Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg had an adventurous trip to his home field of Citizens Bank Park on Sunday.
Philadelphia Phillies' manager Ryne Sandberg watches from the dugout during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in the first inning on Friday, May 2, 2014, in Philadelphia. (Image source: AP/Laurence Kesterson)
With the popular Broad Street Run tying up many Philadelphia roads, Sandberg's car service driver took an alternate route to the ballpark from the manager's Center City residence.
But the driver missed the exit for the ballpark and wound up at the Philadelphia International Airport instead — which normally wouldn't be so awful, as it's only a seven-minute jaunt down Interstate 95.
However, instead of returning to the freeway, the driver tried to reach the ballpark via side roads.
Bad idea.
[sharequote align="center"]"I've got to get to the stadium."[/sharequote]
A traffic jam resulting from the 10-mile footrace backed up traffic to such an extent that Sandberg — also a Hall of Fame second baseman formerly of the Chicago Cubs — took a radical step.
Well, more than just one. A bunch of 'em.
Sandberg — in his first full season as manager since taking over the Phillies' helm late last season — decided to exit the vehicle and walk the final mile to the ballpark.
But his adventure wasn't over yet.
Sandberg still needed to cross Broad Street — the tributary through which the whopping 40,000 runners were traveling — in order to reach the Phillies' locker room at the stadium.
Image source: YouTube
"It was full strength of runners at that point and there were no gaps," Sandberg recounted following the Phillies' 1-0 win over Washington on Sunday. "I talked to the policeman and told him I've got to get to the stadium.
"He said, 'Well, if you want to risk it, you can go and kind of get with the runners and then get across.'
"I actually ran about 50 feet."
Sandberg finally made it to the ballpark later than he hoped but well in advance of the 3:05 game start.
The other good news? Sandberg said his driver stopped the meter.
