Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Philadelphia Phillies fans, adorned in team jerseys and with painted red faces and dyed red hair, jammed trains and clogged streets today for a parade honoring the team's first World Series championship since 1980.

Philadelphia beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 two nights ago to close out the best-of-seven Series 4-1 and bring the city its first major professional sports title in 25 years.

``This is crazy,'' Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth told a Fox 29 news reporter as his truck made its way down Broad Street. ``These people are awesome. It's the best time in my life. It's great.''

The parade started at 20th and Market Streets, went past City Hall to Broad Street and then on to Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' home field. Police were expecting more than one million fans to attend the celebration on a sunny, 60-degree day.

Fans held signs on the parade route reading: ``Finally.'' Another read, ``We are the champions.''

Confetti was dropped from the tops of high-rise buildings as players, team management and family members were driven through town in trucks decorated with Phillies banners.

Local media reported that fans began setting up chairs along the parade route at 4 a.m., eight hours before the procession started, and tailgaters were setting up outside Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field next door at 9 a.m., cooking food and drinking beer.

Stores were closed, with signs from the owners saying they were at the parade and would open later. Some schools near the parade route in South Philadelphia were closed for the day, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Fans Follow

Even after the parade passed, fans didn't disperse. They walked into the streets and stood talking to one another until the trucks could no longer be seen.

The Phillies won their first World Series championship in 1980, beating the Kansas City Royals. The city's last professional sports championship came three years later, when the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers to capture the National Basketball Association championship.

Among U.S. cities with teams in all four major professional sports -- baseball, basketball, football and hockey -- none waited longer than Philadelphia for another sports championship.

Since 1983, Philadelphia's professional sports teams have been beaten seven times in championship games, including losses by the Phillies in 1983 and 1993, the football Eagles in 2004, the hockey Flyers in 1985, 1987 and 1997, and the 76ers in 2001.

To contact the reporter on this story: Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 31, 2008 13:59 EDT