Mets' plane issues delay return from Miami until after 5 a.m.
The Mets' Luis Severino delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Marlins on Saturday in Miami. Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
The Mets’ quick turnaround from road trip to Subway Series got even shorter early Tuesday morning.
They didn’t get back to Citi Field until 5:15 a.m., a source said, hours later than scheduled after problems with their chartered plane held them up in South Florida.
“It was terrible,” Luis Severino said, adding that they finally took off around 2:30 a.m. and probably waited on the tarmac for 2 ½ hours. “I feel bad for the guys that are playing…I don’t know how long it takes to put gas in a plane.”
The finale of their four-game series in Miami on Monday was scheduled as a night game, which was the Marlins’ call, since they were the home team. They were free to move up first pitch to whenever they wanted but in this instance didn't do the Mets any favors.
After the Mets won, 6-3, they headed to the airport — only to sit on the runway for hours.
“It was comfortable - very comfortable, nice,” Pete Alonso said, tongue in cheek. “I probably fell asleep at 7 o’clock this morning. Had nice rush hour traffic this morning and yeah, we’re good to go. We’re ready to rock today…To be honest, it happens a lot. I know it’s probably a story today because we’re playing the Yankees but it happens way more often but no one really cares because our job is to go out there and play regardless.”
The problem, according to a member of the traveling party, was a mechanical issue that prevented workers from filling the plane with gas. The Mets didn't take off until about 2 a.m.
Those travel woes left the Mets with less than 11 hours between getting home and reporting to Yankee Stadium for the opener against the Yankees on Tuesday night.
“That’s part of what we do,” Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s part of the life of a baseball player, a baseball team. At some point throughout the year, you’re going to be facing things like that. We’re here in the Bronx, the crowd is going to be electric, it’s an important game so I’m not worried about it.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
