By: Bill Coleman
When Major League Baseball Players Skip the Luxury Car and Take the Train!
Professional baseball players are often associated with luxury SUVs, chauffeured town cars and gated communities. Yet throughout Major League Baseball history, a surprising number of stars have preferred something much more ordinary: public transportation.
Whether it’s the New York City subway, Boston’s MBTA, Chicago’s “L” or commuter rail systems around North America, several players have quietly blended into the morning crowd, backpacks slung over their shoulders, headphones on, making their way to the ballpark just like thousands of office workers.
For many fans lucky enough to encounter them, those subway rides became unforgettable stories.
The Subway Series… Before First Pitch
No city lends itself to public transportation quite like New York. Players for both the Yankees and Mets have occasionally embraced the subway, especially those who enjoy avoiding Manhattan traffic.
Among the most recognizable has been Marcus Stroman, who has been photographed and spotted riding the New York City subway during his career. Stroman has often embraced city life, interacting with fans and showing little concern about commuting alongside everyday New Yorkers.
Fans have described the experience as surreal: one moment they’re checking emails and the next they’re standing next to an All-Star pitcher carrying nothing more than a backpack and a cup of coffee.
Mookie Betts: Boston’s Everyday Superstar
Before becoming one of baseball’s biggest stars, Mookie Betts occasionally rode Boston’s MBTA while playing for the Red Sox. His reasoning was simple.
Traffic around Fenway Park can be notoriously frustrating, especially before evening games. The subway was often quicker, less stressful, and surprisingly anonymous.
Even after winning MVP honors, Betts remained approachable enough that many riders hesitated to interrupt him, unsure whether the casually dressed passenger reading his phone could really be one of baseball’s brightest stars.
When Fans Don’t Believe Their Eyes
Public transportation creates one unusual phenomenon……people often assume they’re looking at someone who merely resembles a baseball player.
Stories abound of riders realizing only after leaving the train that the person sitting across from them was an All-Star or future Hall of Famer. Sometimes the only giveaway is an equipment bag.
The Chicago Tradition
Chicago players have long appreciated the convenience of the CTA. With Wrigley Field sitting directly beside the Red Line, numerous Cubs players over the decades have admitted to taking the train when schedules allowed. For day games, particularly those beginning shortly after lunch, the train often proves faster than navigating packed neighborhood streets. Fans heading to Wrigley occasionally discover they’re sharing the ride with the very players they’ll be cheering just thirty minutes later.
Safety, Simplicity, and Routine
Modern players earn salaries that could purchase fleets of luxury vehicles, so why choose public transit?
Several reasons emerge:
- Avoid unpredictable traffic.
- Establish a consistent pregame routine.
- Enjoy relative anonymity.
- Experience a slice of normal life.
- Reduce environmental impact.
For many athletes whose daily lives are heavily scheduled, public transportation offers something surprisingly valuable: normalcy. Instead of private entrances and restricted parking lots, they become just another commuter waiting for the next train.
Fans Know the Etiquette
One encouraging aspect of these encounters is how respectful baseball fans generally are. Most riders who recognize a player choose not to ask for selfies or autographs before a game.
Instead, they offer a quick nod, wish the player good luck or simply allow them to enjoy the ride in peace. Those quiet moments often reinforce baseball’s reputation as the most approachable of America’s major professional sports.
A Connection to Baseball’s Past
Long before million-dollar contracts, nearly every major leaguer traveled like everyone else. In the early twentieth century, players routinely rode streetcars, elevated trains and trolleys to neighborhood ballparks. Entire teams often traveled together on public transit, carrying bats over their shoulders while chatting with fans. Today’s occasional subway commute serves as a reminder that, despite baseball’s enormous financial growth, its connection to everyday life remains intact.
There is something wonderfully fitting about seeing an All-Star standing shoulder-to-shoulder with teachers, accountants, nurses, students and construction workers on the morning ride to work. For a few stops, everyone is simply headed to the office.
The only difference is that one passenger will soon step onto perfectly manicured grass before 40,000 cheering fans. And if you happen to look up from your phone and notice a Gold Glove winner holding onto the subway pole beside you, remember baseball’s oldest unwritten rule: Act like you’ve been there before!
Extra Innings!!
Sean Mananea commuting on the #7 train to Citi Field
Check out also New York’s “singing” conductor Steve Boland
See also the link below for pics of Steve Boland taken at opening day this year.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtaphotos/albums/with/72177720333072816
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