Candelaria: No Commercial Flights

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher John Candelaria says players are being inconvenienced and team officials are being “ridiculous” by using commercial airlines instead of charter service in a bid to cut travel costs.

“They’ve got us traveling on super, super savers--it’s ridiculous,” the left-handed reliever said Tuesday after the Pirates’ 5-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

He urged Pirate President Dan Galbreath, who also owns thoroughbred race horses, to act quickly on his offer to sell the team. The Pirates have been losing money steadily in recent years due to poor attendance at Three Rivers Stadium.

Candelaria complained that Galbreath’s “horses travel better than we do.

“At the end of the trip, we play a day game in San Francisco, and we don’t fly out of there until midnight,” he said.

Using commercial flights will cut about $30,000 from the travel costs of a trip that takes the players to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco by next Wednesday, said Charles Muse, traveling secretary.

“It’s ridiculous,” Candelaria said. “Why doesn’t (Galbreath) just sell . . . and get out.”

Some National League teams are fully chartered, but other clubs also use commercial flights, especially on short flights. More than half of the Pirate flights are commercial.