WRIGLEYVILLE — The World Series victory party continued through Thursday morning for the Cubs, who arrived at Wrigley Field in grand style.
The Cubs have arrived in Wrigley. @DNAinfoCHI pic.twitter.com/ATjWo9oS8M
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) November 3, 2016
The players arrived by bus around 6 a.m. to the cheers of fans. Many never left the streets around the ballpark after the Cubs' thrilling extra-inning victory.
"Rizzo! Rizzo!" people screamed as the first baseman raised the Commissioner's Trophy. Later, people reached past a line of officers to touch the trophy as he walked by.
"I touched it!" one man bragged after Anthony Rizzo swept by.
Other players, like pitcher Jake Arrieta, waved to the crowd or raised an index finger to show: We're No. 1.
"I said we gotta be here when they come back to welcome them back home," said Bill Pryek, 71, of Wrigleyville, who stood in the crowd with his wife. "They're not only bringing home the championship, but just to see these guys who did so well for us. Unbelievable. Every one of them."
Pryek and his wife live across the street from Wrigley Field. During Game 7, he was sitting on the edge of his chair, he said. He's been a Cubs fan his whole life and was born in 1946 — the year after the Cubs last appeared in the World Series.
"At my age, it doesn't take a whole heck of a lot of stress," he joked, alluding to the tense last innings of Game 7.
Officers, who stood between the players and buses and the fans gathered to see them, snapped photos and video of the scene. They looked at each other's videos afterward and talked about what they had seen. The night had gone quickly, one officer said to another, smiling, and it had been one of the best nights he'd worked.
Nearby, two Cubs fans joked they had enjoyed Game 7 — but they wondered who was going to end up winning Game 8.
ARRIETA!!! #WorldSeriesChamps pic.twitter.com/uFdPfKajQ2
— WGN-TV Traffic (@WGNtraffic) November 3, 2016
Welcome back Cubbies! We see you Grandpa Rossy! pic.twitter.com/sjnbzo2UNS
— WGN-TV Traffic (@WGNtraffic) November 3, 2016
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