Clarke Schmidt takes a funny jibe at his father's piloting skills

On the Yankees' charter journey to Tampa International Airport, it wasn't Aaron Judge who addressed the team, but rather Captain Dwight Schmidt, the father of pitcher Clarke Schmidt.

Clarke Schmidt mentioned to some of his teammates that his father, who is a Delta pilot, would be flying the team's charter out of New York, as part of an arrangement with the airline. The news quickly spread among the team once they were on board the aircraft.

Schmidt said, "I thought the landing was a little scraggly".

Capt. Schmidt had previously served in the Marine Corps as a Naval Aviator, flying F-18s. Even though his son was recovering from an accident and could not travel, Capt. Schmidt has previously chartered trips for the Yankees, including the trip to Iowa for the Field of Dreams game in 2021.

Clarke Schmidt's MLB career statistics

Clarke Schmidt, a professional baseball pitcher with the Major League Baseball (MLB) New York Yankees, was born in America on February 20, 1996. The Yankees chose Schmidt with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 MLB draft and eventually made his MLB debut in 2020.

Schmidt missed the start of spring training for the 2021 season due to a common extensor strain in his right elbow despite an MRI showing no signs of ligament damage. Schmidt was added to the 60-day injured list on March 27, 2021. Schmidt was activated from the disabled list on August 12 and optioned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple-A level.

Schmidt was included on the Yankees' 2022 season-opening roster. On April 19, he achieved his first major league triumph. On July 24, against the Baltimore Orioles, Schmidt pitched three frames without allowing a run, earning his first career save.