‘Rangers made dreams come true!’ Top moments from World Series celebration in Arlington

Hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans packed into Arlington’s entertainment district to celebrate the World Series champions Texas Rangers with a historic victory parade.

“I just got one thing to say,” MVP Corey Seager told the crowd during the post-parade ceremony. “Everyone wondered what would happen if the Rangers didn’t win the World Series. I guess we’ll never know.”

The sea of blue and red outside Globe Life Field erupted in chants of “MVP! MVP!”

Then confetti shot high into the air to cap off the day-long, Texas-sized party.

“Welcome to the American dream city, Arlington Texaaaaaaas!” Mayor Jim Ross told the crowd after players on stage took turns holding up their first World Series trophy while Creed’s “Higher” blasted. “And does anybody believe that the Rangers made the dream come true?”

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy took the stage with, “How sweet it is, huh? How sweet it is! You guys can party, I love it.”

Crowd predictions were 250,000 people. Some estimates are 500,000 — huge compared to past Metroplex sports celebrations.

The parade started just after noon with legions of marching band students from Arlington high schools. The Rangers emerged from after 1 p.m. for the 2-mile parade that lasted more than an hour.

Flag-waving, jersey-wearing crowds 10-people deep, standing on benches and even climbing up trees, lined the route around Globe Life Field, where some had camped overnight.

No major problems have been reported so far, other than traffic gridlock and a handful of minor arrests. And then there was this guy:

Scroll down for more from the Star-Telegram team on the ground. Here’s the latest:

• Players speaking during the ceremony included pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, shortstop Marcus Semien and the “RBI machine” Adolis Garcia, who said in Spanish, “It’s just great to be part of this team right here... and I want to give a special shout out to all of you who believed in us all year.”
  
  

• The parade ended around 2 p.m., and a ceremony will follow shortly. Rangers players were about an hour late in joining the parade, but no one is complaining. Players rode in the back of decorated Toyota trucks with their families, waving World Series flags and pumping their fists in the air. Manager Bruce Bochy had the World Series trophy near the end of the parade.

• Arlington Mayor Jim Ross was on one of the first trucks in the parade after the marching bands. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, wearing a World Series T-shirt, is also in the parade.

• The noise of cheers, chants, music and truck horns was deafening. This may be the biggest public party in the history of Arlington, for sure, and possibly the Metroplex.

• And many a beer has been chugged, including by the triumphant players . “We should point out, in the interest of public safety, that none of these players are driving,” one TV anchor quipped.

⚾ Latest top headlines:

→ Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels: All should be invited to Rangers parade

→ We won but we got cheated: Why Rangers season was a blur to fans

→ Clarence Hill: What Super Bowl-starved Cowboys should learn from this

Was this DFW’s biggest sports parade crowd ever?

The last Super Bowl parade for the Dallas Cowboys, in 1996, had about 125,000 people. By some estimates, 500,000 to 700,000 Texas Rangers fans crammed Arlington’s Entertainment District (or tried to) on Friday to celebrate their beloved World Series champions.

Star-Telegram’s Tom Johanningmeier breaks down how this party compared to other pro teams’ victory laps.

Huge crowds take toll on phone service

With so many people in Arlington, cell service is spotty. The crowds have been described as two Cowboys and four Rangers games happening at the same time.

Some Verizon customers said their Internet and phone service appears down across North Texas. Unclear if that’s related to the Arlington events.

Rangers parade route

The 2-mile parade route will circle both Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium. Parking lots inside the parade route, including the Live! by Loews garage, Cowboys parking Lot 4 and Rangers’ parking lots A, B, R and T, will be closed before and during the festivities.

The parade will travel north on AT&T Way, east on Nolan Ryan Expressway, to East Road to Six Flags before heading south on Ballpark Way/Stadium Drive and down to Cowboys Way. Here are more details about road closures and what to expect.

Getting ready for the parade

The Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy snapped this photo of Arlington Mayor Jim Ross as the parade was close to starting at 12:15 p.m.

‘JESUS WON’: Evan Carter shares message

“JESUS WON” is what Texas Rangers left fielder Evan Carter wants everyone to know. He wore a blue T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase in white and red lettering while sitting in the dugout surrounded by a gaggle of reporters before his major league debut on Sept. 8.

Carter’s faith now takes center stage. Read more from the Star-Telegram’s David Montesino.

Want to meet Corey Seager?

Fans will have a chance to meet Corey Seager, the World Series MVP, after Friday’s victory parade in Arlington. He will greet fans and serve chicken tenders at Raising Cane’s in Arlington, CBS Texas is reporting.

Will the Rangers parade be on TV?

Can’t make it to Arlington? Stuck at work? You’re in luck. At least two local network affiliates will broadcast live from Friday’s parade: KDFW Channel 4, KXAS Channel 5, WFAA Channel 8 and KTVT Channel 11.

How bad will traffic be going to parade?

On a scale between 1 and Dallas? We can expect “massive traffic issues” in and around Arlington, which is one reason Arlington ISD canceled school on Friday. (These other North Texas school districts have also given kids Friday off.)

Think of it this way: Friday’s victory parade and celebration will be like having two Cowboys and four Rangers games happening at the same time, said one Arlington police official.

Star-Telegram reporter Brayden Garcia talked with Arlington officials about how to avoid traffic problems and what public transit options are available to get to Globe Life Field from Fort Worth or Dallas.

Where to find Rangers commemorative newspapers?

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is ready to help you celebrate - and preserve for history. In addition to our expanded coverage, we have opportunities for you to buy posters and plaques of commemorative news pages marking the World Series championship.

We’ll also have expanded coverage with commemorative “poster: front pages on Friday and Sunday. Here is where you can find these special Star-Telegram print editions in the Fort Worth area.

Who will be in the Rangers parade?

All the Rangers players, of course. The parade also will include Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and other city leaders, the police and fire departments, and special marching bands from the Arlington school district at the request of the Rangers. In fact, the band will include students from all six high schools, reports Star-Telegram reporter Harriet Ramos.

Rangers players, manager Bruce Bochy and other franchise bigwigs will speak to the crowd right after the parade, in Globe Life Field North Plaza and the adjacent Lot B. Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Chuck Morgan will lead the 30-minute program.

Star-Telegram sports columnist Mac Engel, who has reported on the Rangers throughout the series, has some thoughts on who should be invited to the parade, including Nolan Ryan.

Will Creed be there?

The rock band best known for its ‘90s and early 2000s hits unexpectedly became part of this remarkable World Series run. “Higher” became the Rangers unofficial theme song, played in-between breaks on the television broadcast and at Globe Life Field during home games.

Even if Creed songs kind of annoyed you before, you’ve gotta admit: This week’s jubilation has probably endeared you to those familiar lyrics: “Can you take me higher, To a place where blind men see; Can you take me higher, To a place with golden streets!”

While we have no indication they’ll appear in Arlington on Friday (but wouldn’t that rock?), Creed is embarking on a new tour next year that includes three Texas stops. Coincidence? Check out what Star-Telegram reporter Brayden Garcia wrote about Creed earlier this week.

Check back for updates throughout the day.