New Citi Field is set to open in April 2009 and many escorted tours have really started selling! 

Citi Field will be a great place for baseball fans to catch a game.  There is a more intimate atmosphere with the seating angled towards the infield and set down lower.  The Mets and Citi Field have comissioned a statue of Jackie Robinson for when guests first enter the stadium and named Jackie Robinson Rotunda.  New Citi Field will be a great new addition to baseball stadiums in the United States.  Check out what the new stadium will look like when it opens in 2009.



Don't forget to check out our website for all the baseball trips we are offereing to the east coast in '09!

Are you a Minnesota Twins fan? 

Whether you answered yes or no many people still want to see all the baseball stadiums including the Metrodome.  Since 2009 is the last season for the Metrodome, you might want to think about getting your baseball travel tours all set in place.  Big League Tours will be visiting the Twin Cities in May on our Midwest 2 trip where the Twins will be taking on the Boston Red Sox. On this baseball road trip we will also be catching a White Sox game and Cubs game in the windy city and catching a Brewers game at Miller Park. It'll be a great chance to catch some great ball in the Midwest.  Check out what the Twins new stadium, Target Field, will look like in 2010. 

Are You Ready to Experience one of our Baseball Stadium Tours to New Yankee Stadium in '09!?

Many baseball vacation packages are now being offered for the opening weekend for the New Yankee Stadium in April 2009.  Have you planned your MLB road trip yet?   Check out the video of New Yankee Stadium and start planning your sports packages now, before its too late. You won't want to miss this! Check out our website for the many different sports packages that we are offering in '09 that include the New Yankee Stadium as well as every other Major League stadium.

Tips For Purchasing Airline Tickets

Gas prices are falling, but airline tickets are pretty much staying the same.  To help find the best possible price during this holiday season. Individuals and small group tours need to keep some things in mind when purchasing their airline ticket.

• Book directly: Airlines have begun giving discounts or vouchers to customers who book directly through their website.  It not only helps drive people to their website, but helps the airlines not have to pay that extra commission they would to priceline, orbitz, or expedia.
• Sign up for their email: Many airlines offer special discounts to customers who sign up for their email and will sporadically send them out.
• Look for flights at nearby airports: Depending on where you are flying to many times there are smaller airports who will have cheaper flights. So, if one of your baseball travel tours includes New York try flying into New Jersey.
• Try to be flexible: Adjusting your travel days by a day or two may be able to save you in the long run.
• Don't wait: If you find a deal don't wait to see if a better one more than often when you come back it will be gone.

However you decide to purchase your airline ticket make sure all of your sports vacations get planned in plenty of time. 

 Crisp Gets Traded for Ramirez

If you were looking at one of our many sports vacations in Boston for the '09 you won't be seeing Coco Crisp, but you will be able to see Ramon Ramirez of the Kansas City Royals. 

Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein, said they didn't feel any rush to deal with Coco Crisp and would only make a deal if it would positively effect the team.  They hadn't found that player until Wednesday when they had the chance to pick up Ramon Ramirez, a 27-year old righty, relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. Epstein says,"We think he is a young, controllable relief pitcher that could really help our bullpen.

Pictured above is from our '08 East Coast 1 trip where Coco Crisp was hit by a pitch from the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher and began this fight.  This was a great experience for our group tour, because not many people get to see a fight the first day of a trip! 

So, join us on one of our many baseball road trips to the East Coast to see Ramirez play for the Red Sox or join us on Midwest 1 and see Crisp play for the Royals.

Many More People Will be Taking Small Group Tours into the US

In October President Bush spoke to an audience regarding a Visa Waiver for seven countries--the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and South Korea.  All seven countries had met all the requirements to be entered in the United State Visa Waiver Program. 

Citizens from these countries will be allowed to enter the United States without a Visa.  Currently, United States citizens are allowed to enter these countries already without a visa.  These seven countries agree to give the United States any information about threats to the people of the United States. They have also agreed that all travelers pre-register online before their visit. 

So, if you decide to take a trip to the United States in the summer of '09 consider taking one of our many sports tours and enjoy one of our favorite past times.

To read the full article click here.

Pedroia is Named AL Most Valuable Player

Are you considering one of our small group tours to the East Coast next 2009 season?  Well, if not you might now...Dustin Pedroia was named the AL MVP.  The second baseman for the Red Sox joins Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard as the only players to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive years.  Pedroia is the first second baseman to win the AL MVP since Nellie Fox of the White Sox in 1959.  Also, for Pedoia's great performance in 2008, he received a Gold Glove Award, a spot on the American League's Silver Slugger team and now MVP. 

Pedroia has an infections enthusiasm that has earned him the rare ability to be considered a team leader at the age of 25. But as much as he said in the clubhouse and the dugout, his bat could have done all the talking. His 54 doubles led the Majors.  He led the AL in runs and multi-hit games.

So, whether you choose East Coast 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or the Big Apple trip you'll be sure to see Pedroia in action!  

Click here for the full story.

Add Midwest 1 To Your MLB Tours for 2009 To See Pujols in Action

Will Your Sports Vacations Include CC Sabathia in 2009?

Follow Your Favorite Team Into the Afterlife

There are many die hard baseball fans out there, but I have never seen anything like this.  Eternal Image makes unique caskets and urns for their customers.  Clint Mytych, CEO and only 27, of Eternal Image is determined to change the funeral industry with an array of new ways to celebrate the person who has passed.  Whether it is an urn for your favorite pet or you were a huge Phillies fan and you would like to dedicate your urn to the team.  With the permission of Major League Baseball fans can now take it to the next level.

The MLB urns are made from aluminum, sits on top of a wooden shaped base and topped with a clear dome and baseball can be displayed.  Then the logo of the persons favorite team is displayed on the side as well as their name. There is soon to be a casket that focuses on your favorite team as well.  The casket will resemble a wooden bat and will be lined in the persons favorite teams colors.

Are you this big of a fan?  Join us on one of our sports vacations and maybe you'll catch that commemorative baseball that can be displayed on your urn.  Or maybe during one of our baseball stadium tours you could get a bat signed by a special player for that wooden bat casket. If your not ready to take your favorite team to the afterlife just enjoy them now with Big League Tours.

It's Time for the Fans to Vote!

The end of baseball is upon us for this season.  After the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series we, the fans, have a list of areas to vote on.  Dec. 5, ends the voting period for the 2008 Baseball Awards, have you voted? Vote today!

Categories:

• Hitter--Vote Now!
• Starter--Vote Now!
• Rookie--Vote Now!
• Manager--Vote Now!
• Closer--Vote Now!
• Setup--Vote Now!
• Defense--Vote Now!
• Performance--Vote Now!
• Play--Vote Now!
• Moment--Vote Now!
• Oddity--Vote Now!
• Executive--Vote Now!
• Postseason Moment--Vote Now!

Make sure you take the time and vote even check out some short clips of each nominee at http://www.mlb.com/.  Don't miss out on any of these opportunities start planning for all your sports vacations today!

And the Golden Glove Award goes to....Click on any of the players names and read up on whether it is their 1st or 18th Gold Glove.

National League
C: Joe Mauer, MN
1B: Carlos Pena, TB
2B: Dustin Pedoia, BOS
3B: Adrian Beltre, SEA
SS: Michael Young, TEX
OF: Torii Hunter, LAA
OF: Grady Sizemore, CLE
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
P: Mike Mussina, NYY


National League
C: Yadier Molina, STL
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, SD
2B: Brandon Phillips, CIN
3B: David Wright, NYM
SS: Jimmy Rollins, PHI
OF: Nate McLouth, PIT
OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF: Shane Vicorino, PHI
P: Greg Maddux, LAD

Did your favorite team or player receive a Gold Glove? Congratulations to all the players!

Revealing New Airport Security

As many people know the airport is continually working on new ways to search people coming through the airport.  Simple metal detectors and x-ray machines are no longer doing the trick in protecting passengers who are traveling.  A new controversial millimeter wave scanner has been debuting all over the United States.  These new machines create an image of the persons body through clothing, and will pick up any type of knife, explosive or firearm - metallic or nonmetallic- a passenger may be carrying.

The new $170,000 millimeter wave scanners are electromagnetic waves to form a whole-body image of a person that shows any hidden items concealed on the person.  The millimeter wave scanner does not use X-rays, however, and it is not the same as similar scanners that use "backscatter" X-rays to produce an image. The wave scanners were introduced to service earlier this year at Phoenix Sky Harbor and Los Angeles and JFK International. They have also been used in London's Heathrow Airport for sometime now.

However, these machines seem to be helpful in determining if a passenger is carrying something they shouldn't be, but what is the cost? The image created of the passenger is of them with no clothing, resembling store mannequins.  Many people are not happy with what the image that will be displayed, but authorities say the image will be displayed in a different room and will be deleted immediately after.  What do you think about these new security measures?

For more information about millimeter wave technology, visit www.tsa.gov.

Guide to Purchasing Sports Memorabilia

Have you have ever wanted to purchase an autographed ball or helmet, but were skeptical since you did not know the seller?  Here are some tips to help you in buying an authentic autographed memorabilia and spotting those fakes.

Steps to Take Before Purchasing

• Read the description thoroughly - make sure the autograph isn't described as a reprint, preprint, copy, facsimile, stamp or autopen.
• Do some research - it helps to know about the company you are buying from.  If possible buy from a reputable company and make sure to have an up close picture of the signature.
• Look for memorabilia that has been examined and declared authentic by a third-party expert. Authenticated items will have a Certificate of Authentication (COA).
• Recognized sports memorabilia authenticators include: PSA/DNA Authentication Services and Global Authentication Inc.
• Ask questions - don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have.  If they are an honest seller they won't have anything to hide. Does the seller have a picture of the person signing the object?
• Educate yourself on prices - know what an item is worth before you buy. Avoid "too good to be true" deals that could be bogus.

Guides to Purchasing Certain Items

• Trading cards: Examine trading cards for sharp corners, smooth surfaces, and good centering. Since 1990, athlete-signed cards have often been inserted into new packs. Check the back of the card for certification.
• Balls: Look for autographed balls signed by a single player, which are worth more than balls signed by multiple players.
• Bats: Bats are among the easiest sports items to authenticate.  For higher value, look for game-used bats along with solid evidence of game wear and tear.
• Jerseys: If you're looking genuine game jerseys, watch for sweat stains, authentic wear and tear, and proof of game use. Research jersey labels to help determine authenticity.
• Photographs: Most photographs are 8 inches x 10 inches or smaller; larger sizes tend to be uncommon and accumulate value over time. Demand is also higher for color photos and photos signed before 1980.

Sports Injuries

Most people dream about growing up and being a pro-sports player whether is football, baseball, basketball, or soccer and how great it would be.  We usually never think of the bad things that could happen and let's face it accidents happen in every sport and that most often never crosses our mind. Most common injuries to players consist of fractures, strains/sprains and lacerations.

Memorable Sports Injuries:

- Nov. 1, 2008: Most recently,  Pacers forward Danny Granger (Bottom) rushes for a loose ball, but loses his two front teeth after his head was crushed into the floor by Celtics player Paul Pierce.

- Aug. 2, 2007: At Summer X Games, skateboarder Jake Brown on a quarter-pipe ramp lost his balance, flew in the air, and fell approximately 45 feet. He miraculously walked away, but later was found to have a lacerated liver, a lung contusion and stress fractures in his vertebra as well as a small hand fracture. However, he did come away with a silver medal.

- Feb. 8, 2007: In a figure skating routine Bryce Davison's skate blade catches the face of his partner, Jessica Dube. Jessica received 80 stitches to repair a laceration on her cheek and nose. Both skaters had to go through stress therapy for the incident, but they returned to the competition together.

- Sept. 8, 2000: Bryce Florie, Red Sox pitcher, was hit by a line drive in the face off the bat of Yankees' Ryan Thompson.  He received a fracture to his cheekbone and a damaged retina.  In 2001 Bryce was able to make a comeback.

- July 4, 1999: Catcher Jason Kendall sustains a sever dislocation of his ankle trying to beat out a bunt. The injury ended Kendall's season, but he returned to action the following year.

- Feb. 25, 2007: Chelsea's John Terry is accidentally kicked in the face by Arsenal's Abou Diaby during the Carling Final soccer match.  Terry is knocked unconscious and swallows his tongue, but recovers.

- March 22, 1989: Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk has his neck accidentally sliced open by a skate during a game against the St. Louis Blues. He received more than 300 stitches, but returned to practice four days later.

- Feb. 10, 2008: Richard Zednik, a forward for Florida, had his neck slashed by a teammate's skate during a game against the Sabres. Surgery is needed to close the wound, but Zednik comes away in stable condition.

So, when you dream about becoming a pro-sports player again remember that there are many things that can go wrong, but we can still all dream.

A lot of us dread going to the airport these days.  It takes a lot of time to get through security, which means we must arrive earlier and it can sometimes be very frustrating. Listed below are some tips you can use before arriving at the airport to speed up the check-in process and help with an all around better experience.

 Airport Tips

Before Your Tour Vacations

 

• Check your itineraries for seat assignments and make any ticket changes you need.
• Handle any special needs you might need before you get to the airport.
• Check to make sure the contact information they have for you is correct.
• Take care of any passports, visas, or any other important papers you might need way ahead of time.
• Know the check-in requirements for your airport.
• Know the requirements for the security checkpoints where you'll be traveling.

• Check security check-point wait-times and allow plenty of extra time for busy holiday periods.

Baggage Tips

• Put your name and phone number of your destination on the inside and outside of your bag.
• Don't wrap your gifts since all luggage is subject to inspection. (If during a seasonal holiday please be aware of theft and consider sending your gifts by mail.)
• Travel light when you can.  Try bringing one carry-on bag that will fit underneath the seat in front of you.

• Carry valuables, medication, and travel documents in your carry-on baggage.

A great way to check for travel alerts and updates is the Transportation Security Administration website.

Looking For Memorable Christmas Gifts?

December is approaching rapidly which means the buying season is upon us.  Big League Tours is proud to offer unique and memorable gifts.  If you're looking for that special gift to last a lifetime consider one of our many sports packages. Whether its a gift for a family member or friend they are sure to enjoy the life long memories they will experience on their baseball road trip. 

On many of our baseball travel tours we offer an array of unique aspects.  Guests will be able to experience each game in lower level seating.  They will also experience stadium tours, one on one Big League Tours player experiences, and take in the sites of each city. This is the first year also that Big League Tours will be offering a gift package.  This way your family member or friend will be able to open an actual gift on Christmas, their birthday, or anniversary. Each package consists of jumbo game tickets that describe the trip that they are receiving, a Big League Tours hat, an MLB baseball, and a box of Cracker Jack.

So, if you want a gift that will last a lifetime consider one of our many baseball vacation packages.

Most of our sports travel packages offer baseball stadium tours on the itinerary. So as you can imagine, we've had the pleasure of seeing lots of behind the scenes elements at many different ballparks. Here's something that we haven't seen, the inside of a manager's office. So while the World Series is suspended, take a peek at Joe Maddon's office.

If you love to get inside the game of baseball with behind the scenes opportunities like this, check out our 2009 MLB Tours and join us for an experience you'll never forget!

Family Tours East Coast Together
Here's a note that I received from one of our travelers. This is from Michael H. who traveled with his son and grandson on our East Coast 3 tour which included games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, a full day at Cooperstown, and a private stadium tour of Fenway Park. Michael's letter reads:

I'm sending this note to let you know how great the tour that Jarrett, Nolan and I went on was to me. It's been almost two months and I still think of it everyday. I will always have the best of memories about this baseball trip.

You handled everything so well and made it even more enjoyable. It was a pleasure to meet you and your daughter and your dad.

Thanks again for a great time!!!" 

We very much enjoyed you traveling with us, too, Michael. We love it when our guests have such a great time on the baseball road trips, especially when three generations get to experience them together!

World Series Teams on 10 Different Big League Tours in '09

If you are a fan of the Phillies or Rays, you have to be thrilled with the way the season is panning out for your team. It's been 15 years since the Phillies have been playing this late in October and Rays fans have never seen their team this late in the year.

No matter how the Series finish up, you'll still have much to look forward to in 2009. Big League Tours has six baseball road trips that include the Rays and four MLB road trips that feature the Phillies. So whether you want to see your team at home or on the road, we've got you covered - rally caps are optional...

Check out our 2009 Tour Packages to see all the details or to make your reservation today!