For players, a parade of a lifetime

The Phillies had heard for years about a parade down Broad Street, but they finally experienced it yesterday.

"I had no idea what to expect," Myers said. "There were certain stints where I thought people were going to get run over. It was unbelievable. I looked at Cole and I said, 'How the heck is this truck making it down the street right now without clipping somebody?' The streets were so crowded, it was unbelievable. It was so much fun."

"There were some emotions," pitcher Jamie Moyer said. "A couple of times we stopped, and I was really trying to take it in. Everywhere you looked there were people. In office buildings in the windows. In parking garages. On the street. Everywhere. I don't know if I have words to describe today yet. This is going to take a while to soak in."

The Phillies snaked through the crowds on flatbed trucks through Center City and South Philadelphia before they stopped briefly at Lincoln Financial Field and finished the day at the Bank in front of more than 30,000 fans.

Some of the players spoke to the crowd.

"We finally did it, didn't we?" said leftfielder Pat Burrell, a free agent who could have played his last game for the Phillies after nine seasons here. "I think you know how important this was for me, being here as long as I have."

"This is only one of many," centerfielder Shane Victorino said.

That seemed to be a popular theme. The Phillies had won their first World Series championship since 1980, but they plan on more in the near future.

"The one thing I can't wait to do is go down Broad Street again and again and again," Hamels said.