Tour Feature: Midwest Tours 2023

Posted by Glenn Dunlap on Tue, Jan 03, 2023 @ 09:30 AM

We may be partial, but we think the Midwest is best! Here, you’ll find some of the newest ballparks in Major League Baseball, each with its own distinct personality. Our flexible Midwest Tours allow you to hit them all or visit just a few.

Wrigley-groupThe Midwest July Tour starts in Minneapolis at Target Field, where a Twins “homerun celebration” and walleye on a stick are things you just have to experience. (Minnesotans are serious about their acclaimed “state fair food”!)

Next, we slide down to Chicago for a game at historic Wrigley Field. The ivy walls, The Friendly Confines, Wrigleyville and Chicago dogs… need we say more?

After Wrigley, we’ll venture to American Family Field in Milwaukee for an afternoon game. Along with the award-winning Brewers, fans enjoy delicious brats and brews, a fun family atmosphere, and a crowd that has a great time whether they win or lose.

Guests have an extended time to take in Windy City views, shopping, architectural tours and some of the Midwest’s finest food before the Cubs take on the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Busch Stadium-aboveThe following day takes us to Busch Stadium in St. Louis for one of the best fan experiences in baseball! Even if you’re not a Cardinals enthusiast, the fan-friendly atmosphere and skyline backdrop of the Gateway Arch will draw you in. Another must-see is Ballpark Village, an adjacent complex where fans enjoy shopping, good eats, and the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

The final stop on this tour is Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, where fans experience Royals baseball, varietal craft beer, and some of the best BBQ in the country. Fans of all ages enjoy the one-of-a-kind Water Spectacular, an unforgettable fountain display that you have to see to believe. Give yourself time to see the Negro League Museum before heading out of town. 

This tour has it all--premium seats, great hotels, and all the Big League Tours extras. Choose an extended Midwest Tour with multiple games and cities; or select a shorter version of the tour to fit your budget and bucket list. Book now to hold your spot!

Midwest July
July 21 – White Sox @ Twins
July 22 – Cardinals @ Cubs
July 23 – Braves @ Brewers
July 24 – Free Day
July 25 – Cubs @ White Sox
July 26 – Free Day
July 27 – Cubs @ Cardinals
July 28 – Twins @ Royals

About Big League Tours

Big League Tours helps fans get closer to the game by securing lower level seats, arranging stadium tours and player experiences, and providing first-class hotel accommodations. Flexible itineraries allow fans to experience the best of the best in the greatest baseball cities across the nation. Unlike other tour companies, Big League Tours not only takes care of the buses and games for a baseball tour, but also provides extras that turn tours into true sports vacations, loaded with unique baseball-related events. For more information, contact Big League Tours at www.bigleaguetours.com.

Topics: Royals, White Sox, Wrigley Field, Brewers, Busch Stadium, Cardinals, Twins, Cubs

Big League Tours travel season in 31 photos- Midwest and HoF Tours

Posted by Kayla Wininger on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 @ 04:08 PM

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

Topics: Red Sox, Boston, Citi Field, Milwaukee, Yawkey Way, east coast baseball tour, baseball stadiums, ballpark tours, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Yankees, Brewers, Chicago, Yankee Stadium, Reds, Great American Ball Park, company outing, hall of fame, Cooperstown, Baseball, Cubs, ballparks

Midwest Baseball Tour Begins in Toronto

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 @ 03:30 PM
July 22, 2011 - The Midwest Plus tour got off to a great start in Toronto. After meeting up with all our participants here at the Four Diamond hotel, we took the short walk over to the Rogers Centre. Yes, it was a hot one, with temperatures expected up at 37! (That's about 105 fahrenheit if my math is right.) The walk over was early enough that it was actually pretty pleasant as we walked over.

We were met at the Rogers Centre entrance by Buck Martinez, longtime player with the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Royals and now the TV play-by-play man for the Jays. Buck took us into the baseball stadium and gave us the story of what was originally called SkyDome. We were there for the first time the dome had been closed for heat, so that's some history. Buck took questions for about half an hour, then walked us up to his TV booth. Then we went down to the TV Truck, a place most people don't get to see. (We went back during the game to see it working - very cool!)

As Buck went off to call the game, we took our seats for a close game between the Jays and Mariners. We were sitting a couple rows back near third base, a great place to see Jose Bautista normally, though he was DHing due to his ankle injury last week. It was a pitchers duel for the first seven innings, a tight 1-1. Then Doug Fister fell apart and the Jays pounced on the opportunity to ring him up. Quickly 5-1, the M's struck back even more quickly. Reliever Casey Janssen walked a couple, gave up one blooper, then Miguel Olivo tied it up with a line drive to dead center. It was the M's first grand slam of the season!

The M's, in the midst of a 12 game losing streak, couldn't hang on. Rajai Davis hit a long line over the CF's head to score a couple, but got the laughter from his teammates as he raised his hands after the hit. Yes, Rajai thought it was the ninth inning instead of the eighth and that he had hit a walk off. No, Rajai - run! (He made it to second on the throw, but he'll get a fine in kangaroo court for that one!) The Jays closed it out with big Jon Rauch, getting the win, 7-5.

Most of the tour group headed to the hotel attached to the stadium to meet up with Buck Martinez again. (I missed this part, staying behind to take part in the Blue Jays post-game show with Mike Wilner. The show goes out not just to Toronto, but is a nationwide broadcast in Canada.) Buck brought along his TV partner, Pat Tabler, for a drink before they jetted off to Texas. The group walked back to the hotel and had a night in beautiful (but hot) Toronto.

We'll be packing up and heading for Niagara Falls this morning, so I'll wrap this up for now. It was a great start to our small group tour. At one point, one of the participants turned to me and said "It's going to be tough to top this!" I had to just smile - while we had a great time in Toronto, Rogers Centre is the "worst" stadium we'll see on the tour and we've got a lot planned for the next four days.

Topics: Royals, Mariners, Blue Jays, Toronto, baseball tours, baseball stadiums, Brewers, Baseball

Have You Covered the Bases for Dad and Father's Day?

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 @ 10:15 AM
Wouldn't Dad love a luxury baseball tour from Big League Tours this year?  It's a great vacation for the whole family, or the perfect father/son-daughter trip.  There are several MLB tours still available for the 2011 season.  Just click on a link below to see all the info.

Midwest Plus, July 20- 26, 2011

Chicago/Milwaukee, August 2- 6, 2011

Reds Road Trip, August 5 - 8, 2011

Big Apple, August 10- 14, 2011

Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, September 16 - 18, 2011

Escorted tours make great gifts for baseball fans. Check out the tours still available and give Dad a gift that he'll remember for a lifetime!!

Topics: stadium tours, Luxury baseball, Milwaukee, Miller Park, baseball games, baseball tours, Wrigley Field, big league tours, Brewers, Chicago, Baseball, Cubs

Race Between Reds and Brewers

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 @ 08:30 AM
April 23, 2011 - While we're only 20 games into the 2011 season, we're seeing the Reds and Brewers atop the National League Central Division as predicted. Much can happen over the next 140 games, but we're counting on the race between the Reds and Brewers to remain strong and have some meaning late into the season.

Why? Because we have a great baseball tour planned in September for both Brewers and Reds fans. It's our Oktoberfest trip that will run from September 16th-18th. We'll be loading the busses in Milwaukee and making stops in Chicago and Indianapolis to pick up fans from both teams and fans of German brats and beer.

Check out this MLB road trip that will include tickets to three games, great hotel accommodations, special access at the Oktoberfest activities, special access to the ballpark, and a baseball stadium tour. It promises to be a great baseball vacation package with a number of extras included.

Topics: stadium tours, Milwaukee, baseball tours, baseball stadiums, baseball vacation package, Brewers, Chicago, Reds, MLB road trips

Buck Martinez to Appear on Midwest Plus Tour in Toronto

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 23, 2011 @ 05:45 AM
February 10, 2011 - We're excited to announce the first of our player appearances for our 2011 baseball road trips. MLB Standout, Buck Martinez, is joining Big League Tours on the opening day of our Midwest Plus Tour in Toronto. 

Buck will be joining us for the portion of our baseball tour that we call our "Big League Player MLB standout Buck Martinez joins Big League Tours in TorontoExperience." On this tour package, as on every tour we offer, we bring in former MLB players to share their experiences in and around the game that we all love so much. It's just another way that we help you get inside the game and is always a fan favorite on our MLB Tours.

But this appearance has a special offer associated with it...

Buck has offered to take 12 of our guests up to the radio booth prior to the 12:37 game at the Rogers Centre. As of the point of this posting, a few more guests can still join in this exclusive portion of the tour. So don't hesitate to sign up now for this tour so that you can get one of the 12 special escorted tours of the press area from Buck himself!

Once the game is over, we'll return back to the Renaissance Center, the hotel connected to the Rogers Centre, for a full meet and greet with Buck and all of our guests.

Here is Buck's bio from the Blue Jays website:
Buck Martinez returns for his second season as the Blue Jays play-by-play announcer…
The 62 year old brings with him 42 years of baseball experience, including 20 years as a player, 21 years in broadcasting, and two as a manager… Beginning in 1967 when he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies, Martinez spent 20 years as a catcher in professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and his final six seasons with the Blue Jays… He appeared in the postseason with Kansas City in 1976, batting .333 in the 5-game ALCS against the New York Yankees… Wrote two books about his experiences with the Blue Jays, "From Worst to First" (1985) and "The Last Out" (1986)… Among his 12 seasons associated with the Blue Jays, he served as manager for Toronto in 2001 and part of the 2002 season, compiling a 100-115 record… In 2006, he managed the United States team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic… Martinez' first experience with broadcasting came in 1982, when he covered the American League Championship Series, the World Series and the All-Star Game for the Telemedia Radio Network…. His television broadcast career began in 1987 as a color commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays on TSN… Began working with ESPN radio and television in 1992, and in 1995, Martinez was awarded a Sports EMMY Award for his work on ESPN's coverage of Cal Ripken's 2,131st consecutive game… For the past seven seasons has worked as a television analyst for the Baltimore Orioles and has also served as a co-host of XM Radio's Baseball This Morning show on the MLB Home Plate channel…. Martinez also contributed color commentary for Sunday afternoon games on TBS, as well as for the network's postseason coverage… A California native, Martinez attended Sacramento City College, Sacramento State University, and Central Missouri State University. He and his wife, reside in Clearwater, FL. They have one son, Casey, a 47th round pick by Toronto in the 2000 First Year Player Draft.

Don't miss your chance to on this mid-summer baseball road trip that incudes games at 4 different stadiums plus a day at Niagara Falls. And don't forget, your trip could include an exclusive trip to the radio booth with Buck Martinez!

Topics: Royals, Opening day, Toronto, baseball road trips, big league tours, MLB tours, Brewers

2010 Baseball Trip Feature - Midwest 1

Posted by Big League Tours on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 06:15 PM
December 16, 2009 - As interesting as it is to visit the historic ballparks throughout the big leagues, it's always Miller Parkexciting to check out a new baseball stadium. 2009 offered us two new parks in New York City with Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. 2010 will bring us an open air ballpark in a town that's grown accustomed to a dome.

We'll begin our tour in Minneapolis for a game at the new Target Field. From Minneapolis, we'll head to Milwaukee for a game at Miller Park and some tailgating with the great Brewers fans who really know how to party. After we've had our fill of sausages, we'll head to Chicago for some Windy City baseball.

Once there, we'll head to Wrigley Field to see the classic rivalry of the Cardinals and Cubs. You'll then have a free day to explore the city - take in a museum, shop till you drop, or hang out at your favorite places to eat (cheeburger cheeburger, anyone?). We'll wrap up this trip by visiting US Cellular to see Josh Hamilton and his Rangers take on the White Sox.

To see more about this and other MLB Tours being offered by Big League Tours, visit our website now to get all the details.

Topics: Citi Field, Milwaukee, Miller Park, New York, baseball stadiums, Wrigley Field, big league tours, MLB tours, Brewers, Chicago, Yankee Stadium, Target Field, Minneapolis

Midwest Tour: Part II

Posted by Big League Tours on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 04:30 PM
July 24, 2009 - After a day of everyone being on their own - siteseeing, shopping, lounging around, whatever their hearts desired - we headed up to Miller Park in Milwaukee to see the Brewers take on the Braves. (Just a quick sidebar - I think all of the stimulus money has gone into construction between Chicago and Milwaukee...UGH!)

There was a threat of a thunderstorm that was supposed to arrive around 8PM so the roof was closed on the baseball stadium in anticipation of that. We've been to games at Miller Park where the roof was closed for batting practice and then opened for the game but this was our first visit where the roof stayed closed for the game. Here's a photo of the baseball stadium taken from our seats. Great place to see a game!

I really enjoy going up to Milwaukee. It's one of my favorite stops on our sports tours. The fans there have always had a good time. And now that the team has been playing well, they are equally into their Brewers as they are into their sausages and beer!

Wishing that we had kept score at the perfect game the previous day, we scored this game. No perfecto here, though. In fact, just the opposite - lots of offense from both sides. Click here to see the box scores and write up from the game.

Whether on a sports travel package or on your own, Miller Park is a great place to hit on a baseball travel tour. 

Topics: Milwaukee, Miller Park, sports travel and tours, Brewers

Will CC Stay or Go?

Posted by Big League Tours on Sun, Nov 20, 2011 @ 01:00 PM
Will Your Sports Vacations Include CC Sabathia in 2009?

November 17, 2008 - As most of you know CC Sabathia, a free-agent, is up for grabs for the 2009 season.  Free-agent season opened on Friday with the biggest stories being the Yankees and Brewers both planning bids for Sabathia.  Milwaukee recently offered $100 million for five years to Sabathia, but the Yankees offered a $140 million for six years, a record offer for a pitcher. 

Many people feel the Yanks have plainly overbid. The Yankees are also planning to bid on A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.  Are the Brewers still in the running for Sabathia or will they lose him to the Yankees? Either way, CC is a lot of fun to watch in action. So whichever team he chooses, make sure that they are on one of your baseball road trips for 2009!

Topics: baseball road trips, big league tours, MLB tours, sports vacation, Yankees, Brewers

Midwest 1 Baseball Tour

Posted by Big League Tours on Sat, Nov 19, 2011 @ 05:00 PM
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 Inside one of MLB's nicest baseball stadiumsdon'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!

Topics: Milwaukee, Miller Park, baseball travel, MLB tours, Brewers