NEW YORK — Hurricane Irene reduced the Braves’ three-game weekend series with the Mets to just one game Friday and created a strange and hectic day for Braves players and coaches.
The Saturday and Sunday games were postponed because of the storm approaching the New York area, and will be made up as Sept. 8 doubleheader at Citi Field that will start at 4:10 p.m. The Braves will squeeze that in between road series at Philadelphia on Sept. 5-7 and St. Louis on Sept. 9-11.
“You just go with the punches and play it,” second baseman Dan Uggla said. “That’s the way it’s going to be. It’s not the first time we’ve done it before. Not that big a deal. We’re going to have September call-ups then, so we’ll be able to stay fresh — hopefully.”
But having the next three days off — including Monday’s open date — was not what the Braves preferred. Not after winning 15 of their past 20 games before Friday, including three of four in a series against the Cubs to begin the trip.
“The only time I experienced something like this, when the season stopped, was 9/11,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I’m not comparing the two at all, just comparing how the season stopped all of a sudden for a few days.
“But we’ll get through it. We’re playing pretty good going into it. You want to make sure you stay that same way coming out of it.”
Gonzalez had seven players come into his office and stressed to them to get the word around to the others, to make sure everyone handled the break well and stayed focused. The Braves will have a workout Sunday at Turner Field.
The Braves heard early Friday that the Sunday afternoon game had been cancelled, which had been expected since the full brunt of the storm is supposed to arrive Saturday night through Sunday afternoon. But most players and coaches didn’t know the Saturday game had been cancelled until after they had left for the ballpark Friday afternoon.
Earlier Friday, the Mets’ plan was to move the game from 4 p.m. to noon in an effort to play before the deterioration in the weather. That plan was scrapped when New York City announced it would shut down its subway system at noon Saturday.
Gonzalez was on the subway when Braves general manager Frank Wren called him with the news. “I was on the subway, one exit from the stadium,” Gonzalez said. “Frank said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, on the subway. He says, ‘Don’t get off!’ I said, what happened?”
Gonzalez got off, stepped on the subway platform, and waited for the next train going back into Manhattan.
“I got the train going back, got packed and came back,” said Gonzalez, who ended up arriving at Citi Field after 3 p.m., more than three hours later than usual.
A few players got calls or texts before they left the hotel and avoided doubling back. But most players and coaches had left for the ballpark earlier.
One by one Braves players arrived, then were told they needed to go back to the team’s hotel in Manhattan to pack because the team would fly to Atlanta after Friday night’s game.
The trip from the Manhattan hotel to Citi Field can take 40 minutes or more in traffic, and nearly that long on a local (non-express) train.
Brandon Beachy and Derek Lowe were already beginning their workouts at the stadium when they were told. They took a cab back, still wearing their workout shorts and shirts with Braves logos. They got some stares walking through the lobby of the team hotel.
Eric Hinske said he spent about two hours in cabs, going back and forth. “It’s the worst day I’ve ever been a part of in the big leagues, as far as travel goes,” he said. “Especially in this city. But you know, what are you gonna do? Roll with it and try to get a win tonight.”
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