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The DeNA BayStars celebrated their first Japan Series title in 26 years Saturday with a championship parade through Yokohama.
Manager Daisuke Miura and players were cheered by fans as they traveled the roughly 1.5-kilometer parade route from the city’s waterfront Minato Mirai district to near Yokohama Stadium.
“Some people were shedding tears and saying thank you, and I felt I should be thanking them,” Miura said. “I could feel the love from so many people.”
DeNA BayStars players wave to fans in Yokohama on Nov. 30, 2024, during a parade to celebrate winning Nippon Professional Baseball’s 2024 Japan Series championship. (Kyodo)The BayStars finished third in the Central League and advanced to the Japan Series by winning two Climax Series rounds as the underdog.
In the Japan Series, DeNA bounced back from a 0-2 deficit against the Pacific League’s SoftBank Hawks, winning four straight games to clinch its first national championship since 1998, when the team was still known as the Yokohama BayStars.
Star infielder Shugo Maki said he wanted to pack the streets of Yokohama with BayStars fans for another victory celebration in a year’s time.
“It’s the best scenery I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Next year, I want to win the Central League title and be No. 1 in Japan, then have another big parade.”
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