The Nationals’ flight from Philadelphia to Miami on Wednesday was filled with palm trees, flamingos and bright colors.
Following a noteworthy 13-12 win over the Phillies -- their 10th victory in 12 games -- the Nats coordinated a tropical-themed dress code for their flight ahead of a four-game series against the Marlins.
“Kind of a Bahamas-style trip,” manager Dave Martinez said Thursday. “Everybody dressed up and did well. We had a good time last night.”
Martinez and some of the veteran players came up with the idea. They had been looking forward to doing a group activity like this, which was not possible last season under health and safety protocols.
“We’ve been through this whole pandemic and we’ve got to be smart about it,” Martinez said. “But yesterday was a perfect opportunity to dress up and get the guys together.”
The end result of a series often can set the tone of the trip that follows shortly after. Their wild roller coaster "W" had the team donning big smiles along with their vacation wears. The players posted photos and videos on their social media accounts to share their enthusiasm.
“We're always talking about winning getaway days, really. It’s something that’s brought up before every game,” Martinez said. “We call it ‘the happy flight.’ Let’s get on the flight or the bus in a good mood, great mood.”
The Nationals want to have the opportunity to recreate the excitement of Wednesday’s plane ride, but in order to do so they have to take care of business at loanDepot park. They entered Thursday 14-18 away from Nationals Park, where they swept the Marlins in a three-game series earlier this season.
“The biggest thing is the next day,” Martinez said. “For me, it’s really important to get off to a good start -- especially on the road -- and try to win that first game of a series.”