Here's a letter that we received from one of our customers, Bob Ward of Texas. As you'll see, Bob traveled on one of our small group tours through the Midwest in August of '08. Here's what he had to say:

"I traveled with a relative and his 10-year-old grandson, who was awestruck most of the time. The Midwest 2 Tour was our first with Big League Tours and was by far the best of the four I have taken, the first three with another company.  George had taken two other tours with another company.

The price of all the tours (we've taken) was comparable, but the services provided by Big League Tours was far superior, in our opinion.

"The primary things that set Big League Tours trip apart from the others, in our opinion, was two-fold: 1) location and quality of the hotels and 2) location of the game ticket seats.

"On this tour, we visited four cities and ballparks (Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). The hotels were all located within walking distance of the ballpark (15 minutes or less), and all our tickets were in the lower level. In one case, at Pittsburgh, the seats were right behind the visitors' dugout, and in Cincinnati, we were three rows from field level right by third base. Great seats at all parks, but the two mentioned specifically were special.

"Another added touch that we liked was the idea of staying downtown in the cities visited, which made it easier to become more familiar with the cities (Detroit has a fabulous river walk).

"On this tour, we had a sit-down visit with baseball great Dave Parker, a two-time major league batting champ, who had a long and illustrious major league career. This was a great experience for us. Parker was such a personable, down-to-earth person who acted as if he really enjoyed talking with with us and answering our many questions. He was especially good with the two 10-year-old Little League boys on the trip. This, to us, was the exclamation point to the whole trip.

"We would recommend traveling with Big League Tours, and this is a non-paid endorsement from the heart."

Bob Ward (Texas) and George Wood (California)

Thanks to Bob and George for the kind words about the group travel tours that we offer. We hope that you'll join us this year so that you can experience the difference of a Big League Tour!

A Few Tips For Being Prepared On A Big League Tours Trip

Have you purchased your small group tours for '09 and are ready for the excitement?  Have you ever went on a trip and forgot some little thing that you wish you hadn't?  It happens to a lot of us here are some simple ways to ease your travels while going on sports tours in '09.

Some tips for travelers heading on a tour with Big League Tours in '09:

• Make a list of everything you want to take on the sports vacation
• Pack rain gear; rain coat, umbrella etc.
• Pack a set of warm clothes
• Bring a mitt if you plan on being in the outfield during batting practice
• Bring a baseball, hat, etc. we have meet and greets with players and alumni on most of our baseball vacation packages and they are always willing to sign memorabilia
• Check and make sure your bag or book bag will be allowed in the stadium
• Don't forget your camera

These are just a few reminders for what to bring while on sports vacations with Big League Tours.  We're always willing to answer questions so if your not sure about something ask us! If you haven't booked a trip with us yet check out our website.  We look forward to meeting you for the first time or seeing you again in 2009!

Will Baseball Stadium Tours Include Robots Someday?

This video doesn't have very much to do with what we do at Big League Tours or small group tours right now, but maybe someday it will.  (I don't think it will be in my lifetime, but who knows.)  I thought it was pretty cool and thought some of you travelers might as well.  If you are interested in robots, baseball or both you might find this interesting.  Do you think this is what the future holds for baseball trips and stadium tours alike?

Two Left Fielders Elected by Writers' Ballot

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice are both on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  It has been 20 years since the Baseball Writers' Association of America has has elected a left fielder into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. However, the 2009 ballot may end this all since there are some very prominent left fielders on the list. 

Henderson is new to the ballot along with 10 others.  Rice on the other hand this is his last chance to be nominated.  Nominees may be on the ballot for 15 years, but they must receive 5% of the votes each year.  Rice has a very good chance of being elected, last year he missed out by only 16 votes.

Don't miss out on the chance to take one of Big League Tours small group tours in the '09 season.  Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is being offered on five of our baseball travel tours.  Check out our website and see which baseball road trip fits you! 

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.

Big League Tours Goes International

The 2009 season marks a new era for Big League Tours.  We are not only going to be visiting all thirty stadiums next season we will also for the first time be traveling as a group outside of the country. This is exciting for all baseball fans, because you not only have the opportunity to watch baseball but you get to watch it maybe somewhere you have always dreamed of going.  For example catch a part of the World Baseball Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Where you can be part of some world class baseball, but also take in the beach in March. 

However, starting on June 1, 2009 U.S. Citizens must have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document when traveling by land, air or sea. Currently travelers must only have one of these items if they are traveling by air outside of the country. Please note: that passport requirements do NOT apply to U.S. Citizens traveling to or returning from a U.S. Territory. So, if you are thinking of joining us for one of our group tours that is traveling to Canada please make sure you get your passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document in plenty of time.

To learn more about which document you should have check out the U.S. Department of State Website.

 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."

Visiting One of MLB's Best - Wrigley Field
August 10, 2008 - One of the most common requests for baseball trips is to offer a baseball vacation package that includes Wrigley Field. And for good reason. Although it's crumbling around you (literally) as you watch the game, it's still a fantastic place for baseball. This was the first time that my wife and daughters had joined one of our group tours to Wrigley and they loved it.

The Cubs loved it, too. The game was originally scheduled to be played in the afternoon but was moved to an evening game so that it could be covered on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. After the sun went down and the winds picked up, I don't think there was an unsold sweatshirt or long-sleeved shirt left in any vending booth in the ballpark. I know that our family came home from this baseball vacation all decked out in Cubs gear!

Some of our group headed out to Wrigley early in the day but here's a picture of part of our group outside the ballpark. The Cubs went on to beat the Cardinals pretty handily by a score of 6-2. Click here to check out the box score from the game.

Group Travel Tours Make Their Way To See The Brewers

 On Saturday the Big League Tours group headed out to Milwaukee for the day to see the Brewers take on the Washington Nationals.  If you have never been to Miller Park you should definitely put that on your list of things to do.  I'm not sure if I'm really a dome kind of person, but they make up for that in many other ways.  As our group tour made its way to the parking lot our guests were amazed with how many people were in the parking lot tailgating before the game.  Going to Milwaukee a couple of hours before the gates open is a great time everyone is barbecuing, playing yard games, etc. the usual tailgating lineup.  Miller Park is also a great place for family tours to go they have an amazing area for kids to play and burn off some energy before the game.  The Brewers had a perfect game where hey defeated the Nationals 6-0.  Ben Sheets pitched a complete game on Saturday giving the Brewers a lopsided victory.  To check out official scoring please click here.

Sports Vacations in St. Louis
Having been a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, I have never been a fan of the Cardinals. However, I have to give credit to the Cardinals organization, the city of St. Louis, and the Cardinals fans - going to a game at Busch Stadium is a great time. The stadium has a great atmosphere, is very appealing aesthetically, and allows fans to experience baseball the way that it should be enjoyed.

Here's a photo of former Cardinal, So Taguchi signing autographs prior to the game. So was a St. Louis fan favorite and received a standing ovation when he pinch hit during the game.

It's a great place to visit if you are going to plan family tours, small group tours, or sports tours of any size. Watch for the tours that we offer next year that include games in St. Louis or with the Cardinals on the road. You'll enjoy great seats, great accommodations, and great baseball. We hope you'll join us!

Small Group Tours at Busch Stadium
August 2, 2008 - The Cards took on the Phillies for the second time this weekend, hoping to repeat their performance from the previous night and walk away with another victory. We were relieved to have a little cooler evening after the day had been really hot for all of our various activities.

We always try to incorporate some unique and fun things on each of our baseball travel tours. This sports package was no different. We offered front row seats to Busch Stadium as well as club seats for our guests. We think that spending sports vacations in the front row is not a bad option...In fact, here's a photo of Albert Pujols that we took from our seats.

The view at the end of the game didn't look so hot for the Cardinals, though. They ended up dropping this game to the Phillies by a close score of 2-1. Click here to see the box scores and write up on the Cardinals website.

Big League Tours - Big Apple 2

After seeing the Old Timers Day fans and players were ready for some great baseball and the Yankees did just that.  After losing the two games before the Los Angeles Angels the Yankees were ready to take on the Angels again today.  Our Big League Tour Guests were not disapointed with the performance of the players today.  Mussina pitching for the Yankees was in high spirits after experiencing the Old Timers Day, he even hiked up his pants to celebrate the years passed.  Mussina's performance helped the Yankees lead the Angels 8-2 breaking there losing streak in this weekend series. Giving the fans something to cheer about Alex Rodriguez, Wilson Betemit, and Bobby Abreu all hit homeruns to make the game even more exciting.  It was a fun and exciting day out at Yankee Stadium for our group tour.

Check out the game wrap-up:

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20080802&content_id=3241212&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&c_id=nyy

Big Apple 2 Group Tours

This was our last group tour to New York for the season and it was a bittersweet one at that for all the Yankees Fans.  For our first game we went to Yankee Stadium on Friday, August 1 to see the Los Angeles Angels take on the New York Yankees. It was an extrmely close game until the end where the score was zero to zero unti he 9th inning.  Then in the 9th when Torii Hunter of the Angels came up to bat against the Yankees closer Mariano Rivera staring each other down Hunter put his wooden bat to the ball and sent it out into center field.  Hunter accomplished what no other player on either team was able to do the entire game hitting a nice single RBI sending one of his fellow teammates on their way home allowing the Los Angeles Angels to win the game in the last inning Angels 1, Yankees 0. 

Check out the game wrapup:  
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20080801&content_id=3236470&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&c_id=nyy

Largest of Group Travel Tours Offered Yet
July 6, 2008 - In our third season of offering tours, we have steadily seen the size of our small group tours continue to grow. While our tours average around 20 people per tour, this tour was our largest ever with 40 people from all over the United States and Canada.

The tour started in New York City at Yankee Stadium with the ultimate baseball rivalry - the Yankees hosting the Red Sox. The game was the ESPN Sunday Night game which created some extra excitement in the stadium. Many times, the actual game doesn't live up to the hype. This game delivered, however, with a tied game through nine innings and a walk off hit in the bottom of the tenth. Click here for a link to the games' box score.

So for some of the Yankees fans on our MLB road trip, they shared with me that they could go home after this game and feel like they would have gotten their money's worth! That's okay, we'll sweeten the deal with visits to Cooperstown and Boston.

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!

Baseball Travel Tour Heads to Philly
Saturday, June 21, 2008 - After a day of site seeing in Washington DC, we loaded up the bus to head up to Philadelphia. This time, our package tour called for us to see the game in Philly, to load back onto the bus and to head on in to New York City to spend three nights in the Big Apple.

We arrived at the ballpark in Philadelphia and were reasonably impressed with what the city has done for its sports franchises. All of their professional teams had facilities within a half mile of each other with easy parking and walking and what appeared to be reasonable security, too.

Citizens Bank Park has a few features that it shares with other parks. The concourse areas along the base lines reminded us of the New Busch Stadium. The outfield concourse felt like Coors Field. It was very party-like with vendors, restaurants and shops, and places to hang out and catch the game.

We visited the center field viewing area which is pretty unique to the Bank. It's a standing room only section that was well occupied and, contrary to what you might think, fans were really engaged in the game. It was a great view of the park with the exception of the walls blocking the view of the action in center field. It was such a gorgeous night that we decided to hang out up there for a while. The team only sells SRO tickets on the nights of sell outs but this would be a really fun place to hand out with friends or to go if you are on family tours or small group tours.

We were impressed with Citizens Bank Park. It was very well done and had a great atmosphere. At this point the baseball road trip was half way over - 3 games down, 3 to go. Next stop, New York City.

Our Group Tour Visits the New Nationals Park
Friday, June 20, 2008 - After visiting the first of the retro parks in Baltimore, we loaded our bus and headed to Washington DC to see the newest Major League ballpark. All of the ballparks that are at the top of my favorites list have great surroundings that enhance the experience - Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Camden Yards all have great atmospheres. Other parks have great views from their parks - AT&T Park looks out at the Bay and PNC looks out towards the bridges over the river and downtown Pittsburgh.

The New Nationals Park doesn't have great surroundings nor does it have a great view from the ballpark. The views won't likely change much - I suppose that new construction could impact the views over time - I'm thinking about PETCO Park. I really hope that the district continues to build around the park and doesn't cancel the projects the same way that things have happened in St. Louis around the new Busch Stadium.

The inside of the park was open and spacious but felt kind of sterile as we made our way to the seats. Our seats offered great views of the field. We were in the lower level just one section over from where this picture was taken. Notice the big landing area right behind home plate? That appears to be a gathering place for Nationals' owners and other VIP's. It also appears to be a waste of valuable real estate.

The game lasted 14 innings with the Nationals finally pulling of a 4-3 win. While we enjoyed the game and our great seats, I think the consensus from everyone on our baseball trip was that we were underwhelmed with the new ballpark.