Boston Area News

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Tens of thousands of Red Sox fans lined the streets from Fenway Park to City Hall on Tuesday to cheer Boston's second World Series title in four years.

Fans screamed wildly as the players filed out of the ballpark, and many waved back. The players and their families boarded the Duck Boats outside Fenway Park for the parade that began at noon. Each boat was labeled with the names of the players on board.

The crowds at Copley Square and later near Boston Common erupted in cheers when the parade paused briefly for closer Jonathan Papelbon to dance his now infamous version of an Irish jig on a flatbed truck to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." He was accompanied by the Dropkick Murphys a Boston-based punk rock band with heavy Irish folk music influence.

Before the parade, the band presented Papelbon with his own kilt plus one for ace Josh Beckett and general manager Theo Epstein, who promised to dance with him. They also made a kilt for slugger David Ortiz, whom they hoped to coax into the jig.

At the first two stops at Copley Plaza and Boston Common, Papelbon danced alone, wearing jeans, a red championship T-shirt and dark sunglasses and waving a large cigar in his hand. Along the route, played air guitar on a broom -- a reference to Boston's sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

But he saved his best dancing -- and wardrobe change, putting the kilt over his jeans -- for the largest crowd which packed Boston's City Hall Plaza, the end of the parade. He was joined by relievers Hideki Okajima and Mike Timlin, who earlier had tied the bullpen mascot, a stuffed parrot, onto one of the speakers on the Dropkick Murphys' flatbed. On another boat, six members of Boston's bullpen recreated their postseason jam sessions.

Ortiz, Epstein and Papelbon never got the chance to don their kilts, as their duck boats continued on the route.

Most of the players and manager Terry Francona wore bright red hooded championship sweatshirts. First baseman Kevin Youkilis wore a T-shirt that said "We did it AGAIN. Thank you Red Sox Nation." Many of the players took photos or video recordings of the fans along the way.

Owner John Henry tapped his hand on his heart in thanks as he waved to fans from a lead boat, which also carried the new World Series trophy.

"People lived and died before they saw a world championship and we've seen two in the last four years," said Providence College student Mike Foley.

The street outside Fenway was lined with the amphibious, World War II-era duck boats that carried the players along a three-mile route. The route was the same as the victory parade in 2004, except the Ducks will not go into the Charles River this year.

The parade began on Boylston Street at Yawkey Way and continued on Park Drive/Fenway and Boylston Street. The rolling rally took a left on Tremont Street, went straight on Cambridge Street and ended at New Chardon Street.

Mayor Tom Menino acknowledged having the celebration on a week day would inconvenience some businesses and keep school children away, but said players were eager to get home to their families and begin their vacation.

Cheering fans held signs in support of their team.

One sign reads simply "Resign Mike Lowell," a reference to the fact that the World Series MVP and regular-season team RBI leader is about to become a free agent.

Many fans are making it clear they have NO desire for the team to sign Alex Rodriguez, who announced this week that he's leaving the Yankees. One sign read: "A-Rod, Mr. April, Miss October. Another sign with a picture of the Red Sox logo stated, "A-Rod doesn't deserve to wear these."

Some couldn't resist a shot at the archrival New York Yankees and former Red Sox star Johnny Damon, who defected to New York after the 2004 championship.

"Johnny Damon is home changing diapers," read one sign. "This is better."

Several hundred cheering Red Sox fans greeted Red Sox players as they arrived at Fenway Park Tuesday morning for an invitation-only event prior to the rolling rally.

An excited Terry Francona also arrived at the park early Tuesday and said, "Probably the best part for me is living through it and doing this with people you care about. I hope we can do this again."

Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said before the parade that he could not choose which Series win he liked better.

"They're two flavors of ice cream -- they both taste good," he said. You can't choose among them. I think the next one is going to taste good, too."

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)