New York Yankees have been flown to Tampa by Clarke Schmidt’s dad for the Rays series – and he’s even helping teammate Wandy Peralta with his fear of flying!
- By flying down Dwight Schmidt can see his son start Saturday afternoon
- The team also “made some strides forward” regarding Wandy Peralta’s fear of flying
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
The New York Yankees entrusted their airborne well-being to the father of one of their own.
Dwight Schmidt, a Delta Airlines pilot for nearly 30 years, piloted the team’s charter plane from Newark Liberty International Airport to Tampa International Airport ahead of a three-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays.
On that plane was Clarke Schmidt – a starting pitcher for the Yankees – who is also Dwight’s son.
“I told some guys (before the flight) and when we got there, it spread like wildfire,” Schmidt said Friday at Tropicana Field. ‘It was fun. It was kind of interactive.
“I think a lot of guys have seen things they’ve never seen, like going to the cockpit and things like that.”
Yankee’s pitcher Clarke Schmidt (R) had his father Dwight fly the squad to Tampa
Thanks to that flight, Dwight will be able to make it to his son’s start against the Rays on Saturday
This isn’t the only time Dwight has previously managed the Yankees’ charter run. He did when New York went to Iowa for the 2021 Field of Dreams game.
However, Schmidt did not travel with the team, as he was included in their Scranton Triple-A farm team. That made this an even more special event.
“Honestly, it went really smoothly,” Schmidt said. Everyone was hypercritical about the landing. I think he said we had some crosswinds when we landed, but for the most part it went smoothly.”
Delta contacted Dwight specifically to see if he was interested in flying the team down. He accepted, giving him the chance to watch his son start against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Team manager Aaron Boone, who had boarded a flight simulator with Dwight in Atlanta last week, said, “It’s always cool.”
“I think the guys really get a kick out of it. … He’s a fascinating, very good fellow.’
The Yankees also think they’ve “made strides forward” in dealing with Wandy Peralta’s fear of flying
But the biggest bonus of having a personal connection with who you’re flying with is the benefits of being able to calm the nerves of people who are afraid of air travel.
So does fellow pitcher Wandy Peralta, who, according to Schmidt, seemed more comfortable than before on this flight.
“We felt like we were cutting off a little bit,” Schmidt said with a laugh. “I think there was less rocking than I normally see from him in his chair.
“So I think he was a little calmer. Some of the guys said it was good for my dad to fly the flight because he invested a little more in the plane so they felt a little safer out there.
“Hopefully we’ve taken a step forward with Wandy.”