over, the hordes dispersed — but not quietly, as chants of "Let's go Astros!" rang through downtown, accompanied by car honks on beat.
Late Monday night, the City of Houston issued a statement saying it would take a few days to calculate the attendance. Record-breaking or not, the parade was one for the ages.
