Bill Canavan-NYC
When Billy Canavan first asked his wife, Lori Baumann, to partner with him in leading a sports trip, she was quite reluctant. Billy, who has led treks for us for decades and works full time as a teacher, says he dragged Lori into it.
“She doesn’t realize how good she is at it,” he says. “She’s organized and has great attention to detail, while I’d rather sit and talk baseball all day. We have different strengths that way, but that just means we work well together. We make a great team.”
On their first trip together in 2014, Billy enjoyed that Lori had a view of the experiences he’d been talking about for so many years. “These trips together are great for us because they’re a way for her to see what I’ve been doing. And she gets to meet the people I’ve been working with for so long.”
This year, the husband-and-wife team of Henderson, Nevada, will lead our Induction Plus offering for the fourth consecutive year. The adventure will run from Thursday, July 26 to Tuesday, July 31.
The trip begins in New York City with a reception featuring retired umpire Al Clark and his entertaining Ump’s Eye View program. Next spend a day touring both the city and Yankee Stadium before seeing a match-up between Kansas City and the Yankees.
Then join in the excitement of Cooperstown, where we arrive on Saturday, July 28; immerse yourself in the sport at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and on Sunday, July 29, settle in for the once-in-a-lifetime event, the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. at the Clark Sports Center. More than four dozen Hall of Famers annually return for Hall of Fame Weekend, with the full list of returnees to be announced in early July.
The ceremony will take place on the grounds outside of the Clark Sports Center, located on lower Susquehanna Avenue, just one mile south of the Hall of Fame. The action happens rain or shine and typically lasts two to three hours.
Inductees for the Class of 2018 are: Trevor Hoffman, the All-star closer of the San Diego Padres; Jack Morris, one of the best post-season starters ever for the Detroit Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays; Alan Trammell, a shortstop form the Detroit Tigers; Chipper Jones, a former third baseman of the Atlanta Braves; Vladimir Guerrero, a power hitter and right fielder who played for the now-defunct Montréal Expos and the Los Angeles Angels; and first baseman Jim Thome of the Cleveland Indians as well as the Phillies, White Sox, and Twins.
The Hall of Fame Awards Presentation at 4:30 p.m. will be held on Saturday, July 28, and will feature the presentation of the 2018 Ford C. Frick Award to Bob Costas, and the presentation of the 2018 J.G. Taylor Spink Award to Sheldon Ocker.
At 6 p.m., join the pageantry and excitement as the Hall of Famers ride down Main Street in trucks provided by Ford Motor Company on their way to a private reception at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The trip concludes with a stop in Boston and a tour and a game at historic Fenway Park, where the Philadelphia Phillies will go against the Boston Red Sox at 7:10 p.m.
Though he’s only missed one Induction Plus trip in over 20 years, Billy says he always enjoys the occasion.
“I’ve done this weekend so many times now, I try to put myself in the position of the customer,” he says. “Of course, they want pictures; to get close to the players. I think I have a few successful ways of accomplishing those things. It’s really rewarding when you can get a special photo. We try to think of those little things.”
Billy says what sets the staff at Sports Travel and Tours apart is that they legitimately care about the people going on the trips. “They put a lot of effort into the games, the traveling and the tours, but it’s really about the people that go,” Billy says. “People from Sports Travel and Tours are always present. They make contact with customers daily. I think that care and attention comes through.”
Learn more about the Induction Plus trip.