East of Phoenix some 50 miles from where the Royals train during the spring, right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn left the Oakland A’s camp last April with Nashville, Tenn., plugged into his GPS.
The fastest route on the cross-country trip to the Athletics’ Class AAA affiliate is about 24 hours and covers approximately 1,600 miles.
Hahn drove the distance, dropped off his gear at the Nashville Sounds’ stadium and, exhausted, went to his apartment.
But he couldn’t sleep through the night. A 2 a.m. phone call necessitated by an injury in Oakland beckoned Hahn to join the A’s staff, mere hours before the Sounds opened the minor-league season in Nashville.