Dodgers’ Dave Roberts clarifies ‘intent’ feedback after prolonged journey day

LOS ANGELES — After questioning aloud if “there was intent” concerning airline delays for his group’s touring social gathering leaving Toronto, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts downplayed any suggestion that the Canadian authorities had performed a job in his employees’s hellish journey day.

“I know the Prime Minister is not worried about calling airline security or the FAA to make sure that they delay us,” Roberts instructed The Athletic. “I know that. Obviously. I think the Prime Minister has bigger fish to fry.”

The Dodgers had been scheduled to work out at 5 p.m. at Dodger Stadium, which can host the Blue Jays for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday. But Roberts and his employees didn’t arrive on the ballpark till round that point, after shedding a number of hours to delays whereas flying from Toronto Pearson Airport to Los Angeles International Airport.

When requested at his information convention in regards to the journey, Roberts managed a smile.

“I don’t want to get too far into it,” he stated. “I just arrived about 30 minutes ago. So there was some delays. I don’t know if there was intent or not. But, man, the international stuff was a bear. But we made it.”

The feedback sparked some outrage on social media, partly, as a result of United States customs would course of the group’s return to California. The Blue Jays cross the border, passing by U.S. customs, on each street journey. When they return to Toronto, there may be one other cease with Canadian customs. At factors this yr, although, notably stringent customs officers have delayed the group for over an hour. It’s an accepted facet of Major League Baseball exterior the United States.

When later approached by The Athletic, Roberts conceded that he “could have omitted ‘intent,’” when outlining the journey woes.

For the World Series video games in Toronto, which the 2 groups break up, the Dodgers carried a touring social gathering of about 400 individuals unfold throughout 4 planes. The gamers fly on their very own airplane, which left Toronto after the sport on Saturday and arrived in Los Angeles with out incident. Roberts, the coaches and the remainder of the employees didn’t depart till Sunday morning.

“The process was very long,” Roberts stated. “But a lot of it had to do with our big, huge, four-plane travel party. It’s just a part of international travel. And passports. Airline security. That’s part of it.”

For what it’s value, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney did choose the Blue Jays to win in six. But that was unrelated to the Dodgers’ points leaving the nation on Sunday.

“Canada is not trying to sabotage the Dodgers,” Roberts stated. “I know that. It was just a long day.”

The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon contributed to this report