More than four decades ago, Jay Buckley had a dream. Buckley, who worked in education in La Crosse, Wis., took baseball vacations beginning in the 1970s but wanted something more. Something he could share. So he started a tour group in the early 1980s that took people across the country to watch major and minor league baseball.
That has turned into a national baseball tour business now in its 43rd year. Buckley retired from his day job in 1990, spearheading Jay Buckley’s Baseball Tours ever since.
The Orioles-Tigers game on June 12 marked the first of four trips to Oriole Park at Camden Yards this season for the group. Buckley likes the stadium more every year he visits.
“One of my favorites,” Buckley said.
Buckley has been to both Camden Yards and Memorial Stadium, the home of the Orioles from 1954-1991, a number of times in his 43 years of cross-country touring.
Buckley noted he doesn’t remember much of watching games at Memorial Stadium — comparing it to Milwaukee County Stadium, the home for the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers until 2000 — in that the stadium lacked anything special. He referred to Memorial Stadium as being “better than a cookie cutter,” but it was just there.
Buckley couldn’t feel more different about Camden Yards. He loves the ambiance of the yard, the eighth-oldest ballpark in the major leagues despite only opening in 1992.
This is the fifth trip of the year for the tour group, which will embark on 26 different trips by the end of the calendar year. There were originally 27 trips planned, but the destruction of Tropicana Field caused by Hurricane Milton canceled that trip and moved it to next season.
Buckley used to not be able to start planning the trips until December, but since the following season’s schedule is now typically announced in July, he’s able to finalize that year’s trip schedule by late August. Once the schedule is finalized, it gets sent out to an email list of nearly 25,000.
Every day of the trip is something different. Sometimes it’s major league games. Sometimes it’s minor league games. Other times that’s other events revolving around baseball.
This trip started with a hotel check-in June 7, then games at Yankee Stadium June 8 and Fenway Park June 9. The group visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum June 10 before heading south to Citizens Bank Park June 11 and Camden Yards for the Orioles’ rubber match with the Tigers. The trip concludes at Nationals Park June 13 and Citi Field June 14.
There are 51 people on this week’s trip. None are Orioles fans, Buckley said. He added there a couple people from Michigan.
For every location, Buckley provides the group a map of things to do near the ballpark, like the National Aquarium and the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. For every trip to see the Orioles, he makes sure to tell people to go to Phillips Seafood in the Inner Harbor for a good crab cake.
Buckley’s favorite thing to do in Baltimore had been the tours the Orioles used to provide.
“All of their tour guides were absolutely good, that doesn’t happen every place,” Buckley said. “They were excellent here.”
The reviews for the tours have always been positive. Buckley said that 75 percent of the people who go on the trips come back within three years.
Despite his Wisconsin roots, Buckley’s favorite team isn’t the Brewers. In fact, he said he doesn’t root for a specific team. He roots for a good atmosphere instead, wanting everyone on the tour to enjoy themselves first and foremost. That’s why there are a high percentage of returners.
While not being completely in tune with everything Orioles, he knows enough to have a clear answer for what needs to be done to improve the team.
“You don’t win without pitching,” Buckley said.
Buckley added that the offense is filled with talented young players, and that better play from them will also help.
Jay Buckley’s Baseball Tours will return to Camden Yards for games against the Blue Jays (July 28), Athletics (Aug. 8) and Yankees (Sept. 18).
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jay Buckley