The itinerary for the Detroit Tigers called for the buses to leave for the airport at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, 45 minutes before the team flight departed for Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Their game is at 7 ET: the Little League Classic against the New York Yankees. This kind of schedule during this time of year, in what are referred to in baseball as the dog days of August, is something that generally causes players to roll their eyes wearily.
It's a one-day trip to a small town -- one not easy to reach -- in the midst of the summer.