Thome, Alomar Jr. Lead Cleveland's MLB All-Star Parade 2019

CLEVELAND — On an idyllic summer afternoon, 70 of baseball's brightest stars paraded through the streets of downtown Cleveland.

And as 16th birthdays go, Carter Parise's couldn't have been a better one.

"This is awesome," he told Patch while waiting for the procession.

Carter and his family drove nearly seven hours from Philadelphia to Cleveland to see the parade and other festivities surrounding the MLB All-Star Game. On Monday night, they watched one of the most epic Home Run Derby clashes of all time and by Tuesday morning they were standing on East 9th Street eager to see Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs.

Kim Parise, Carter's mom, said her teenage son had always wanted to see a Home Run Derby in person. He picked a great year to go.

The Parise family, rounded out by father Chris and little brother Chase, were surrounded at the parade by fans wearing Indians jerseys, Yankees T-shirts and the logos of half of Major League Baseball's franchises. The crowd leaned against metal barricades as Chevy trucks carried the players for Tuesday night's All-Star Game to Progressive Field. The players' path through the streets was marked by a long red carpet.

The free MLB All-Star Game parade stepped off from Play Ball Park on Lakeside Avenue at 12:30 p.m.

The Grand Marshals of the Parade were former Cleveland Indians Jim Thome and Sandy Alomar Jr., who fans will remember from the Tribe's heyday in the 1990s. Thome and Alomar led the procession on a route down Lakeside Avenue onto East 9th and finally to a red carpet at Progressive Field.

The parade was intended to be easily accessible for fans. The players rode in Chevy vehicles for much of the route.

The Commissioner's Trophy, which is awarded to the team that wins the World Series, was on display at the end of the route, near Progressive Field. There were also mascots from various franchises taking part in the procession, awarding handouts to fans along the route.

The weather for the parade was sunny and blue. Temperatures topped out in the upper-70s.