More than 5 million fans attend Cubs parade and celebration

Chicago officials say the crowd estimate for the Chicago Cubs championship celebration is about 5 million people.

It includes everyone who lined the parade route and the crowd who attended a rally at Grant Park. Players and team officials started from Wrigley Field on double deck busses before ending up at Grant Park.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo got teary-eyed while speaking at the rally. .

Rizzo singled out retiring Cubs catcher David Ross, saying he's "forever grateful to him." The younger Cubs players affectionately call the 39-year-old Ross "Grandpa."

"He taught myself personally how to become a real winner and he's like a brother to me," Rizzo said fighting back tears. :He's taught me a lot in life, on the field, off the field how to be a better person. I'm forever grateful for him. He's going out a champion forever. For the rest of his life he can say the last game he's played in as a World Champion."

Ross spoke after Rizzo, coming to the microphone at the Grant Park rally and yelling "Chicago!" loudly. He then picked up the championship trophy and shouted, "Look what the boys got me!"

Rizzo finished his speech by giving Cubs owner Tom Ricketts the ball from the last out of Game 7 that gave the Cubs the win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

Second baseman Ben Zobrist told fans that the World Series MVP trophy was "definitely a team award." He said that the Cubs are "a team full of MVPs" and Chicago is "a city of MVPs." Zobrist said the players were confident until the Cubs fell back three games to one in the World Series to Cleveland. He says, "It was silent in that clubhouse."

But Zobrist says that's when catcher David Ross said, 'Don't hang your heads. We're going to do it." Zobrist said first baseman Anthony Rizzo started playing "Rocky" movies in the clubhouse. He told fans "this ball club pulled through for all of you."

Manager Joe Maddon carried the World Series championship trophy onto the stage. Maddon started by talking to the fans, saying "You guys are the best. Congratulations!"

Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein also spoke, telling fans that they "are really what carried our guys through October." He said the players "felt how badly" the Chicago Cubs fans wanted a World Series win.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts told the crowd that the players on the World Series team are "going to be Chicago baseball legends."

Ricketts said he was used to fans coming up to him, asking when the Cubs were going to win a World Series. He said, "For the thousands of people who have said that to me, 'There you go.'"