LOS ANGELES -- From all the moments in between the final out and the ring ceremony the following spring, being a World Series champion comes with no shortage of opportunity to bask in the glory of victory.
But to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, it all begins with the parade.
"The jubilation of doing it, when you get the final out, whatever game you win it in, is special. That night is special," Friedman said. "But to be able to take a breath and then experience a parade, in my mind, that is what has always driven me to want to win."
On Monday afternoon, the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles celebrated a World Series title, their third in six years. The first of the three championships came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when there could be no parade, which has only made the team appreciate the festivities more over the past two seasons.
The party started with a parade through downtown, where the Dodgers rode atop double-decker buses and fans packed the streets to greet their champions.
"It felt like millions of fans out, surrounding the streets," said Clayton Kershaw, whose decorated career came to a close with a championship. "It’s just a great reminder of how much this community and how much this city loves the Dodgers. … For us to bring home another championship, and get to do that and celebrate, and for me to be a part of it and be on this team, it’s just the perfect way to end it."
From there, they headed to Dodger Stadium, where the estimated crowd of more than 52,700 had already gotten loud while watching the procession on the scoreboards.
One rallying cry came from two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who just completed his second year as a Dodger and already has two rings to show for it. As he took in the sights and sounds of the streets of the parade route, confetti raining down upon fans clad in blue, Ohtani made a bold proclamation.
"I'm already thinking about the third time we're going to do this," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on SportsNet LA.
Miles away, those in the stands waiting to receive their champions at Dodger Stadium let out a roar.
Fresh off back-to-back titles, the Dodgers are already hungry for another, a sentiment expressed by nearly every member of the team who spoke on the ballpark's main stage on Monday. It was the spoken equivalent of a vision board -- or perhaps alternatively, bulletin-board material for their opponents -- as L.A. tries to keep the golden era of Dodger baseball going.
"We’re not trying to do something that another team did," Freddie Freeman said. "We’re just trying to win every single year. That’s why we do it."
With DJ Mustard on the beat, playing Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," the team arrived at a sold-out Dodger Stadium. Led by World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers walked the blue carpet in center field to the stage, where one World Series trophy was displayed next to an empty table.
The other trophy was being delivered by none other than rapper and actor Ice Cube, who cruised around the warning track in a classic car to deliver this year's Commissioner's Trophy to its rightful place. The stage set, the Dodgers took to the microphone to address the fans who had been behind them all season long.
Some of the heroes from the clinching Game 7 were up first.
Miguel Rojas, who hit a game-tying ninth-inning homer, got the fans to applaud Roki Sasaki on his 24th birthday, then cued up "Bailalo Rocky." (Sasaki did not quite dance, but obliged by pumping his fist to the beat.)
Yamamoto, who pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief on zero rest, showed off some multilingual skills.
"Buenas tardes," Yamamoto said to thunderous applause. "You know what? Losing isn't an option."
The ceremony saved the best for last: Kershaw, who prefaced his comments by saying he would try not to cry -- but almost immediately succumbed to his emotions as he expressed his gratitude to the only organization and fans he has known in his 18 big league seasons.
Kershaw got to go out on top. And he's hoping his teammates can finish what they've started, even though he won't be a part of it.
"I know we're gonna get one more next year," Kershaw said. "And I'm gonna watch just like all of you."