Mechanical failure forces Blue Jays to bus to Anaheim

ANAHEIM -- The Blue Jays’ journey from Phoenix to Anaheim on Sunday didn’t involve a chartered jet or a first-class cabin. Instead, it involved three buses, a five-hour stretch of Interstate 10, and felt a lot more like a scene from the Northwest League than the Major Leagues.

The trouble started around 4 p.m., when a mechanical failure was discovered in the plane’s joystick -- the primary control for takeoffs and landings. The Blue Jays were faced with a choice: wait for a replacement aircraft to fly in from Vancouver, which wouldn't have landed until 10 p.m., or load the 60-person traveling party onto buses for the long trek across I-10.

As often happens in sports, manager John Schneider took the decision to a team vote. The decision to bus passed by roughly 30 votes, as the majority of players preferred to get moving immediately. However, not everyone was thrilled with the outcome; Schneider joked that he was already reprimanded by veteran Max Scherzer, who issued a full-letterhead kangaroo court summons over the travel decision.

"We're going to go to trial," Schneider joked Monday. "But we made the best of it, you know?"

While the rest of the traveling party piled into three buses, the team made one important exception. Starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who is scheduled to lead a rotation currently navigating several significant injury hurdles, was sent ahead on a commercial flight to ensure he was rested for the series.

"He got in at a really reasonable time — around 9:30 or 10," Schneider said. "We were driving somewhere on I-10 when [travel director] Rodney [Hiemstra] said, 'Oh, Dylan's in.’ That was great. I’m just sitting there staring at the mountains."

The ride itself turned into a bonding experience, even if it was a bit cramped. Schneider described sitting surrounded by cases of water and being unable to recline his seat, while third base coach Carlos Febles snored in the aisles. There was even a brief threat of a team karaoke session, but most of the guys fell asleep before it could start.

"It's just what we needed," Schneider said. "We made the best of it... and we all got here safer."