MILWAUKEE -- All told, Mets manager of team travel Edgar Suero cycled through more than 300 phone calls and text messages on Wednesday. He didn’t make it through the day on a single phone charge, but that’s typical for -- these days -- the busiest travel secretary in the league.
When Suero learned that Hurricane Helene could impact the Mets’ plans this week in Atlanta, he dialed up his contacts at Delta Air Lines, which runs the Mets’ charter flight, and told them to prepare for an earlier exit from the city. Suero also contacted the team’s hotel in Milwaukee to make sure rooms would be ready as soon as possible.
With those pieces in place, when Major League Baseball formally postponed the Mets’ games on Wednesday and Thursday, Suero had all his levers ready to pull. The Mets stayed the night in Atlanta and flew out ahead of Helene’s arrival in the morning, touching down in Milwaukee around 11 a.m. CT. From there, they headed to the ballpark for a full team workout. Their hotel rooms were ready when they got back.
“All I needed to do was get on a plane,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said, laughing. “Edgar Suero is the guy who’s been scrambling.”
Realistically, this week presented only a modest challenge for Suero, who’s in charge of booking the Mets’ logistics all season long.
Next week could prove trickier, considering the Mets are scheduled to play in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon, fly to Atlanta that night in advance of a doubleheader on Monday, then fly out that same day to a potential Wild Card Series site. Suero has hotel blocks on hold in Atlanta, Milwaukee and San Diego, knowing they won’t all get used. He has others prepared for potential National League Division Series dates.
Friday afternoon, Suero stood around the batting cage, cell phone pressed to his ear as various Mets players took batting practice. He is in his third season as manager of team travel, largely learning the job on the fly after a season alongside the Mets’ former traveling secretary, Brian Small. Before that, Suero had spent 13 years as an executive office coordinator for the Mets.
“He thinks he’s the best in the league,” quipped J.D. Martinez, who enjoys needling Suero in the clubhouse. Martinez grinned. “Nah, he’s good. He’s good.”