The Houston Astros celebrated their first World Series title in franchise history with a downtown parade and rally on Friday, with hundreds of thousands of Texas baseball fans in attendance.

The Astros captured their first championship in their 56th season by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the 2017 World Series.

Officials estimated more than 500,000 people watched the parade on a humid 86-degrees Fahrenheit (30-degrees Celsius) day that came just over two months since Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the city.

Fans started showing up before dawn on the parade route and school was canceled so students and their families could turn out. They watched the parade from high rise buildings and parking garages, cheering their heroes who passed by on fire engines.

Astros standout pitcher Dallas Keuchel drew one of the biggest cheers at the rally outside the city hall building as he surveyed the scene, grabbed the microphone and asked, "Houston, what the hell took us so long to win a World Series?"

Houston manager A.J. Hinch was cautious when asked by reporters if the Astros planned visit the White House if invited by President Donald Trump.

"We just won the first world championship in Houston Astros history," Hinch said. "We're also in one of the most divided countries, polarizing countries in politics."

"I don't know that this is the best stage for everybody to declare one way or the other and try to comment on the moment and be too much of a political statement."

Source: AFP