ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — After qualifying for the AL Division Series, the New York Yankees had a difficult time getting there.
Plane problems caused a switch of airports that prevented the Yankees from landing at Tampa International Airport until 1 a.m. Friday.
“We drove further away from Tampa and then we worked our way closer back to Tampa, and then we flew to Tampa,” Yankees Game 1 starter Gerrit Cole said ahead on Saturday's opener of the best-of-five series against the Rays.
The team arrived at Westchester County Airport, north of New York City, about 2:30 p.m. Thursday for a charter flight. The Yankees wound up going by bus about 30 miles (48 kilometers) to LaGuardia Airport, near the New York Mets’ Citi Field in Queens. Their charter flight departed about 10 p.m.
“Hydraulics issue. Didn’t have a tall enough ladder to fix it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I offered to go get my ladder at home. Declined.”
Players and staff sat on the original plane for more than five hours.
“Just hung out, cards, conversations,” Cole said. “Ribbing each other, video games, doom scrolling.”
Boone said some players did prep work for the Rays delay.
“I walked through the fuselage at some point just to see how spirits were. Everyone seemed fine,” Boone said. “They had the AC going for the most part. It was a beautiful night out in Westchester. ”
Some players watched the NL wild-card series game between Atlanta and Philadelphia, others the NFL game between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
“You eat. You ask the people working on it, are they doing the right things?” Boone said. “Banter, and have some fun with the flight attendants, telling them let’s step it up a little bit. Let’s get it going. You know, all those things. Everyone handled it well. It was fine.”
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