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Throngs of fans greeted the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday as the city celebrated its first World Series championship in 30 years. The crowds were so massive that some fans left because they could not get a glimpse of the team, which wrapped up the Series in five games on Sunday night in New York with a 7-2 win over the Mets in 12 innings.
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The 2.3-mile victory parade began downtown at the Power & Light District and ended with a rally at Union Station. Fans dressed in Royals gear and holding signs expressing their appreciation lined the route to greet players and team officials.
Royals manager Ned Yost hoisted the World Series trophy for spectators to see when the caravan turned into Union Station. Catcher Salvador Perez took the hardware into the crowd and posed for selfies and pictures, and outfielder Jonny Gomes gave a passionate speech.
The players appeared overwhelmed by the turnout. So many people were gathered that cellphone service was unavailable.
Many fans suffered through the franchise's lean years and were thankful to see winning baseball return to Kansas City. Some area schools postponed classes on Tuesday to allow children to experience the celebration.
The Royals had not reached the playoffs since their last World Series appearance in 1985 and had not been back to the playoffs until last year, when their lost to the San Francisco Giants in the Series.
