The Latest: Royals fans gather for Kansas City celebration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The latest on celebrations in Kansas City to mark the Kansas City Royals' World Series victory (all times local):
5:15 p.m.
Kansas City officials estimate half a million people attended festivities for the World Series champion Royals
Streets were clogged Tuesday for the downtown parade and rally at Union Station.
Most area schools canceled classes and many employers excused their workers to they could attend the event.
The local transit authority estimated its shuttles carried more than 100,000 people to downtown from several staging areas around the city. Officials say some people had to wait as long as three hours for a ride.
Despite the turnout, Police Chief Darryl Forte says that as of 4:30 p.m., there had been only three arrests during the celebration - and they were for minor incidents.
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4 p.m.
Traffic was so heavy before a celebration of the Royals' World Series championship that some drivers parked along the side of the interstate and walked.
But police spokesman Tye Grant says that overall the fans were ''happy and classy and waited their turn to find a place to park.''
People taking public transportation also found themselves waiting anywhere from one to three hours. Kansas City Area Transit Authority spokesman Cindy Baker described the waits as ''rough'' and that conservative estimates are that 100,000 people were shuttled to the celebration before 2 p.m.
She says the crowds were ''definitely more than expected.''
She says that with many school districts calling off classes, school buses were called in to help transport the masses. No official crowd estimates were immediately available.
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2:55 p.m.
The Kansas City Royals are thanking their fans during a rally celebrating their World Series championship.
Johnny Gomes was a midseason acquisition from the Atlanta Braves who didn't make the playoff roster. But he was credited by his team for bringing positive energy to the clubhouse.
During Tuesday's rally at Union Station, Gomes asked the crowd for a moment of silence in honor of Edinson Volquez's father, Chris Young's father and Mike Moustakas' mother, all of whom died this year.
All three Royals played key roles in Kansas City's playoff run and later praised their teammates for helping them to play through their grief.
Gomes said, ''It's unbelievable what those guys did.''
Volquez drew loud applause when he vowed to the fans that the Royals would be back on the same stage next season after winning another world championship.
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2 p.m.
The Kansas City Royals have arrived at Union Station for a celebratory rally after a parade through downtown Kansas City.
Manager Ned Yost raised the World Series trophy as his vehicle turned into Union Station, prompting loud cheers from the crowd. World Series MVP catcher Salvador Perez later had the trophy as he walked through the crowd, taking selfies and pictures with fans along the route.
Christian Colon, who hit in the go-ahead run in the Royals' 7-2 win over the New York Mets in the championship game, told WDAF-TV that he was not surprised by the turnout. Colon said it was great to see everyone's smiling faces and hear their thank-yous. He says the team won for the city and its fans and is excited to be part of the celebration.
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1:20 p.m.
Some of the Kansas City Royals fans crowded into the streets and a park near the site of a planned rally have given up and left after finding themselves packed tightly in places where they couldn't see the activities.
The crowds mostly stayed in good spirits during the long wait for the rally, but a few people said they could not tolerate the tight quarters. Cellphone service also was out along much of the parade route.
Mary Winston, of Overland Park, Kansas, said she brought her five children about three hours before the rally but she decided to give up and go home. She says they were disappointed because it was not possible to get close enough to see any part of the rally.
Tiffany Davis, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, also decided to turn around with her 11-year-old daughter, Julia, who rode bikes to the scene. She says she expected the ''wild'' scene but realized there was no way to get close enough to see the rally.
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12:15 p.m.
Kansas City is turning blue as Royals fans line up to watch the World Series championship team parade.
Forty-eight-year-old Kansas City native Steve Spencer marveled at the crowd as he joined the masses walking toward the city's Union Station. Recalling the years of losing seasons, he says the ''crazy'' turnout is beyond anything he has ever seen.
Highways leading into the city are packed and city streets are jammed.
Thirty-four-year-old Chris Lasister, of Lenexa, Kansas, brought his 2-year-old son with him to watch the festivities. He says he doesn't remember the parade when the Royals last won the World Series in 1985, so he can't miss this one.
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10:40 a.m.
Kansas City Royals fans are streaming into the city in preparation for a celebration of the team's World Series championship.
Fans took up spots along the 2.3-mile parade route Tuesday morning, hours before the start of the parade, with many playing games and cheering, while some slept. Organizers set up food trucks and provided music to entertain the fans as they waited for the parade to start.
The Royals won the World Series Sunday with a 7-2 win over the New York Mets, the team's first championship since 1985.
Steve Templeton, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, says he's supported the Royals since 1965. He says he couldn't attend the 1985 parade and was determined not to miss this one, and he wanted to be sure his 8-year-old son had the experience.
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12:10a.m.
The Kansas City Royals and their fans will throw one of the biggest parties in the city's history to celebrate the team's first World Series championship in 30 years.
The Royals became World Series champions Sunday with a 7-2 victory in 12 innings over the New York Mets. It was the first championship for the Royals since 1985, which was followed by decades of losing baseball that caused many in the city to abandon the team.
City officials said they expect at least 200,000 people to pack into the 2.3-mile parade route Tuesday through downtown Kansas City to cheer as the players, coaches and team officials drive by in a motorcade before a rally at Union Station.
