Thousands of giddy fans wearing pearl necklaces, swinging imaginary tomahawks and wading through piles of red, white and blue confetti cheered on a jubilant parade Friday in celebration of the Atlanta Braves’ improbable World Series win.
Stretching from Atlanta to Cobb County, the event simultaneously represented so many different things to different people: A welcome respite amid the coronavirus pandemic and political division. Long-awaited catharsis for a long-suffering sports town that endured the Falcons’ disastrous collapse in the 2017 Super Bowl. And a celebration of resilience.
The Braves — they didn’t record their first winning record of the season until Aug. 6 — lost some of their best players to injuries and off-the-field issues before rebuilding their outfield and defeating Houston in the best-of-seven series 4-2. They put a big exclamation point at the end, finishing Game 6 with a resounding 7-0 victory.
All of the team’s heroes rode in the parade. First baseman Freddie Freeman, the face of the team, was celebrated with cheers of Fred-die! Fred-die!” Slugger Jorge Soler, the World Series MVP, waved the flag of his native Cuba. And fun-loving outfielder Joc Pederson tossed fans copies of his signature pearl necklace.
The water flowing in Woodruff Park’s fountains was dyed red for the occasion. House of Pain’s “Jump Around” blared from speakers to warm up the crowd. When the parade began, the fans got loud and stayed loud. They started a wave, carried signs declaring “bATtLe won” and tossed cans of beer to the athletes as they rode by.
“The Freeze” — the costumed sprinter famous for racing Braves fans around Truist Park in a between-inning promotion — joined in the tomahawk chop. Blooper, the Braves mascot, waved from an Atlanta firetruck. Fans went nuts when they spotted the team’s manager, Brian Snitker, a baseball lifer who has served in the Braves organization for more than four decades.
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Steve McClelland of Buckhead showed up to root on his team. He was just 10 when he saw Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run and was newly married when he attended Game 6 of the 1995 World Series. And now he is a season ticketholder reveling in the World Series victory of the team he’s loved for so long.
“I can’t even believe this is happening. I mean the energy here is unmatched,” he said. “I have goosebumps on top of goosebumps.”
Heather Beccaria of Sandy Springs watched every one of the Braves games this year. Last year, she got so stressed watching the playoffs that she got shingles. This year, she said, she knew.
“I had a feeling from the beginning,” she said.
For Emily Markette, the Braves are a family affair. She attended the parade with nearly a dozen relatives spanning three generations.
“We grew up going to Fulton County Stadium. We went to the first game at the Ted. We were there when Andruw Jones hit his first home run,” she said as her 2-year-old son sat on the shoulders of her father, Joe Kimble.
Tyrae Carter looked like a winner walking through Centennial Olympic Park Friday, wearing a gold wrestling championship belt emblazoned with “1995 Atlanta Braves” around his waist. He was there to watch the parade with his wife, fellow Clayton County native Jasmine Carter, and their 8-year-old daughter, Lyndon. Carter, his wife said, wore the belt for every playoff game at home.
“I’m definitely getting another one,” he said.
Sanjay Sharma, an IT worker from Duluth, joined his family at the parade. He arrived in Georgia 25 years ago and just missed the last championship. A Braves fan ever since, he thought they’d win Sunday and got scared when they didn’t. In Game 6, he felt solid only after the 7th inning.
“It’s amazing!” he said.
At least nine metro Atlanta school systems closed Friday, citing snarled traffic, road closures and low staffing levels. The closures affected more than 600,000 schoolchildren, sending some parents scrambling to find childcare.
Cooper Rose, 11, a fifth-grade student at Youth Elementary School in Walton County, and his twin sister, Olivia, found a perch on Peachtree Street, hours before the parade started. Accompanied by their dad, Kenny, they toted homemade signs. Olivia’s read “Hey, Ozzie, I play second base too. Wanna date?”
“We begged him to go,” Olivia said about their father. “I really like the excitement of it, and I just all in all love the Braves.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some Atlantans who attended the in-town portion of the parade took to social media to vent their frustrations. They felt like the team rushed along Peachtree Street, not allowing enough time for fans to revel in the celebrations with the players, while taking their time during the Cobb County leg.
Laura LaHiff from Atlanta brought her kids to the Battery. She attended Game 6 for the 1995 World Series.
“We have been locked up for so long, I wanted them to experience this in person, not on a TV,” she said.
The festivities even brought opponents together. Atlanta mayoral runoff rivals Felicia Moore and Andre Dickens sat side by side on a trolley car near the start of the Braves parade. Each sported their finest team gear, cheering along with the crowd. Meanwhile, chants could be heard inside the Gold Dome during the staid legislative hearings.
“Surreal sitting in Senate’s redistricting committee meeting and hearing cheers, yells, and music coming from (the) parade for Braves,” state Sen. Jen Jordan tweeted.
As the parade arrived at The Battery, the athletes hoisted the World Series trophy, sprayed champagne from an open-top bus and waved the team flag. DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For What” joined a cacophony of cheering fans, cow bells and helicopters. Players and coaches entered through center field on a red carpet leading to a stage just beyond second base. Some ran along the carpet as they were introduced. A video recapping their championship run was shown on the scoreboard.
Hank Aaron’s widow, Billye, got a standing ovation. Her late husband, the Major League Baseball and Braves icon, died in January at the age of 86.
“The spirit of Hank Aaron pervades this space,” she said. “He is here with us. He loved the Atlanta Braves, and I am so very, very happy to be able to see these young men who have picked up the mantle and who are carrying it on. Thank you.”
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was met with a mix of cheers and boos as she was introduced on stage. She got more cheers as she wrapped up her brief speech by thanking the Braves.
Snitker and Freeman both thanked the fans.
“Braves country, we did it,” Snitker declared. “We are world champions. I’m sure myself and every one of these guys up here want to thank you for your support, the energy that you provide us all year long.”
Some of the speakers looked ahead to next October and November.
“I’m thinking round two next year,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “What do you say?”
AJC staff writers Greg Bluestein, Ben Brasch, Gabriel Burns, J.D. Capelouto, Ariel Hart and Vanessa McCray and Fresh Take Georgia writers Tricia Cumiskey, Neby Moges and Taylor Reimann contributed to this report.
Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
