Celebrating a championship

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne celebrated the 2009 Midwest League Champion Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field on Friday night.

It kicked off on April 16th and came to a close on September 17th.

Five months that saw a new ballpark, a new team, a new name, the most wins in Midwest League History, and the greatest baseball season Fort Wayne has ever seen.

"It's a dream come true. I'm a die hard baseball fan," said one TinCaps fan.

"It's been a great year.  I've been to many games here, and this was the cap of it," said another TinCaps fan.

For two hours on Friday night the team and its loyal fans encapsulated the wild ride that was the 2009 TinCaps.

"It's been a blast. We just live four blocks from here and we just really got hooked. My wife and I both have really been having a good time," said one TinCaps fan. 

From Simon Castro's no hitter, to playoff comebacks, to the homerun heard round the Summit City and Robert Lara's dramatic walkoff winner that sent the Tincaps to the Championship series are just some of the highlights from the 2009 season.

"Every time I see it, it just puts a big smile on my face. I get the chills.  These people deserve it, they're just so great, they're unreal here, they really are," said Robert Lara, TinCaps catcher.

From day one the fans in this city embraced this team before they even knew who they were. Well now they know who they are and they're still lining up to meet the players they've enjoyed all season.

"They took us with open arms and now we brought a championship back.  Hopefully they'll never forget us.  I know for sure we will never forget them," said Lara.

"Going to the big leagues is a big deal and all that stuff but it's about cherishing the things that you do along the way," said Daniel Robertson, TinCaps outfielder.

Just about every player on this team will move up to the next level in their career. But they're the first to admit, they'll always remember the fans and what they accomplished in 2009.

"Hopefully I can make it all the way up and say hey, my first year, I played in Fort Wayne and it was an unreal city," said Lara.