The detached reality of Major League Baseball can make it challenging to remember that some of the trappings of life in the big leagues are staggering the first time they’re experienced by people who become used to them over time.
Five-star hotels and private flights are perks of the job, but for a young player out on the road for the first time, it’s difficult not to be every bit as wide-eyed as a fan might be in their place.
“I was like, ‘where am I gonna sit,’ I think was my first thought,” St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “I felt very underdressed because I didn’t know that we wore suits on the road at the time.”
Crawford, who made his debut in 2011, was quickly set straight and guided to his seat by teammate Emmanuel Burriss. For catcher Pedro Pagés, making his first big league road trip this weekend in New York, it was Willson Contreras, Iván Herrera and Masyn Winn. Manager Oli Marmol, promoted temporarily in September 2016, was set straight by former coach Mike Aldrete.
Reliever Ryan Fernandez, in his rookie season but a veritable veteran compared to Pagés, lucked out – he was the last guy on the plane, and there was only one row left in which he could sit.
Yes, a whole row. “I got three seats to myself,” a beaming Fernandez said. “It was really cool.”
The minimum travel standards for major league players are written into the league’s collective bargaining agreement, so players and coaches have an academic understanding of what awaits them before they take off on the first team flight. There is undoubtedly a lot of money coursing through baseball, and while it’s reflected in the travel accommodations, they also represent an opportunity for teams to encourage rest