Last October, with an aim to do things differently, the
Dodgers
they made a slight yet significant alteration to their travel arrangements.
In previous postseasons — many of which ended with disappointing early eliminations — the Dodgers would use one wide-body plane to shuttle players, coaches, executives, staff, broadcasters and other members of their bloated playoff traveling party from city to city.
Last year, they opted for a different flight pattern.
Participants boarded one aircraft as part of an extensive initiative to
foster a feeling of unity
in pursuit of a
World Series
title.
All others boarded a different chartered commercial plane.
“I think it’s just [a way for us to make sure] more of the time we spend is together,” first baseman
Freddie Freeman
mentioned during last year’s playoffs. “Ensuring we remained united as a team.”
Given the results
, the Dodgers opted to maintain the alteration for this season.
Initially conceived as a month-long trial run back then, this has transformed into an enduring habit for the reigning champs now.
This season, the Dodgers have made a notable change in how they manage their travels during away games by utilizing two aircraft consistently throughout the regular season. Similar to what was done last October, one plane will be reserved exclusively for the players. The second airplane will accommodate all remaining individuals associated with the team, including Manager Dave Roberts along with his entire coaching staff down to every single additional member required for these journeys.
It was driven by them,” Roberts stated regarding the players, highlighting their enthusiasm for maintaining the two-plane travel plan this year. “We simply made it possible.
It’s about reinventing how we handle team trips,” said Scott Akasaki, the Dodgers’ senior director of travel, overseeing this change. “I’m curious to find out what good outcomes will arise from this.
Certainly, when club officials considered their upcoming title defense in the winter of 2025, they swiftly embraced the notion of keeping the dual-aircraft setup indefinitely.
So far, they had embraced the positive effects it had on team cohesion during the postseason, considering it a key element in fostering the stronger sense of unity among teammates that players highlighted as crucial for winning the 2024 title.
However, as they outlined methods to alleviate the challenges of a demanding 162-game schedule, they acknowledged additional advantages that might arise from increased travel commitments.
“The support from our owners for this concept was incredible,” stated the general manager.
Brandon Gomes
He said, “And yes, it appears to have gone well so far.”
Initially, players enjoy improved comfort with their seating on flights, allowing them to stretch out aboard an airplane that accommodates just a few extra clubhouse personnel.
“It offers a setting where our players are better able to achieve rest and recovery, thanks to fewer individuals on the plane and increased space for movement,” Akasaki stated.
After facing multiple extended travel delays due to mechanical issues with their chartered aircraft last year, the team has implemented what Gomes referred to as a “fail-safe” backup strategy: maintaining an additional airplane ready at all times so that team members can be transported to their subsequent destination according to schedule.
“In theory, the players and critical staff can hop on the working plane and go,” Akasaki echoed, “while the remaining folks stay behind until the mechanical problem gets resolved.”
In four road trips this year, none of the effects has garnered as much praise as the alterations the Dodgers have implemented for their travel schedules.
In the days of traditional single-plane travel, the Dodgers would typically wait to fly out of Los Angeles if they had an off day between the end of a homestand and the start of a road trip. It meant one extra night at home, but a later arrival into cities on the eve of an away series.
“When you’re spending your off day on the plane,” veteran third baseman
Max Muncy
said, “you don’t ever feel like you’re as recovered.”
Thanks to having a second aircraft, the Dodgers can now adopt different approaches.
Although each of the team’s initial four home stands this season were succeeded by off days, their aircraft promptly left right after all four post-game getaways. This resulted in the players arriving at their away city destinations either late that night—or for Wednesday’s trip to New York early Thursday morning—before the remainder of the travel group joined them the subsequent afternoon.
I believe it’s an improvement,” Freeman stated. “It provides us with a full day of rest.
It’s pleasant to have a day without travel,” Muncy commented. “Even though you’re exhausted on your day off, you can still enjoy a complete night of sleep for recovery. It was quite refreshing.
Occasionally, that additional day provides players with precious extra personal time — allowing someone like Muncy, who hails from the Dallas area, an entire afternoon to visit family before the Easter weekend series in Texas last month.
However, Muncy also mentioned, “For the others too, they could say ‘I’ll lie down by the pool,’ or ‘I’ll grab some lunch elsewhere,’ and later we can enjoy a nice dinner together. This allows everyone to have the entire day to recuperate. I believe this will be a beneficial adjustment for all of us.”
When factoring in an additional aircraft, it naturally introduces extra layers of complexity to each road trip’s logistics. The substantial cargo consisting of equipment that the Dodgers transport needs to be carefully organized and allocated to the appropriate flights. The organization must collaborate with two different airlines; they lease a Boeing 757 from Delta as well as a Boeing 737-800 from United to accommodate groups often exceeding 100 individuals. Consequently, Akasaki oversees a larger staff dedicated to managing these intricate plans.
Starting from Andrew Friedman, who heads up baseball operations, everyone has emphasized that this is a significant responsibility and too much for just one individual to manage,” according to Akasaki. “They’ve also asked what I need to stay well-organized through all of this, which has been really beneficial.
The group additionally needed to factor in possible further drawbacks. One individual participating in the proceedings, who preferred to remain anonymous due to non-disclosure for public statements, mentioned that they deliberated on the ecological effects of employing an additional aircraft. Moreover, there were straightforward adjustments to the typical flow of the team’s schedule throughout the season.
“Like, you can’t have those natural conversations between a crew member and an athlete at the rear of the aircraft anymore,” Akasaki pointed out.
However, ultimately, the advantages surpassed the disadvantages.
“Akasaki pointed out that you can still have that conversation in the clubhouse.”
Plus, for an organization that has long tried to maximize its monstrous financial resources to become a premier destination for star talent in baseball, being able to pitch prospective free agents on the luxury of using two planes certainly “doesn’t hurt” either, Gomes quipped.
As the Dodgers’ innovative travel setup is thought to be one-of-a-kind across Major League Baseball teams, Roberts mentioned that “many other franchises have already shown interest in using two airplanes.”
So far, according to the players, the feedback has been favorable.
It’s still early,” Muncy observed. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve only experienced it one way, so I’m not sure how the alternative approach would fare over an entire season.
However, Freeman playfully smiled and said, “Not a single complaint has been raised about it.”
This tale initially surfaced in
Los Angeles Times
.
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