Escorted Tours

The next stop on our Midwest 2 Tour was in St. Louis. We left Chicago mid-morning and made our way to The Gateway City in time to take a baseball stadium tour at Busch Stadium. The escorted tours that they give at Busch Stadium are pretty nice. You get to make the usual stops - warning track, dugouts, press box, suites, and club areas. What's unusual was that we were able to hit those spots so late in the day on a game day. Normally the team will shut down the field so that was an added bonus.

Here's a photo taken from the field at Busch Stadium. One of the things that you'll notice on your baseball road trips is that the newer stadiums have done a much better job of incorporating their surroundings into the ballpark. Remember the concrete bowls of the 60's and 70's? Or stadiums that were ill-fitting or designed for football? Thankfully they are being replaced with thoughtful stadium designs like Busch Stadium, PNC Park, Progressive Field and Citizens Bank Park.

We are always asked which is our favorite park so let me turn the tables on you. Which park is your favorite? What makes it your favorite? Let us know. It's always interesting to get a fan's perspective!

I'm often asked, "What makes your baseball travel tours different from anything else that's out there?" That's a great question and one that we love to answer!

2010 marks the fifth season of escorted tours for our company. I started Big League Tours when I couldn’t find a company that offered package tours the way I wanted to see the various parks. Since we’re fans first, our goal is to offer you tours the way you want them. Here are some things that make us different from the other guys:

• We get you in the action, arranging meet & greets with players, front office management, or broadcasters
• We also make sure you have great lower-level seats
• Our tour vacations take place on long weekends, making it an easy trip to arrange for the guys or even for family tours
• We stay in great hotels in the heart of the cities, making sure your trip is a complete experience
• We take pride in our flexibility, we plan plenty of activities that you can join or break off on your own
• We always do our best to minimize travel time to allow you the maximum amount of time at our destination.

Check out some of the testimonials from our clients to see what they have to say about us and our tours. You can also visit our ballpark images, photos that our travelers have taken from parks all over the country.

We’re planning exciting things for this year and hope you'll join us and fans from all over North America as we experience baseball like never before. Let us know if you have any questions. And if you can, join us on a Big League Tour this coming year for a fantastic baseball experience.

Looking for one of the best baseball bus trips available? Check out our Midwest 3 tour package. You'll get to see four of the Midwest's best baseball stadiums in four days. We'll travel in a private luxury motor coach to the stadiums and between the games, we'll setup baseball stadium tours and other escorted tours when the schedule allows.

This tour starts in the Motor City where the Angels will be in town to take on the Detroit Tigers. Comerica Park, pictured at the left, is a great park to visit. The team and the city really did a great job with this ballpark.

The next day we'll drive to Cleveland to see the Twins take on the Indians at Jacob's Field. (I know it's Progressive Field but that still doesn't seem right...)

Sunday morning we'll take a short drive to Pittsburgh for an afternoon game at PNC Park, another very well done stadium that replaces a 60's/70's vintage concrete bowl that was so prevalent in those days. Don't forget your Primanti Brothers sandwich!

We'll wrap up the last of our tour vacations for the summer with a stop in Cincinnati. We'll snag a tour of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum before seeing the NL Central division rivalry between the Cardinals and Reds at 7:10PM. I'd recommend the Montgomery Inn barbeque. Can't go wrong there!

This baseball vacation package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other sports tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.

The stars at night, are big and bright... Well, you know the rest. But have you ever experienced it yourself? No? Then it's passed time to do so. We'll take our group travel tours to four different games in the Lone Star state. These escorted tours start in Arlington, home of the Rangers, where the Angels come in town for an AL West division rivalry series. The game times aren't posted yet but we'll work in a baseball stadium tour when the schedule allows.

On Saturday, we'll load up our private motor coach and make our way down to Houston for some baseball action at Minute Maid Park. In both cities we'll be staying in the heart of the action, giving you a chance to explore Dallas and Houston and experience the cities while we visit.

Come into Dallas early or stay a few days after in Houston for family tours of sites in those great Texas cities. Head to our site to check out the details on this tour and all the 2010 Tour Vacations that we have to offer.

East Coast 1 is the granddaddy of our baseball vacation packages. The tour package includes 6 games in 6 different baseball stadiums, a free day to explore New York City, a day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a player appearance, and baseball stadium tours at some of baseball's most hallowed halls.

We'll begin in Baltimore, making the hotel there our home base for a few days. We'll have a kickoff reception at the hotel on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, we'll head to Nationals Park for an afternoon game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Nationals. Monday, we'll drive up to Philadelphia to see the Padres and Phillies. Tuesday, we'll take a stadium tour of Orioles Park and see the Yankees and Orioles play.

On Wednesday, we'll board the motor coach and head up to New York City, our home base for the next three nights. We'll go to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Padres. Thursday, you'll have the day on your own to shop 5th Avenue, take escorted tours of the city's sites, or to stroll through Central Park.

Friday we'll tour Yankee Stadium and see the Yankees play the Astros. Saturday we'll trek up to Cooperstown for the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We'll grab dinner in Cooperstown and then head to Boston. Sunday, we'll take in the Phillies and Red Sox and, if the schedule allows, we'll take a stadium tour of Fenway Park.

The hotel is provided Sunday night after the Red Sox game as part of the package. You also have the option of coming into Baltimore early or staying later in Boston so let us customize your sports vacations for you.

This premier sports travel package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other MLB Tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.

Our Midwest 2 baseball vacation package begins in Chicago. Our group will meet at our hotel on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and begin the tour by heading out to Wrigley Field for the great rivalry of the Cardinals vs. the Cubs for what will likely be a Sunday afternoon game.

On Monday, you'll have the opportunity to see the sites in Chicago - shop till you drop, take escorted tours of the architecture or skyline of the city, or take some family tours of the great museums. The next day will venture to US Cellular Field to see Josh Hamilton and the Rangers take on Ozzie's White Sox.

Wednesday we'll depart for St. Louis and Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals in their home venue. We'll stay in the heart of the city that evening and then leave for Kansas City in the morning. While in KC we'll see a game at Kaufmann Stadium and visit the Negro League Museum for a look into some of the rich history of baseball.

This premier sports travel package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other sports vacations, visit BigLeagueTours.com.

May 8, 2009, Cooperstown, NY - Have you heard the phrase "I'd rather be lucky than good anyday"? Well, today was one of those lucky days. While walking through the Hall of Fame, I overheard one of the employees mention that Rickey Henderson was conducting a press conference in the plaque room. How lucky is that? We happen to be at the Hall of Fame when one of this year's inductees is taking his first tour of the Hall!

We always include ways to get closer to, or inside the game of baseball on all of our baseball road trips: cool stuff like escorted tours of baseball stadiums, private meet & greets with current and former MLB players, and gaining special access to the stadiums. It's also special when we are fortunate enough to have events like this occur.

 More and More Travelers are Purchasing Travel Insurance

Did you know that recent surveys have found more travelers are purchasing travel insurance?  Did you know that Big League Tours offers travel insurance?  Travel insurance can take a great relief of stress off of travelers while traveling in escorted tours or purchasing a vacation through a consultant. 

Some program options Travel Guard insurance can give you on your sports vacations:

• Cancel for any reason optional coverage
• Cancel for work reasons optional coverage
• Children age 17 and younger no additional charge (Must be related to the primary insured)
• Medical evacuation home OR optional coverage of your hospital choice

Some other coverage travelers will receive in unforeseen trip related expenses:

• Trip Cancellation, interruption and delay
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage or travel documents
• Luggage Delay

If you are planning family tours in 2009 consider travel insurance to give you the ease of knowing you're covered in the case of an unforeseen incident.  Check out our website to see what Big League Tours and Travel Guard can offer you.

 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!

 Group Tours Brings Families Together

    Baseball isn't just for the guys anymore.  Two of the most loyal and die hard fans to travel with us were a mother and daughter duo from Texas.  Betty and Suzanne decided that they wanted to attend a game at "the house that Ruth built" before the Yankees moved into the new Yankee Stadium.  Betty was researching trips and their options and came across our East Coast 1 trip including Fenway Park, Cooperstown, and Yankee Stadium.  Things that drew them in were guaranteed stops at three of baseball's most sought after sites.  Betty and Suzanne are pictured here with Bill "Spaceman" Lee.  Lee, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, joined our guests on a private, escorted tour of Fenway Park. 
 
    "The Best part of the trip was getting to make memories with my mom!" states Suzanne.  She says that getting to see live baseball in both of these historic places was unforgettable.  She recalls the first game at Fenway Park and her mom's reaction.  "I wish everyone could have seen her face as she sat down with her scorecard and pencil twenty rows directly behind home plate at Fenway Park.  My 63 year old mom was giggling like a 15 year old, and I was doing the same!"  I can agree with Suzanne with this statement because I had the opportunity to sit next to them at the Boston game.  It has been a great experience working with Big League Tours, but nothing tops seeing the looks on our guests' faces when they sit in their seats and begin to experience what we work so hard to achieve.

    Suzanne and Betty achieved their goal of seeing the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium before then end of this year.  They even got to see a Yankee Stadium first where Johnny Damon hit a walk-off game-winning single in the bottom or the ninth.  It was the first time a Yankee had ever gone 6-for-6 at Yankee Stadium.  Suzanne said, "My mom and I had a wonderful time together.  We very rarely get girl time together and thoroughly enjoyed the trip! I'll always remember this time together with her.  One of the guys on the tour with us took the trip with his college-age son.  He said that it made his heart glad to see a mother and daughter spending time together like this at our age.  It game him hope that he and his son would continue to stay close as they get older, too."

Taking Baseball Travel Tours to Miller Park
August 9, 2008 - Whenever we book any of our MLB Tours to include Chicago and Milwaukee, we plan it to stay in Chicago the whole time and to take a bus up to Milwaukee and back on the same day. It works out great because we don't have to move hotels and deal with getting situated a second time. Plus, it's only a 90 mile bus trip so it's an easy drive.

This escorted tour took us up to Miller Park with plenty of time to take in the sites of the stadium, batting practice, and of course, the tailgaters outside the stadium. Brewers fans know how to tailgate! We actually drove through a little rain on our trip up to the stadium. We didn't mind because we knew they would have the roof closed if it was bad outside. But shortly after batting practice, the skies cleared up and the sun came out so they opened the roof. Here's a photo of the roof opening. I didn't time it from start to finish, mainly because I had my face buried in a bratwurst covered with sauerkraut and the secret sauce that they serve at Miller Park, but I'm guessing that it took about 10 minutes to open it up.

If you haven't been to Miller Park, you should consider adding it to your list of sports vacations stops to be made. You'll be glad that you did. Bring the farmer's golf set, beer, brats and a grill and you'll fit right in! Maybe Bernie will let you go down his slide!

 Big League Tours attends Old Timers Day

Big League Tours tries to find important aspects to include in each tour to give our guests the ultimate baseball vacation experience while on our escorted tours. So, we chose for our Big Apple 2 trip a weekend that had something exciting going on at the stadium "Old Timers Day".  Since this is the last year at Yankee Stadium it was a touching day for not only Yankee fans but all baseball fans alike.  The Yankees invited back some of their former players to the stadium to thank them and congratulate them on all their success as Yankees and in their life.  They had players from all different era's come back to the stadium including Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Dave Winfield, and Rickey Henderson to only name a few. It was exciting and touching to see all these greats in one place to celebrate them and the ending of an era at Yankee Stadium.  After announcing all the attendees the Yanks that were able to play participated in a few innings against each other.  Allowing Big League Tour guests to see some of the best players from Yankee Stadium play.  Although, some of them were a little rusty it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were all glad to be there.

Private Escorted Tour of Fenway Park
July 8, 2008 - This sports vacation left the home town of baseball to head to the oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues, Fenway Park. It's always a great way to end a baseball road trip at Fenway...

The stadium tour moved through many different sections of the park including the Right Field Roof Deck, the State Street Pavilion, the Infield Grandstand and, of courses, the Green Monster.

The highlight of the baseball stadium tour was being joined by Bill "Spaceman" Lee. Bill always has some great stories about his playing days in the Big Leagues. Here's a picture of our group with Bill inside Fenway Park.

Taking a Private Stadium Tour of Fenway Park
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - Fenway Park has a charm to it that is unlike any other baseball stadium that I've ever visited. I'd have to say it's my favorite park. We began our visit to Boston with a private escorted tour of Fenway. (We were lucky enough to get Kim again. Great job, Kim!) The tour is a great mix of history and facts about the team, the ballpark and baseball in general.

One of the things that we like to do on our package tours is to bring in MLB players to share their experiences, sign autographs for our guests, and to have their pictures taken. This baseball trip was no different. We brought in Dick Drago, a pitcher with the Red Sox in the '70's. Dick pitched in the 1975 World Series and shared many stories about playing during that era. He's pictured with our group as we toured the ballpark.

While there are any number of sports travel packages that fans can choose from, we think that our Player Experiences are a key differentiator for Big League Tours. It's a way for us to make the baseball road trip into a truly MLB road trip!

Our Escorted Tour Heads to Shea Stadium
Monday, June 23, 2008 - Shea Stadium is one place that I don't think will be missed by many when it's gone. Aside from its unattractive appearance on the outside, many of the seats face the wrong direction (center field instead of the pitcher's mound/home plate), even the great seats sit too low so that the people in front of you are blocking some portion of the field, and every two seats you have an aisle or an obnoxious bar next to you. I suppose the bars are supposed to give you the feeling of a "box seat". Instead, it gives you the feeling that you are either watching the game from a cubicle or your own jail cell (which is more likely for many of the Mets' seasons especially last year's melt down in September).

The new Citi Field, however, is very attractive from the outside. You can see it just outside of the outfield walls from Shea Stadium. I've been told that its design was inspired by Ebbets Field. I'm excited to see the new ballpark when we head to New York City for one of our baseball travel tours in 2009.

Taking an Escorted Tour of Yankee Stadium
Monday, June 23, 2008 - One of the best ways to experience Yankee Stadium is on a stadium tour that gets you access into sections of the stadium that you would otherwise not see. Our started in the press box where I'm always reminded that, had I paid more attention in English class, I could have had one of the best seats in the ballpark...and been paid to sit in it!

We then made our way to Monument Park. I've been here several times but I always find new things to read and see when I'm there. This section of the baseball stadium really helps to solidify the position of the Yankees as the most storied franchise in all of baseball.

Because of a slight rain, we made our way through some tunnels to get to the Yankees dugout. While it's always fun to walk on the warning track, it was interesting to see parts of the stadium that I hadn't seen before. We saw the visitors clubhouse and their tunnel to their dugout. We saw pictures throughout the tunnel of Yankees through history. And we made our way through the tunnel from the Yankees clubhouse into the dugout where I shot this photo of the plaque with the famous quote from Joe DiMaggio.

If you haven't purchased a ticket for a stadium tour of the old Yankee Stadium, it might just be too late. The team has had such high demand for the tickets that it appears that they are sold out for the year.

Stadium Tour of Camden Yards
June 20, 2008 - We began our day with an escorted tour of Orioles Park at Camden Yards. After being blown away by this facility the night before, it was great to get a behind the scenes tour of such a great ballpark. It's just too bad that Boog's Barbeque wasn't open for another round...

The tour itself was fantastic. We started on Eutaw Street, which is now the space between the outfield seats and the warehouse, and managed to make our way through every level of the ballpark. Our guide, Susan, led us through the tour that was part Orioles history, ballpark history, as well as Baltimore facts and history.

Here's our group sitting in the Orioles dugout.

This has to have been the most thorough stadium tour that I have ever been on. I believe it was the most enjoyable, too. Thanks to Susan and everyone at the tours office in Baltimore!

How many stadium tours take you on the Green Monstah!?

Thursday, June 5- East Coast 1 started off in Boston, MA where some of the guests arrived a day early and some arrived on the day of the game.  We began our baseball trip by taking an escorted tour of Fenway Park. Bill “Spaceman” Lee and his wife Diana joined us on our tour as well.  Allowing guests to speak with him have pictures taken, get autographs signed, and hear some stories from when he played for the Boston Red Sox. 

It was a cold misty day in Boston, but we got to see a lot of the stadium and were given a lot of information about the park.  We got to go to many parts of the stadium, but my favorite was the Green Monster.  It was a great view of the entire stadium and a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you can ever get the opportunity to take any type of stadium tours in Fenway take the opportunity!

The Start of our Longest Baseball Road Trip Yet!
June 19, 2008 - Today we began our longest baseball trip since we began offering group tours in 2006. The tour runs through Baltimore, DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston catching games in each of those cities.

Our group met in Baltimore at the Hyatt Regency in the Inner Harbor. What a great location. We're nestled in with views of the harbor and all of the restaurants and shops near by. We're also just a couple of blocks away from Camden Yards.

We headed out to the ballpark on a perfect night for baseball - and the perfect night to see the Orioles sweep the Astros with a 7-5 victory. But regardless of the outcome, how could one not enjoy spending time at Camden Yards? What a great facility. From the incorporation of the Warehouse Building into the stadium, to Boog's Barbeque, to the awesome seating and views throughout the stadium, fans in Baltimore are absolutely spoiled with this park. Here's photo taken from our seats early in the game.

We'll start the day off today with an escorted tour of Camden Yards and then visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum before we head out for Washington DC for game at the New Nationals Park.

Players Make Baseball Vacation Packages Unique
Bill "Spaceman" Lee and Dick Drago are joining Big League Tours when we tour Fenway Park on each of our East Coast tours this summer. We have had several players join us at the ballpark for stadium tours or other events including Vida Blue, Tom Browning, Len Barker, Al Hrabosky and Ron Kittle, to name a few, . It always makes the baseball trip special when you get to spend time with guys who have played the game. The players joining us in Boston will be no exceptions.

Here's some background on Bill Lee taken from his website, billspacemanlee.com: Bill Lee pitched in the Major Leagues for 14 years, 10 of which were with the Boston Red Sox. The California native amassed a career record of 119-90 including three consecutive 17-win seasons with the Red Sox. Ron Sheldon, the creator of Bull Durham admits to modeling Kevin Costner's unforgettable character on Lee. Bill earned the nickname 'Spaceman' early in his career for his nonconformist attitudes, his outrageous comments and for hinting more than once that he enjoyed recreational drugs. Lee was always eager to challenge his coaches and managers, most notably Don Zimmer, who he mistook for a gerbil. Because of his unconventional approach to the game and his candid views on social issues, Lee was a fan favorite for years in New England and later in Montreal. A shoulder injury sustained during an on-field fight contributed to Lee's eventual retirement.

Here are some quotes from Bill: "I'm mad at Hank (Aaron) for deciding to play one more season. I threw him his last home run and thought I'd be remembered forever. Now, I'll have to throw him another." "Do they leave it (Fenway's Green Monster) there during the game?" "My Karma ran over my Dogma." And my personal favorite, "You should enter a ballpark the way you enter a church."

Here's some background on Dick Drago taken from baseballlibrary.com: Drago made the majors when he was picked by the Royals in the expansion draft, and he became the ace of their struggling staff. Improving with the rest of the team, he had his best season in 1971 (17-11, 3.01), but his record suffered when the team declined in 1972 (12-17 despite a 2.99 ERA). Boston acquired him for 1974, and in their AL championship season in 1975 he was their bullpen ace with 15 saves. He saved Games Two and Three as the Red Sox swept the A's in the ALCS, but lost Game Two of the World Series in the ninth inning on a Ken Griffey double. His three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Game Six kept Boston in the game, and they won on Carlton Fisk's famous homer in the 12th inning. Traded to California for 1976 and then to Baltimore in mid-1977, he returned to the Red Sox for 1978 and had his last good season in 1979, going 10-6 with 13 saves.

The players will be joining us for our escorted tours of Fenway Park. Bill Lee will be on our East Coast 1 and East Coast 3 Tours. Dick Drago will be joining us on the East Coast 2 Tour.