LOS ANGELES – Clayton Kershaw approached the podium on a blue, circular podium in center field at Dodger Stadium on Friday after the downtown parade he had always wanted, as his teammates bowed from behind, and the emotions hit him.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Kershaw said, his voice cracking, to a crowd of 42,448 people who showed up to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series title. “I had nothing to do with this championship, but I feel like I have the best feeling in the world – that I get to celebrate it with you!”

When the Dodgers last won it all, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from enjoying most of the spectacle presented to Major League Baseball’s champion, especially a parade. Kershaw, who had spent his long career chasing a title, was never able to fully enjoy a moment that admittedly lifted a huge burden from his shoulders. When the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night, it gave the franchise its first full-season championship since 1988 and gave its players a chance to fully celebrate.

It probably meant the most to Kershaw, even though a foot injury prevented him from helping.

“I think there was almost a sense of relief in 2020,” Kershaw said. “And this one – especially because my role is quite limited, just to be able to sit back and enjoy it, you know? I think there’s just a lot more happiness, honestly. I’m so happy to finally be able to celebrate it. That parade was for this season, and I think this season in itself was unique, and we’re going to celebrate it accordingly. But also 2020 took a long time to finally do it – I think the build-up honestly made it even more fun. “

Seven double-decker buses carrying players, family members, coaches and front office staff took a 2-mile route from Gloria Molina Grand Park near City Hall, along 1st Street and then Grand Avenue before turning left at 5th Street and heading to Dodger Stadium around 12:30 p.m. PT . Ice Cube, who famously kicked off Game 2 of the World Series last week, greeted them with a rendition of his iconic song “It Was a Good Day.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts danced next to him and then introduced some of his key players.

Walker Buehler, who recorded the final out, wore Orel Hershiser’s gray road jersey from the 1988 World Series and shouted expletives into the microphone. Kiké Hernández, in many ways the team’s spiritual leader, stirred the crowd by urging them to shout “we don’t give a fuck,” a reference to his line during an on-field interview after the pennant. victory. Shohei Ohtani navigated the parade with his dog Decoy in tow and then spoke in English from the stage.

“This is so special to me,” Ohtani told the crowd. “I’m so honored to be here and part of this team. Congratulations, Los Angeles. Thank you, fans!”

The biggest cheers went to Freddie Freeman, who battled his way through a litany of injuries in October to ultimately win the World Series MVP. Roberts introduced Freeman as someone who “played with one leg and one rib,” a reference to his sprained right ankle and, as ESPN reported Thursday, the broken costal cartilage he suffered the night before the National League Division Series.

Roberts said the team “got out of the woods” with Freeman’s rib problem in the off time between the end of the NL Championship Series and the start of the World Series, prompting Freeman to launch a Kirk Gibson-style walk-off grand slam in Game 1.

“But he was nowhere near 100 percent,” Roberts added.

Neither does Kershaw, of course.

The 36-year-old left-hander underwent shoulder surgery last season and did not make his 2024 debut until late July, before aggravating a long-term toe injury in his seventh start. Attempts to return for the postseason only led to other ailments, forcing him out for the long run of the season.

On Wednesday, Kershaw said he will undergo surgery to repair his left foot — to address a bone spur and a torn plantar plate, among other things — and another procedure to correct a meniscus problem in his left knee.

At some point in the coming days, Kershaw will either exercise his 2025 player option or sign a new contract to return for his 18th season with the Dodgers.

For seventeen years, Kershaw established himself as one of the most monumental figures in the franchise’s illustrious history. He won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP, made 10 All-Star teams, became the all-time leader in strikeouts and had the second-most wins. But he was consistently part of the star-studded Dodgers teams that fell short in the playoffs and, rightly or not, took the blame for much of it.

The 2020 championship put him right.

The 2024 championship allowed him to celebrate appropriately.

“I knew it was going to be a special day, y’all, but it was a little more emotional than I expected,” Kershaw said. “It’s a day I’ll definitely never forget. You know, baseball is just a game. Everybody says that. But I don’t know, man. You look around and you see how much it means to so many different people. It may be baseball, but it means a lot to a lot of different people.”