I never had the opportunity to take any baseball stadium tours at Shea Stadium. I don't know if the team ever offered them or if they stopped offering them within the last few years. After seeing several games there, I grew to like some of its features but absolutely hated others.
But, whether or not you were a fan of Shea, the old park has been coming down since the end of the 2008 season. Here's a video clip of some of the demolition.
We are offering a couple of different sports packages this year that either offer a trip to Citi Field as part of the package or an option to add a game in the brand new ballpark. Don't miss your chance to book one of our sports travel packages and take in the baseball stadium in its inaugural year.
Each year, Big League Tours offers sports packages to baseball stadiums all across the Major Leagues. While we offer top of the line accommodations, lower-level tickets to the games, baseball stadium tours, and transportation, the highlight of the tours are always when we meet with current or former Major League players.
The Big League Player Appearances are shaping up nicely for the 2009 season. Here are the players that we have confirmed for our group travel tours:
East Coast 1 - Rich Gedman, former Red Sox catcher, will be joining us in Boston
East Coast 2 - John Tudor, former Red Sox pitcher, will be joining us in Boston
Big Apple - Art Shamsky, former Mets outfielder and member of the 1969 Miracle Mets team, will be joining us in New York City
Seattle - Dave Henderson, former Mariners outfielder, will be joining us in Seattle.
I'll be posting some information about each of these players and any updates that we will have including the players who will be joining us on our family tours in Atlanta and Chicago.
Two of baseball's greatest players are moving to Cooperstown this year. Jim Rice, a lifelong member of the Boston Red Sox, and Ricky Henderson, a lifelong member in U-Haul's frequent mover program, were elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
If you haven't ventured to Cooperstown before, it's something that every baseball fan should do at least once in their life. It's great to take family tours through the Hall, sharing memories of players, games and baseball stadiums from the perspective of multiple generations of Major League Baseball fans.
This summer, we're offering a group travel tours package that includes a game at Fenway Park, a game at the new Yankee Stadium, and a full day to explore the Hall of Fame. You can see the details of this trip and all of our Sports Tours on our website.
I think that most of the country is blanketed with some pretty cold weather right at this moment. It certainly is at the Big League Tours headquarters in Indianapolis. We just had our coldest day in five years.
Cold weather gets me thinking about leaving...someplace warm...anywhere warm...But what really helps me get through these winter months is knowing that very soon we'll be heading out on our group travel tours to baseball stadiums across the country.
Maybe you can imagine the sound of the bat, the smell of ballpark food, and the familiar chant of the vendors making their way through the seats and use those images to sustain you until you head out for your own sports travel this summer.
I know that I will be relying on them to get me through!
Baseball Travel Tours are Unique With Big League Tours
The age old question when travelers are looking at sports packages with Big League Tours is simply what makes you different?
Big League Tours specializes in baseball road trips across all of the United States and Toronto, Canada. We are serious about getting you, the travelers, a unique experience, memories to last a lifetime and an all out great vacation.
Here are some of the comparisons you can get with Big League Tours and with other sports tour companies:
Hotels outside of the city not by any major attractions or the stadium itself.
Big League Tours offers hotels in the heart of the city allowing you to have easy access to attractions and things you might want to do while you aren't at a baseball game. Ex: In New York City we stay in Manhattan where you are in walking distance of Times Square, Central Park, 5th Ave. and much more.
Seats at the games somewhere up in the upper decks.
Big League Tours only purchases tickets in lower level seating. Allowing guests to experience the baseball game like they most likely never have, close up and in all of the action.
Baseball stadium tours is most likely not even an option.
Big League Tours offers private baseball stadium tours when the time is allotted.
One on one meet and greets with retired and current players? Again most likely not going to happen.
Big League Tours offers player experiences whenever they can. Some retired players we have used in the past have included: Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Dick Drago and Ron Kittle just to name a few.
Well, those are just a few of the things that makes Big League Tours so different from the rest. We hope to see you in '09! Check out our website to see which tour you would like to be part of!
Remember don't just go to a game, become part of it!
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!
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!
There are families who love baseball, but then there are families who LOVE baseball. Corrin and her mom, Terri, and her step-father, Dave, absolutely love baseball and everything to do with it. Corrin even goes as far as to say, "I loooooove baseball, more than most people do." Dave and Terri reside in the Twin Cities of Minnesota making them avid Twins fans. Corrin originally from there is also a Twins fan but now lives in Chicago where she attends many White Sox and Cubs Games.
They joined Big League Tours on the East Coast 2 trip. On one of our longest MLB roadtrips of the season, they made their way to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston seeing six stadiums in seven days. They chose this trip because of the number of stadiums offered and the fact that they were going to be able to see Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Fenway Park all in one stop. A favorite memory for them was being able to take in the action of a ballgame on the Green Monster.
We dubbed Corrin, Terri, and Dave "the walking family". They took total advantage of every extra second they got in each city. One of their favorite parts about the trip there was ample time in each city to do some site seeing on their own. While in Washington D.C. they walked over four miles doing site seeing and didn't think twice about it. they were a family just having a great time on their vacation making the best of every moment. Big League Tours must also thank Corrin for allowing us to use her traveling gnome idea (see some of our previous blog posts to spot Gnigel in our group photos!) It has been such a great addition to our team. So, to the families who love baseball, are you ready to join us for one of our sports travel packages? You'll be glad you did!
Group Travel Tours by the Lake August 8, 2008 - Each year, this is one of my favorite sports packages that we offer. We get to incorporate White Sox, Brewers and Cubs games all while staying in the heart of the Windy City.
This year, our package tour began at U.S. Cellular Field with our Big League Player Experience with Ron Kittle. Ron was the American League rookie of the year in 1983 and was a noted power hitter throughout his career. This Player Experience was held inside the ballpark before the gates opened up and in the Jim Beam club section. The fans traveling with us were able to listen to Ron share some stories about his career, ask him questions about the game, and watch the White Sox take batting practice from seats with a perfect view.
The game featured Mark Buerle pitching against Jon Lester and the World Champion Boston Red Sox. We had great seats as a group on the third base line between the dugout and home plate - an awesome place to watch a game. The White Sox were pleased to walk away with a victory with a 5-3 score. We headed back to the hotel with plans to head to Miller Park on Saturday.
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.
Sports Tours Likely Not Affected According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), average domestic airfare rates rose 4.4 percent from the first quarter of 2007. As it turns out, those rates are still lower than Spring of 2001. The report also shows the 100 cities that have the highest and lowest average fares. You can view more of the story on wnbc.com in New York or the full report on the BTS website.
While most folks planning sports packages or sports vacations will also include airfare into the price, a shift of 4.4% is not likely to dissuade travelers from booking the baseball vacation packages of their dreams. In fact, the relatively low increase of airfare as a percentage compared to the increases seen in gas prices might lead some to opt to fly instead of drive on their baseball vacations.
Want Great Seats? Stadium Tours? Meet a Player? Great Hotels? Time to Explore? I started this business a few years ago because I didn't like how other tour companies were offering their baseball trips. Many of them offer 10 - 14 day trips that require you to ride on a bus for hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. They stay in hotels that are outside of the cities so that you don't really get to explore them while you're there. And, unfortunately, the seat locations aren't great.
Here are a couple of blog entries from their customers:
"We then headed up to our seats (in Yankee Stadium) which were just a few feet from the
moon. Like at Shea we were 4 rows from the top but this time we were in
right field. We could not see most of the right field fence so we hoped
all activity would be in left field...It sounds like our seats are pretty horrible tomorrow night too so hopefully we can scope some better seats."
"2800 miles of riding in a bus with almost no
sleep and too many hot dogs but what an adventure it was." I bet. Not my kind of adventure...
"Tickets were in the upper deck and I made a vow in 1991 never to sit up there again. We left the group to suffer from fear of falling out of their seats..."
If the sound of these comments leaves you concerned about booking other group travel tours, check out our 2008 sports tours and rest assured that you'll never have an experience like they've described.
Okay, I realize that this has very little, if anything, to do with baseball travel tours or sports packages of any kind. But, I found it pretty amusing and thought that folks who have joined us on our sports vacations would, too. I particularly like the cheesy 70's-style game show music they use for the intro. Maybe we can get host Tom Dickson to join us on one of our sports tours where we can blend all sorts of baseball related stuff? Enjoy!
The Unexpected Parts of Sports Travel Packages July 8, 2008 - It's always fun to head out on one of our group travel tours knowing that we're going to meet MLB players through our Big League Player Experiences. However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels.
One such opportunity presented itself to us in Boston. There's a sandwich shop out on Yawkey Way that bares the name of famed Red Sox pitcher, Luis Tiant. The shop is the El Tiante, which serves up a cuban sandwich amongst other spicy favorites. (Even my daughter knew about this stand since it was featured on Rachael Ray!) And occasionally, it serves up autographs from the legend himself.
So get out there on your own baseball trips and look for the really cool stuff. You never know what might be waiting for you when you get there. Of course, if you want to ensure that your sports tours are filled with the cool stuff, book your baseball vacation packages with us. We'll make sure that it you get all the good stuff!
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.
What Makes Baseball Vacation Packages Special? Sometimes it's choosing the right tour operator who puts together sports travel packages that include some really cool features. But sometimes, the things that happen on the package tours can't be planned.
One of those unplanned events happened on our latest MLB tour when Josh Hamilton spent time signing autographs for fans along the third base line at Nationals Park. Josh became a favorite of ours last year when he made such a tremendous come back with the Cincinnati Reds. We hated to see the Reds trade him this past winter but it has been a trade that has worked out really well for both clubs.
The Reds received Edinson Volquez, who has just pitched lights out for them and leads the majors in ERA. The Rangers received Josh Hamilton who is a legitimate contender for baseball's coveted triple crown. And, it seems that the Rangers are doing everything they can to help support Josh's clean walk. Kudos to the Rangers ownership and management.
Here he is signing my son's baseball. Thanks for helping to make this baseball road trip special, Josh!
Sports traveling fans get a blast of baseball history!
June 6, 2008- The next stop on our trip was Cooperstown, NY. This peaceful and beautiful little town is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. When arriving into Cooperstown we were dropped off at our Bed and Breakfast and the group was able to site see on their own. As most people that have been to Cooperstown in June, July, or August know that it can be a little more congested with all the group tours, but it always should be at the top of your list. There is something for all groups and ages at the Hall of Fame. Whether you are wanting to learn more history of the game, see the memorabilia, or get a little bit of everything the Hall of Fame has it. I liked many aspects of the Hall of Fame but being an art lover I liked being able to see different pieces of art depicting a certain memory in baseball. Whether it was an abstract piece depicting a player hitting a grand slam or multiple paintings of fans in their favorite baseball stadiums. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back!
The Cool Stuff Friday, May 9th - One of the things that we love to share with our travelers is the cool stuff, things that you hope for on a baseball vacation but aren't always guaranteed. That's why we plan baseball stadium tours whenever we can. That's why we bring in MLB players to meet with our travelers. That's also why we go early to the games - to give everyone a chance to really see and experience the stadiums and get closer to the players.
Here's a picture from the stadium tour that we took this morning at Yankee Stadium. This is my son standing in the Yankees' bullpen. Several in our group have received autographs from players and coaches at the ballpark and in our hotel. I was even lucky enough last night to catch a ball in batting practice.
If you are considering a baseball road trip or any kind of sports travel package, consider what kind of extras that they are going to provide. Also, consider whether or not you are getting the "cool stuff" that you wouldn't be able to get on your own.
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. 
MLB roadtrips of the season, they made their way to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston seeing six stadiums in seven days. They chose this trip because of the number of stadiums offered and the fact that they were going to be able to see Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Fenway Park all in one stop. A favorite memory for them was being able to take in the action of a ballgame on the Green Monster. 
We get to incorporate White Sox, Brewers and Cubs games all while staying in the heart of the Windy City. 
been really hot for all of our various activities. 
However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels. 
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. 
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. 
Sometimes it's choosing the right tour operator who puts together sports travel packages that include some really cool features. But sometimes, the things that happen on the package tours can't be planned.
As most people that have been to Cooperstown in June, July, or August know that it can be a little more congested with all the group tours, but it always should be at the top of your list. There is something for all groups and ages at the Hall of Fame. Whether you are wanting to learn more history of the game, see the memorabilia, or get a little bit of everything the Hall of Fame has it. I liked many aspects of the Hall of Fame but being an art lover I liked being able to see different pieces of art depicting a certain memory in baseball. Whether it was an abstract piece depicting a player hitting a grand slam or multiple paintings of fans in their favorite baseball stadiums. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back!
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