It was a deliriously fun combination of Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve and world championship – with the crowd of the century on hand to celebrate.
Hundreds of thousands of people jammed downtown San Francisco on Wednesday for the Giants’ World Series victory parade, one of the largest gatherings the city has seen in years. They perched on building rooftops and stood 50 deep at some spots along Market Street, screaming themselves hoarse as the first San Francisco Giants team ever to win the world championship rode motorized cable cars from the Financial District to City Hall.
At the head of the parade were luminaries associated with the team and the city – Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Willie Mays, managing general partner Bill Neukom, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Manager Bruce Bochy rode in a classic car, with the World Series trophy in his hands and a big grin on his face.
The Giants estimated that more than 1 million people watched the parade along the 1 1/2-mile route. Police, in keeping with their practice in recent years, declined to give a crowd size. But few, if any, could remember a bigger throng.
Downtown looked like an open-air festival gone wild as confetti rained from skyscrapers. Fans dressed up in black beards to honor star reliever Brian Wilson and long-haired wigs for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
Full story: Hundreds of thousands pack Giants parade route