It's hard to believe that our 2013 baseball tour season is over.  This has been one of the most successful years for Big League Tours, and we owe that to all of you that traveled with us.  Our guests made new friends, saw new places, and made a lifetime of memories on the road this year. Thanks to everyone that purchased a luxury baseball tour package. We hope you will join us again in 2014.

There are a lot of exciting things going on at Big League Tours.  We hope to expand our business in a number of ways in 2014.  One way will be to offer more tours to the places our guests want to see.  We will also offer tours that feature all 30 ballparks.  One NEW tour in 2014 will be the Sunbelt Tour.  The Sunbelt Tour will visit the warm weather ballparks early in the season, so our guests can avoid the scorching summer heat of TX, FL, and GA, but still mark 5 ballparks off of their baseball bucket list. 

I promised a Sneak Peek, so here it is.  Below is the link to our Sunbelt Tour page.  This link is only accessible from this email.  The web page is not public, so once you navigate away from the Sunbelt Tour page you may have to come back to this link to get to the page again.

2014 SUNBELT TOUR 

You can save 7% off the Sunbelt Tour by booking now.  Just click PURCHASE THIS TOUR and use discount code LUCKY 7. One of our staff will call you right away to collect your deposit and answer any questions.

We are finishing up all the details for our 2014 tours.  Keep an eye out for our 2014 Package Tours Announcement.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  

On every Big League Tours luxury baseball vacation, we put together a meet and greet with a former player on one of the tour days.  We were so pleased that Buck Martinez, former MLB player/manager and current Blue Jays broadcaster, was able to meet with us before the Yankees/Jays game at Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium has its own Hard Rock Cafe inside the ballpark.  Our group took the easy subway ride to the ballpark and headed into the Hard Rock. But before the meet and greet, we experienced a little excitement at the Hard Rock.  

While waiting on Buck to arrive, we all noticed that an elderly diner in the restaurant was experiencing some problems.  He was choking. His son was unsuccessfully performing the Heimlich maneuver and his father's facial color was changing rapidly.  Our tour guest Nancy (a nurse from Canada) quickly ran around to the man, lowered him to the floor, and thrust his abdomen up expelling the food that had been lodged in his throat.  Great job, Nancy!! 

After things calmed down a bit, Buck began to speak to our group about his background and current position, as well as, his opinions on today's players and the game.  One of the great things about having someone like Buck Martinez is his insights into the current game.  As a broadcaster, he talks with the players and managers on a daily basis and sees many players/teams in his job.  This is the second time we have used Buck as our MLB Player Experience and we hope to have him back again in 2014.  He was great.

If you would like to join us on one of our tours in 2014, just click the link below and fill out the contact form.  We will add you to our mailing list and make sure you are one of the first to know about our 2014 schedule.

www.bigleaguetours.com

We've made some changes to our Big Apple Tour 2 and New York Destination Tour 4 in August. It was necessary for us to move the start date of both tours to Aug. 20 based on the game times for the Yankees and Mets. Other game details, schedules, and pricing have also changed. If you are interested in these tours, please click on the links below to get all the new info.

Big Apple Tour 2 NEW INFO

New York Destination Tour 4 NEW INFO

If you would like an updated brochure for either of these tours, just click the brochure button on the webpages.

Please call or email with any questions.

What better way could there be to start our 2013 baseball trips and tours than one of our Hall of Fame tours? This tour starts in New York City where we'll stay in the heart of Midtown Manhattan giving you great access to all kinds of sites, restaurants, and shopping. The first day of the tour we'll see the Blue Jays face the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The next day we'll see the Reds play the Mets at Citi Field and have our Big League Player Experience with former MLB pitcher and Reds Broadcaster, Chris Welsh. 

We'll then travel to Cooperstown to spend the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. You'll have time to explore the exhibits in the Hall as well as the many memorabilia and collectibles shops in the Village. 

After a relaxing evening in upstate New York, we'll head over to Boston for a free day and evening. You'll be in the heart of the city once again. The following day we'll head over to historic Fenway Park to see the Indians and Red Sox.

This tour will also include one or more stadium tours which we'll finalize once the Yankees and Red Sox release their game times. Here's a short video that will give you the quick rundown of the tour. We hope you'll join us!! 

Since joining the Big League Tours crew in early summer, I've had the amazing opportunity to lead two tours. The first time I was the co-pilot with Martha Ellen in Chicago/Milwaukee and the second I was flying solo with the group in New York, Boston and Cooperstown. 

As the 2012 MLB season wraps up, I thought this would be a great time to share some of my favorite pictures from the trips this summer (I also threw in a few from the corporate outing we hosted). My iPhone is my best friend and I love snapping shots of absolutely anything and everything! FYI- My iPhone is far from professional so ignore some of the blurry stuff and just imagine the great times everyone was having!

Join me while I recount the amazing people I've met and wonderful places I've been thanks to Big League Tours.

There will be plenty of photos to come next year so stay tuned, hopefully your face will even be featured in a few! Sign up for our 2013 Tours and be the first to recieve the schedule once it's released!

Follow us on Facebook (Big League Tours), Instagram (BigLeagueTours) and Twitter (@BigLeagueTours) to view our other photos!

Music: Sweet Caroline- Glee Cast

We know one thing about people who purchase a Big League Tours package, they love to travel! Something else we know; travelling the world can’t even prepare you for what New York City will throw your way. With two ballparks and countless other baseball attractions, it’s crucial to make sure you know the best way to explore the city before you head out on your own.  

Here’s the run down of “Navigating NYC 101”:

Using public transportation is a MUST:

Ride the subway at least once!

When you first enter a station you’ll want to purchase a MetroCard from a self-service machine. Fares are (as of 9/25/12) $2.25 each way and usually allow you to switch lines without paying another fee, just make sure you don’t exit the station. I would recommend a minimum of $5 every time you add money to your card in case of an emergency. MTA is the subway system in NYC and the fastest way to get from point A to B. 

Once you get your card, enter the turnstiles by sliding your card through the machine, look at the image on the machine so you know which way to place your card. After you swipe the card, you’re remaining balance will show on a small screen and you can now enter through the turnstiles.

Now that you’re inside you’ll look for the colored circles with the number or letter of the line you want to take. Subway lines are color-coded depending on where they go and you’ll want to pay close attention to if the signs say “Uptown” or “Downtown”.  Uptown heads north and Downtown south. If you aren’t travelling to Queens or Brooklyn, these are the main things you’ll need to know about directions. If you accidently get on the wrong train, exit at the next stop and consult a map on how to get back to where you were. 

Subway doors close quickly so make sure you’re ready when the train arrives. 

NOTE: If you have an iPhone, maps will provide you with which line you should travel to get to your destination. 

Directions to Yankee Stadium from the Grand Hyatt Hotel

-Walk to Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street

-Take the 4 Subway towards Woodlawn (Uptown)

-Exit at 161st Street/Yankee Stadium

-Walk 500ft. to Yankee Stadium

Note: Returning you'll take the 4 (downtown) to Grand Central Terminal/42nd Street 

Hail your first cab in NYC.

You’ll see cabs everywhere you look; it really is just like the movies! Be aggressive because they’ll take advantage of tourists without thinking twice!

So here’s how it works… Cabs with their lights on are available, just step off the sidewalk, stick out your arm, and they will come. Hailing a cab from a sidewalk may make them think you’re unsure. Be aggressive and you shouldn’t have a problem. 

When giving your location to the driver, it’s important that you seem very sure of where you’re going so they don’t try and take you the long way. 

For example, say you’re trying to spend your afternoon at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse to grab a few souvenirs. Try this:

I’m headed to 11^th Street between University Place and Broadway.

This way the driver knows that you know exactly where you want to go.

Throw on your walking shoes.

Walking in New York City is the best way to take in the sights as you travel to your destination. It also gives you some time to people watch. The concierge desk always has great directions but don’t forget to grab a map just in case you end up somewhere you hadn’t planned on!

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So there you have it. My main suggestions for exploring NYC like you've been there a dozen times. They may seem simple but it’s easy to get lost in a city of more than 8 million people. New York City has an endless amount of baseball destinations outside the stadium; take advantage of them without getting lost!

Check back in the next few weeks to see a list of our 2013 Tours and get signed up for the trip of a lifetime in one of America’s most exciting cities!

I headed to the East Coast for my first Big League Tours adventure, flying solo! Although I could have spent days enjoying the city, it was down to business when the wheels hit the ground at Boston Logan.  enway will always hold a special place in my heart since it was the first Major League Baseball game I ever attended. I was glad to be back and start sharing what I knew about the stadium with our guests!

After meeting BLT Host and permanent Boston resident, Mike G. for some secrets of Fenway and a little confidence boost, it was time to hit the hotel and meet my guinea pigs!  I’m thrilled to say that my first ever tour group couldn’t have been more fantastic. Within the first five minutes, the Australian’s had the whole group rolling with laughter while comparing their accents to the Texans on the trip.

We quickly learned that we’d be helping each other a lot over the next week as most of the group learned how to ride a metro system! Once we made it to Fenway the group was off exploring the stadium and checking out one of the best gift stores in MLB.  Secret #1 that I discovered, the Bleacher Bar is a must! Enjoy a cheap (for a sporting event) beer while watching batting practice from the outfield!

Secret #2 of the trip, be selective when you try to escape the heat in the Yankee Stadium gift shop, they aren’t all air-conditioned! I’m not sure what he was doing, but the weather god wasn’t looking down on us in New York. With temperatures in the 100’s on Wednesdays and 60’s on Friday at Citi Field, I thought I was back in Indiana’s crazy weather.

The heat and rain couldn’t keep our die-hard fans away, especially the Lantz’s who had seen every stadium in the country prior to the addition of six more. With a tour of Yankee Stadium and private meet and greet with 1969 World Series Champion, Art Shamsky, they were thrilled to see more than just a game.

Outside of the scheduled events, our group became very close and spent most of our free day exploring New York City together. With a trip to Lombardi’s Pizza, the first coal oven pizza place in the United States, and then the World Trade Center Memorial, the off time was definitely used for more than testing the pillows in the hotel room. 

Here's your final chance to visit two of the most iconic stadiums in baseball this season with Big League Tours. We have put together an exciting tour that will make stops at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium over a long weekend in September.

We will start in Boston when the Orioles visit Fenway Park on September 21st. While in Boston, we'll enjoy luxury accommodations at one the finest hotels in the area. Then on the 22nd, we'll travel by train to New York's Midtown Manhattan to check into another first class hotel, and catch the A's vs. Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Our guests will depart at their leisure on the 23rd.

Not enough baseball for you? CLICK HERE to see additional game options that can extend your tour. Or, give us a call to discuss your requests. 

Get all the information on this new Boston and New York tour below: 

Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium - September 21-23 

Don't miss out on this great, late season tour!