One of the most frequent questions I am asked about my profession is our means of travel.

The Toronto Blue Jays have a more involved travel routine than the other 29 teams because we have to clear customs on a regular basis.

Last Sunday, we played a day game in Toronto and were traveling to New York postgame. Our schedule had our team leaving the clubhouse one hour after the game, and then boarding buses to the airport. The Blue Jays fly private, however when we travel in and out of Canada we board our plane and go through security in a similar fashion as everyone else.

We go through the screening process with all of the other passengers and make our way to the gate just like everyone else. The bonus is we board our plane as soon as we get to the gate and have our own line at customs to accommodate our large group. As soon as the bags were loaded we were off to New York.

Our plane has two card tables and a kitchen in the back. DVD players and movies are available for anyone who wants them but most players bring their own. Upon arrival in New York, we boarded busses on the tarmac and then went straight to the hotel. Family members are not allowed on our flights. Any time wives or children fly, they purchase their own tickets and travel separately.

After our most recent three game series against the Yankees in New York, our buses took us directly to the plane (no terminal) where we boarded. Our luggage was then loaded, and we got ready for a trip to Tampa to enjoy an off-day before a three game set with the Rays.

But our travel is not without problems. After an hour weather delay, we circled the tarmac at 6:30 p.m. to find out we had a problem with an engine and needed a new part or a different plane. Our new plane arrived at a different airport because the airport we were at closed at midnight. We had to bus from Laguardia to Newark and did not get in the air to Tampa until 2:45 a.m.

I am not looking for sympathy. We played cards, ate dinner, watched movies, had a few beers and got a few hours sleep. I arrived at my hotel room in Tampa at 5:45 a.m. and waited for my luggage to arrive so that I could change into my golf gear; four of us had a tee time at 7:30.

I hope that you are enjoying my blog thus far, and would like to encourage you all to ask any questions that you may have, and I’ll do my best to answer them. Likewise, if you have any “blog topic” ideas, I would welcome those ideas as well.

The purpose of this blog is to give greater insight into my profession and to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes. In addition, I enjoy writing these entries to give you a sense of what I’m thinking on a regular basis during the baseball season.