Forget the World Series trophy and caravan of luxury convertibles.

The biggest showstopper at the San Francisco Giants’ victory parade might have been lovable relief pitcher Sergio Romo’s T-shirt. Or more precisely, the message on the front: “I just look illegal.”

Already lionized for his Sunday performance closing out the Giants’ Series clincher against the Detroit Tigers, the 29-year-old won even more attention Wednesday as he sported the provocative message while parading through the streets of San Francisco.

Social media was abuzz about the attire of the pitcher with the oversized personality from the small Southern California city of Brawley, just miles from the Mexican border. Within hours, an obscure Los Angeles T-shirt company was taking dozens of orders for the shirt.

“Pure awesomeness,” tweeted one fan.

“Right on, Romo,” tweeted another.

Immigrant activists around the country interpreted it as a satirical message about a term that many say dehumanizes immigrants in the country illegally — as well as American-born Latinos like Romo.

“You cannot tell who looks ‘illegal,'” tweeted Bay Area activist and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, thanking Romo for taking a stand. “No human being is illegal.”

Romo, a son of Mexican immigrants, said nothing publicly Wednesday about the shirt and partially concealed its message with a zip-up hoodie when he held the World Series trophy behind crooner Tony Bennett.

He did, however, thank fans in a speech celebrating the Bay Area’s diversity and its “different folks with different strokes” and “different faces from different places,” then flashed the message on his way back from the lectern.

One person who had never heard of Romo before Wednesday was pleased with his clothing choice.

After selling only about 40 of the shirts since they were designed two years ago, Wicky Tees founder Jack Chan was surprised to sell more than 100 Wednesday afternoon at $12 each.

“I heard he’s a pitcher or something,” Chan said. The Los Angeles-based online retailer designs shirts that are meant to be humorous and offensive. This one was no different, Chan said.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “We just thought it was funny.”

Contact Matt O’Brien at 510-293-2465. Follow him at Twitter.com/mattoyeah.