A mechanical failure aboard the Toronto Blue Jays' charter plane Sunday forced the club to make a six-hour overnight bus trip from Phoenix to Southern California, arriving at their Orange County hotel around 12:30 a.m.

Manager John Schneider learned of the problem at approximately 4 p.m. Sunday from traveling secretary Rodney Hiemstra, as the Blue Jays were wrapping up a 10-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"There was an issue with the joystick, which is pretty important -- apparently, it's used for takeoffs and landings," Schneider said before Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. "So, the options were to get a new plane, which would have had to fly down from Vancouver and wouldn't have landed until 10 p.m., or drive. We took a team vote, and the team voted to bus."

The logistics proved cumbersome. All luggage and food had to be unloaded from the grounded aircraft and transported back to Chase Field, where three buses were loaded, two for players and one for approximately 40 additional staff and coaches. Scheduled starter Dylan Cease bypassed the bus entirely, flying commercially from Phoenix to Orange County.

Schneider described cramped conditions aboard the coaches' bus with characteristic humor.

"The math was a little off," Schneider said. "It worked out way better for the players, but there was a whole lot of doubling up for us. I had my own two seats, and I still had cases of water around me, and you feel bad reclining on people."

Veteran pitcher Max Scherzer had favored flying and made his displeasure known in writing. Schneider revealed Scherzer printed a formal letter of complaint, threatening to bring the matter before the team's kangaroo court.

"I got reprimanded by Max for electing to travel that way," Schneider said. "I was like, 'Max, why don't you just buy a plane? You've got plenty of cash.'"

Schneider took the ordeal in stride.

"I felt like I was back in the Northwest League," Schneider said. "But we made the best of it. We all got here safe, and we're ready to go."