Royalty Tours USA

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Bacoli Pizza

Bacoli Pizza
After driving around the vicinity of First Energy Park, home of the Lakewood Blueclaws, we were searching for a place to eat since we had time to kill, I finally came across a small shopping center called the Lakeview Village Plaza. It was located at the corner of New Hampshire Ave. and Ocean Ave. which is also Route 88 which was only a mile from the ballpark. The exact address is 174 New Hampshire Ave.

We saw Bacoli Pizza so we went inside and we enjoyed a great meal. They say they're known for having the best sicilian style pizza in town.

None of us had it but judging by the food we ate I wouldn't disagree with that claim.

I had a Philly Cheesesteak which was excellent. It was made to order and it tasted really good.

In addition to pizza and cheesesteaks, they have a wide variety of food offerings to choose from such as soups, salads, wraps, burgers, subs hot or cold as well as other Italian dishes that include calzones, strombolis and pasta.

If you happen to be in the area and/or you plan to go to a Blueclaws game, I strongly suggest that you stop in and see for yourself.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees a Tripleheader and a Doubleheader over Memorial Day Weekend!

Prince Outside First Energy Park in Lakewood, NJ
Saturday morning I went to Avis to rent a car for the holiday weekend. With no major plans due to the baseball schedule being what it was, we wound up spending some time near the Jersey Shore in Lakewood, NJ Saturday and Sunday night.

I was originally considering possibly going to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Rays at Fenway Park Saturday night after the Met game Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.

When the King and our pal Vincent Ascanio heard the Lakewood BlueClaws were playing a doubleheader at First Energy Park, they said they wanted to go there instead. Since I was doing the driving, I told them that's not a problem.

Luckily the Mets behind Johan Santana who pitched a gem of a game we were able to get to Lakewood with a little time to spare for their 6:05PM double dip. Our friend Frank Anichiarico decided to join us too.
As for the performance by Santana, he went the distance for the first time since 2010. He did miss the whole season last year due to injury. He returned to his old form on this day as he shutout the Padres, 9-0. He scattered four hits and he pitched in a timely fashion so it was a pleasure to watch him.

As for the games we saw in Lakewood, the Blueclaws who are the Single A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies split a doubleheader with the Hagerstown Suns, the farm team of the Washington Nationals nowadays. I've seen them play when they were affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

In the first game, the Suns won, 7-1 as Nathan Karns a highly touted prospect who has had to overcome injuries, pitched lights out as he struck out ten and he allowed one hit over seven innings to win the game. It was a complete game for him because in the minor leagues when they play a doubleheader both games go only seven innings unless the game is tied.

In the nightcap, the Blueclaws won the game, 7-5 to gain a split.

After the game, we went back home.

Sunday we went back to Citi Field to see the Mets again as they wrapped up their four game series with the Padres. We saw another fine pitching performance this time by R.A. Dickey who worked into the eighth inning. He allowed no runs as the Mets shutout the Padres again, 2-0.

After the game, Vincent Ascanio joined the King and I as we went back to Lakewood to see another game there since they were playing at night.

This time they played a full nine inning game as the Suns came out ahead, 7-6 despite a controversial call in the eighth inning that cost the Blueclaws a chance to possibly tie the game. As a result, Blueclaws' manager and former Philadelphia Phillie Mickey Morandini got thrown out of the game.

Stay tuned for the special post about a restaurant we found in Lakewood before the game Sunday night.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/21 in review

Prince at Citi Field

Monday night after work tired and all from the great weekend getaway I had, I managed to still go up to the Bronx to see the Yankees host the Kansas City Royals who were making their only visit to Yankee Stadium this season.

I stopped off at the 7 Fish Market first to have a pre game dinner with the King. After we ate, we walked over to the Stadium. With mother nature trying her best to ruin the night, the game got started on time and it was played without incident.

As for the game we saw, the Royals set the tone early as they scored two runs in the first inning thanks to a two run homer by Mike Moustakas who I saw play in Des Moines, Iowa last September when he was with the Royals' Triple A affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers. The Royals add a run in the third inning. The Yankees had a golden opportunity to get back in the game as they loaded the bases with nobody out but the Royals wound up escaping the jam without giving up a run. They added to their lead in the later innings as they shutout the Yankees, 6-0.

Tuesday night after work I went back to the Bronx for game two of the three game set. I went to the Court Deli Restaurant first to pick up a corned beef sandwich for dinner. I also went to the KJY Fruit Market to get some water and goodies to go with my sandwich before I headed into the Stadium. I went to my seat and I sat down, relaxed and enjoyed my dinner before the game started. I was joined by the King who arrived just before game time.

As for the game we saw, the Royals got on the scoreboard first, they scored a run on a double by catcher Humberto Quintero in the third inning. Jeff Francoeur hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to make it 2-0. The Yankees sliced the lead in half thanks to a solo home run by Robinson Cano in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the Yankees tied the game on a hit by Derek Jeter which was followed by a run scoring ground out by Curtis Granderson to give the Yankees' the lead at 3-2. That's how the game ended as the Yankees held on for the narrow victory.

Wednesday night after work I returned to the Bronx for the rubber match of the series. Before I went into the Stadium, I met up with the King who said he was going to Burger King for dinner.

After we ate, we walked over to the Stadium. We went up to our seats in section 420B row 7 where we were joined by our pal Vincent Ascanio who was there. As always, it was nice to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees' jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning as Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez hit home runs to give Andy Pettitte a comfortable cushion right off the bat. A-Rod added another homer in the third inning. In the fifth inning, the Yankees benefited from some charity from the Royals as they walked in a few more runs as the Yankees cruised to a 8-3 victory. Andy Pettitte gave up a few solo homers as he notched his 242nd lifetime major league win.

Thursday night after work I went to Citi Field to see the Mets who returned home for their longest homestand of the season. They opened a four series with the San Diego Padres who were making their only appearance in Queens.

Unfortunately our friends Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk and his pal Corey Menotti aka the Dancing Friar were unable to come East to see their beloved Padres play. They were there in spirit though.

As for the game we saw, it started well for the Mets as they took an early 1-0 lead then the rain came which delayed the game by an hour and eight minutes. Apparently it was just what the Padres needed. After the delay, the Padres' offense woke up as they hit Mets' starter Jeremy Hefner hard. They touch him up for four doubles which lead to four runs. The Padres tack on a few more runs in the fourth inning to built a 6-1 lead. The Mets' came back with a few more runs but the Padres stormed back in the seventh inning to extend their lead as they went on to beat the Mets, 11-5 in the series opener.

Friday after getting out of work early thanks to the long holiday weekend, I was able to go home and do my laundry before I went back to Citi Field for game two of the four game set. I met up with the King and our friends Frank Anichiarico and Bryan Gilligan at Citi Field.

As for the game we saw, the Padres got on the scoreboard first as they drew first blood to take a brief 1-0 lead. The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the second inning as Lucas Duda hit a solo home run to even the score at one. In the bottom of the third inning, they tacked on a few more runs. They added three more in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach, 6-1. That's how it ended as Mets' starter Dillon Gee pitched seven strong innings to pick up the win.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal. I got to enjoy Pork Chops, a few beers and some great company.

Stay tuned as I recap the rest of the holiday weekend in a special post. I will also write about a restaurant we came across in our travels.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The King is planning to see his 7,000th Baseball Game Live in Pittsburgh at PNC Park!


Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car Saturday morning from Avis for the weekend.

We're driving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before we return to NYC late Sunday night.

Saturday, June 9th Royals at Pirates 7:05PM

Sunday,  June 10th Royals at Pirates 1:35PM

**If mother nature cooperates between now and then this will be the King's historic 7,000th baseball game he's seen live in person**

If you want to join us to take part in this special occasion let me know so I can arrange for you to be there.

It's going to be a blast so why not come for a "royal" ride.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, May 28, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 5/28

Here's the game plan:

Monday May 28th Phillies at Mets 1:10PM

Tuesday May 29th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday May 30th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Friday June 1st Cardinals at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday June 2nd Cardinals at Mets 4:10PM

                             LA Kings at NJ Devils 8PM Stanley Cup Finals Game 2

Sunday June 3rd Cardinals at Mets 8:05PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 5/21 in review.

In addition, I plan to do a special post about a restaurant I found in my travels to Lakewood, NJ.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Royalty meets up with Roadtrippers New and Old in Cleveland at Progressive Field!

Ada Kurinsky
Last year on July 27th when the King and I went to Cleveland to see the Indians play we got to show up and coming roadtripper Paul Derrick the way. It was his first visit to Progressive Field. It turned out to be a very memorable one too. He got a surprise treat and so did we. We all saw Ervin Santana of the Angels pitch a no hitter against the Indians. It was extra special because it was the first one Paul had ever seen.

The King and I unexpectedly returned to Cleveland on August 27th thanks to Hurricane Irene who was bearing down on NYC. The King told me to get him a car rental so we can see some baseball elsewhere. He drove us to Cleveland and we saw the Tribe play again. This time our buddy Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge had the privilege and honor of taking in a ballgame with us for the first time. We met him for the first time briefly at a Cleveland Browns game back on November 14, 2010. Needless to say, Rick had a blast. We saw one of his favorite players, Jim Thome hit a home run as he had returned for a second tour of duty with the Indians. It was a very special moment for him as it brought back fond memories.

This time we made our annual visit to see the Marlins play the Indians on Sunday afternoon. Ironically we saw the Indians play the Marlins back on June 8, 2004 in Cleveland too.

I did tell Rick Morris back on November 20, 2011 when he interviewed me that May 20th we planned to return to the Rock N Roll City. As the day got closer, I got in contact with a gentleman named Keir Kurinsky who started following me on Twitter. He said he was taking his one year old daughter Ada to all eighty one games with him this season. I thought that was rather cool and unique. He said his wife is 100% behind him doing so. I must say he's a very lucky man. His daughter was adorable. As the game got closer, we arranged to meet up. He told me he had two extra tickets available for us. He was kind enough to hook us up and he met us right outside the gate too. We all introduced each other and we proceeded inside the ballpark. It was great to see the royal treatment he received as he saw different employees who recognized him since he's going to all the home games this year.

We started talking and Keir told us that he has traveled around to a number of different ballparks as well. He said he went to Monterrey, Mexico in 1999, Tokyo, Japan in 2000 & San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2001. It was amazing to hear him say that because the King and I told him we were there too.

We proceeded to talk about another guy who we know from Cleveland who went to those places as well. The only difference was this guy went to see the Mets when they played in Monterrey, Mexico in 1996. In addition, this guy saw Major League Baseball in Hawaii in 1997. I'm referring to Mike Trabert aka Mr. Ballpark as he calls himself. The King and I met him when we saw the Mets play in Japan. We've tried to hook up every year since. This time we were hoping to see him at some point at the game. I told him where we were sitting in case he was there. He does share season tickets with a bunch of people. As he's notorious for doing, he came by and he caught us off guard. It was a pleasant surprise to see him again. We got to catch up on our recent travels. He asked us if we've been to the New Marlins Park yet. We said no. We're planning to go there in the middle of July. He didn't know when he was going there yet. I hope we can cross paths when we go there.

Back on September 23, 2000, our pal Andrew Van Cleve met Mr. Ballpark when he was at a doubleheader at Old Milwaukee County Stadium. He ran into this guy who told him about a few guys he met in Japan that see all kinds of games. I asked Mr. Ballpark if he remembered meeting Andrew but he couldn't remember. He said he probably did. It was funny because it took Andrew 10 years to finally track us down. Now we've become really good friends.

The power of sports travel has really improved our lives greatly. The fraternity continues to grow. Now when we go to Cleveland we have more people to see.

As for the game we saw, the Indians fell to the Marlins by a score of 5-3. Ex-Met Jose Reyes did have two hits for his new team.

The Indians threatened in the ninth inning prompting Mr. Ballpark to say and I quote "Mr. Ballpark wants extra innings." That's what I said back in Japan when the Mets played the Cubs as Benny Agbayani delivered the game winning grand slam home run in extra innings to send us home happy. That was such a thrill. This time Mr. Ballpark didn't get his wish.

I want to personally thank Keir Kurinsky for his generosity and company. In addition, I want to thank Mr. Ballpark for taking the time to see us again.

Hope we all can reunite again sooner than later at a ballpark somewhere.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Royalty catches up with Rick Morris in the Mobile FDH Lounge!

After spending the night in Buffalo, the King and I drove towards Cleveland, Ohio where we were going to see the Indians play Sunday afternoon.

On the way there, we went to Cracker Barrel in Willoughby, Ohio which is about 20 miles West of Cleveland. We arranged to meet our pal Rick Morris who happens to be a huge fan of ours.

Despite a cell phone crisis, Rick still managed to make time for us. He e-mailed me Saturday night that he was having trouble with his phone.

He said he didn't know if he could join us or not. It turned out that he decided to have breakfast with us despite this emergency. We greatly appreciated that he showed up.

He was originally planning to go to the Indian game with us too but since this unexpected problem came up he said he had to pass on the game.

We told him it's not a problem. In this day and age, you need your cell phone. That's a top priority. I felt really bad for Rick because I know what it's like not to have my phone working properly.

Later that night I got an e-mail from Rick and he said he spoke to our of his partners who gave him some sound advice on getting a new I-Phone that would be perfect for his needs. Wisely Rick took the advice and he wound up getting himself a brand new phone. I breathed a big sigh of relief knowing that his problem has been solved and he can now move on. I told him you're a new man now. He went from one extreme to another. He'll just need some time to get acclimated to his new toy.

Unfortunately we didn't get to spend a lot of time with Rick this time but we briefly mentioned some of our future plans. He did say that it was great that you guys got some national recognition from ESPN. That's a step in the right direction for you guys.

Rick has been trying to come up with a reality show concept that would benefit us. He thinks our accomplishments are incredible and that we need to find a way to make what we do financially viable for many years to come. I'm all for the idea. I told him I'm trying to figure out a way to make that happen.

In the near future, we plan to reconnect so we can lay the ground work for the future.

I want to personally thank Rick for taking the time to go out of his way to meet us. That meant a lot to us. Despite having a bad day he still found a way to join us.

Stay tuned as I wrap up the weekend getaway with one last special post.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty gets red carpet treatment with name in lights on scoreboard in Buffalo at Bison Game!

Special Scoreboard Welcome at Coca Cola Field
For the first time in 23 years almost to the date, the King and I finally saw another baseball game in Buffalo which is now the Triple A affiliate of the New York Mets.

Back on May 22, 1989 we went to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto to see the Blue Jays in their old Stadium just before they moved into the Sky Dome as it was called then and we took a Greyhound bus back to Buffalo to see the Bisons play at what was then called Pilot Field. We got to see Curt Schilling pitch that night for the Rochester Red Wings who were the affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles at the time.

This time we drove back from the Rogers Centre with fellow roadtripper Andrew Kulyk who arranged to surprise us with a special scoreboard welcome. We were caught off guard when they put up the greeting during the game acknowledging us and our fellow roadtrippers, Bryan Gilligan, Sean MacDonald and Peter Sharp.

Needless to say, we were very grateful for the opportunity to have our names in lights. That's a great example of what spreading the love is all about.

I always reach out to help others out of the goodness of my heart whenever I can. I agree with the saying "it's better to give than to receive." In this case, it felt special to be on the receiving end though.

In addition, to those of us that were mentioned on the scoreboard we also had Andrew's travel partner, Peter Farrell there as well as Eddie Pelle and Fredy Sanchez who also came back from Toronto to join in the Roadtripper's Reunion.

Back on July 18, 2010 we all met up at Target Field together as we saw the Twins beat the White Sox in dramatic fashion before we all headed home.

Almost two years later, we all gathered together again. It was great to catch up in person with some of the best sports travelers around.

As for the game we saw, it was a very long one time wise. I didn't mind because it gave us more time to enjoy each other's company. It turned out to be a slugfest unlike the pitching gem we saw in Toronto.

However we did get to see Vinny Rottino of the Bisons hit three home runs as the Bisons outlasted the Indianapolis Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates farm team by a score of 11-6.

After the game, we said our goodbyes.

I hope we can all meet up again in the future.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this great getaway we had.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Friday, May 25, 2012

Royalty returns to Toronto to see baseball at the Rogers Centre with fellow roadtrippers!

Rogers Centre formerly known as Sky Dome
After spending the night in the Buffalo area, the King and I got up and we arranged to meet up with fellow roadtripper Andrew Kulyk from the Ultimate Sports Road Trip aka USRT. His travel partner, Peter Farrell was stuck working so he couldn't join us for the afternoon festivities North of the Border.

Before we left we ate breakfast together at a place that was perfect for the King and I. I'm referring to the Royal Restaurant as it's called which is right across the street from the Super 8 we stayed at. We ate there once before on a previous trip to Buffalo back in November 2011 so it was replay time.

After we ate, I drove Andrew and the King up to Toronto where we were meeting up with more fellow roadtrippers. We got to see our pal Bryan Gilligan who was there, along with Sean MacDonald who just moved to Singapore from Japan, his buddy Peter Sharp who he knows from Ottawa where he grew up, Eddie Pelle and Fredy Sanchez were present and accounted for and I got to meet up with another ballpark chaser named Bob Deal who was from Albany, NY. He was kind enough to meet us in section 525 which is behind home plate. I want to personally thank Bob for coming up since he had a seat with his friend on the lower level. It was an absolute pleasure to meet and greet another fellow sports fan. He happens to be a big Met fan. He plans to see some games at Citi Field when he comes down to visit his family on Long Island he said. We got to talk for a few innings. Bob has a great resume of sports travel under his belt. He said he prefers going to minor league and college baseball games. In matter of fact, in June he said he's going to see baseball played in the state of Utah for the very first time. He said and I quote "that's the last state that I haven't seen a baseball game in." Bob appeared to be a little older than me. It's always great to have the opportunity to cross paths with people who share the same interest and desire to do what we love to do.
I plan to see Bob more often in the future. He's just another example why it's always worth taking a ride to a ballpark because you never know what or who you're going to see on a given day or night.

As for the game we saw, most of us being Met fans it didn't turn out for the way we hoped it would. On the other hand though, as baseball fans we saw a dominant performance by Blue Jays' pitcher Brandon Morrow who shut the Mets down. He threw a complete game three hit shutout as the Blue Jays blanked the Mets, 2-0. More importantly, he did so in a very timely fashion. The game lasted a mere two hours and twelve minutes which gave us plenty of time to get back to Buffalo for the night cap if you will at Coca Cola Field in downtown Buffalo which is the home of the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple A affiliate of the Mets.

Stay tuned as I recap the next installment of this epic roadtripper reunion of Superfans as recently acknowledged by ESPN.com.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty finally gets to Frontier Field in Rochester, NY and we had company too!

Prince Outside Frontier Field 
Friday morning the King drove to Avis so he could return the Kia Rio he rented for the three days he used it for. I went with him because I was renting a car for the weekend.

I wound up getting a Chrsyler 200 which was equipped with Satellite radio. I could have rented a Crown Victoria but I didn't need such a big car. The mid size one I got was perfect for this getaway.

I took the day off from work so I could finally get back to Rochester, NY to see a baseball game at Frontier Field, home of the Minnesota Twins' Triple A farm team, the Rochester Red Wings which opened back in 1997.

The one and only baseball game the King and I saw there was back in 1994 when we went to the old ballpark that the Red Wings played in that being Silver Stadium. That place was great to see a game. It was your typical old school ballpark from back in the day which reminded me of Wrigley Field on a smaller scale.

The King and I are no strangers to Rochester since we've seen minor league hockey games there in 1999 and 2010.

On the way there, I got in contact with our pals Eddie Pelle and Fredy Sanchez who were also planning to be in Rochester for the baseball game. We were near Elmira, NY and they were just East of Syracuse at a casino since they left Thursday night.

With that being said, we arranged to meet up in downtown Rochester for dinner. We wound up going to the Dinosaur Bar-b-que to eat. It was the first time we had ever gone there. I've always heard great things about it. To be perfectly honest, we didn't think it was anything special.

After we ate, we drove over to Frontier Field which was within a few miles. It turned out that another friend of theirs couldn't make the trip at the last minute. As a result, they had an extra ticket for the game since they bought them in advance. So the King and I just needed one more ticket between us. We wound up going to the box office and we got one we proceeded to go inside the park.

After all these years, we finally got to scratch Frontier Field off our to do list. It was my 93rd minor league ballpark which includes a handful of spring training ones too.

As for the game we saw, the Red Wings played host to the Louisville Bats, the Triple A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Former major league pitcher Jeff Francis started for the Bats but he only lasted five innings as the Red Wings singled him to death in the third inning as they scored four runs on six hits to virtually put the game away as they batted around. They went on to win by a score of 5-3.

After the game, the King and I headed up towards Buffalo where I booked a Super 8 for two nights. As for Eddie and Fredy, I told them they can join us if they wanted to but they decided to spend the night by Niagara Falls instead.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this memorable getaway as it unfolded.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The King is getting ready to see his 7,000 Baseball Game in June!

Please see the link below.

This is a special article that was written by one of our fellow roadtrippers as the King fast approaches his 7,000th live baseball game in person.

http://artvoice.com/issues/v11n21/play_ball#.T74mILM6j0k.twitter

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Royalty w/o 5/14 in review

Monday night after work I went to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Milwaukee Brewers as they returned home for a short four game homestand.

On my way there I stopped off at one of my favorite places, Taste of Dolly's. I got a few slices of pizza and a 20 ounce bottle of soda for $5.50. At Citi Field, I can't even get a hot dog for that price.

At the game I was joined by the King, our pal Vincent Ascanio and our friend Frank Anichiarico. As for Frank, he came at the last minute because our buddy Manny Morales had an extra ticket because he was going to the Ranger game instead. He contacted me during the day and he asked me for Frank's phone number because he wanted to give him the ticket. I gave him his number and Frank arranged to meet him at his office to get the ticket. It was very nice of Manny to hook him up.

As for the game we saw, the Mets had a 3-0 lead going into the ninth inning as Miguel Batista pitched well. Frank Francisco came in to pitch and he allowed a run which broke the shutout but the Mets hung on to win, 3-1.

Tuesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the second game of this brief two game series. It was the Brewers' only visit to New York this year.

On the way there, I went to Wendy's for dinner.

After I ate, I hopped back on the train and went to the game. This time I was joined by the King and Vincent Ascanio who were at the Phillie game against the Astros in the afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
Since the King was on vacation this week, I arranged to get him a car for three days so he could drive himself to see some more games.

As for the Met game, the Brewers roughed up Mets' starter Dillon Gee for seven runs as they went on to beat the Mets by a score of 8-0. Zack Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings to pick up the win. Travis Ishikawa hit two home runs and Rickie Weeks added another one to carry the Brew Crew to the easy victory.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Cincinnati Reds in the first of their two game series.

On my way I went to the game, I went to Subway and Carvel for dinner as well as dessert.

As for the King, he went to Reading, Pennsylvania to see a minor league game first. He drove back and he joined me at Citi Field.

As for the game we saw, the Mets behind a solid pitching performance by Johan Santana lead 3-2 after six innings. The Mets' bullpen proceeded to blow the game as the Mets fell to the Reds, 6-3. Todd Frazier of the Reds delivered the big blows as he homered twice. Once in the seventh inning to tie the game and again in the eighth inning to win it as Mets' reliever Jon Rauch imploded.

Thursday I went home after work since the Mets played an afternoon game. The King went there then he drove to Allentown, Pennsylvania to see the Lehigh Valley IronPigs play.

As for me, I went home and I did my laundry and I rested up for my big weekend road trip.

Stay tuned for the different special posts I'm going to do about this epic getaway. Please check back it will be worth your while to do so.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Gio Gonzalez is among the elite according to Washington Post article!

This is a great article about my boy, Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals..

Please see link below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/gio-gonzalez-leading-the-majors-in-strikeouts-is-among-the-elite/2012/05/22/gIQAOH27gU_blog.htmlml

He has earned his way to becoming a rising star in the Major Leagues.

I hope he continues to get better and better. Regardless I'll always be a fan of his, win or lose.

If  you're new to my blog, please feel free to read all the different posts I've done about him.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman  

Monday, May 21, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 5/21

Here's the game plan:

Monday May 21st Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Tuesday May 22nd Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Wednesday May 23rd Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Thursday May 24th Padres at Mets 7:10PM

Friday May 25th Padres at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday May 26th Padres at Mets 1:10PM

Hagerstown Suns at Lakewood Blueclaws 6:05PM Doubleheader

or Rays at Red Sox 7:15PM

Sunday May 27th Padres at Mets 1:10PM

Hagerstown Suns at Lakewood Blueclaws 7:05PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 5/14 in review.

In addition, I plan to do some special posts about the epic sports roadtrippers' reunion weekend I had in Western NY, North of the Border and Cleveland.

Please bear with me as I try to find time to play catch up. Trust me it will be worth the wait.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Royalty enjoys Phillie game with Steve Fekete and Corey Menotti!

The King and I with the Dancing Friar and the Padre Punk  
After celebrating the Ultimate Sports Baby's 2nd birthday at Chickie & Pete's, we weren't finished.

We took the shuttle bus over to Citizens Bank Park with Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk and his friend Corey Menotti aka the Dancing Friar.

Since their Padres were in town, they decided to come to Philadelphia to see them. In addition, they were going to Washington DC and Baltimore to knock off a few more ballparks they needed to see.

It worked out well for the King and I because we got to go the party and we got to see them.

Steve introduced to his friend Corey and we all hit it off instantly. He couldn't stop praising us. He said he's gunning for the exclusive 122 club just like Steve is. Well I told him he's met the right people to speed up the process.

As for the game we saw, the Padres beat the Phillies, 2-1. Edinson Volquez pitched well and got a quality start and victory as the Padres scored the game winning run with a pinch hit sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning by Chris Denofria who batted for Edinson Volquez. As a result, they beat the Phillies' ace Roy Halladay in the process.

With that being said, the Padre Punk and the Dancing Friar were thrilled to be there.

It was great to have their company. Hope we get to meet and greet them again down the road.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Chickie's & Pete's

Chickie and Pete's
Thanks to Andrew Van Cleve, I got to go to Chickie & Pete's for the first time since he and Nicole decided to have Dylan's birthday celebration there.

I've heard many good things about this place from different people. It was nice to finally see it for myself. Quite amazingly, it was the first time I went there.

We wound up going to the South Philly location which is within walking distance from the Sports Complex. In addition, they have a shuttle bus that takes you to and from the game as well.

As for the restaurant and sports bar, they have seven different locations in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area to choose from.

They offer a wide variety of food choices. They consist of their famous crab fries which were excellent and like they say they're very addictive. In addition, they have different soups and salads. They also have chicken wings and cutlets, pizza, roast pork and beef, burgers, cheesesteaks and a nice array of seafood such as baby lobster tail, different kinds of crab legs, clams and shrimp to choose from.

With that being said, it's hard not to be a satisfied customer.

For example, the King and I had chicken wings which were delicious. I also had some snow crab legs to go along with their famous crab fries. Needless to say, I ate a very hearty and enjoyable meal.

If and when you happen to be in that area, I strongly suggest that you give them a try.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty celebrates the Ultimate Sports Baby's 2nd Birthday with Roadtrippers in Philadelphia!

King and I with Andrew & Dylan Van Cleve, Corey Menotti, Kurt Smith & Steve Fekete
Back in the off season, Andrew Van Cleve told me he was planning to celebrate his son Dylan's second birthday on Saturday, May 12th. I had to adjust my game plan accordingly. I was originally planning to be at PNC Park in Pittsburgh that night.

Out of the goodness of my heart, I decided to change my trip plan to go in June instead.

It worked out well because the San Diego Padres were playing the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. With that being said, Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk told me he was coming in for that series. I told him we had the Ultimate Sports Baby's birthday party to go to. When Steve came in to the Northeast in January, he met Andrew Van Cleve for the first time. Andrew told him he was welcome to join us for the party. In addition, Steve had his friend Corey Menotti aka the Dancing Friar with him as well. The King and I never met him before but apparently he heard plenty of good things about us from Steve. He was very gracious to meet us. He was a pleasure to meet him too.

Furthermore, Kurt Smith, author of Ballpark E-Guides, was able to get away from his wife and new born baby to take part in the festivities also. Andrew told me he wasn't sure if Kurt was going to make it. When he said he was, I was so elated.

Moreover, Andrew also invited a co-worker of his named Jason who came with his wife Trish and their two little boys, Tristan and Quinn.

Needless to say, the Ultimate Sports Wife, Nicole was there.

It was quite a gathering to celebrate Dylan's birthday. Last year they were still in Chicago and the King and I got to celebrate his first birthday with the rest of Nicole and Andrew's family.

This may become an annual tradition for many years to come.

We wound up eating dinner at a restaurant called Chickie & Pete's. Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do about that place.

After we ate, we said goodbye to Nicole, Dylan, Kurt, Trish and her boys since they had to go home to take care of their other needs while the rest of the bunch headed over to Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies game against the Padres.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do about the game and the experience.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Royalty w/o 5/7 in review

Andy Pettiitte's Back 
Monday night after work I went home made dinner and I did my laundry. I relaxed briefly after I was done.

Tuesday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a three game series with the first place Tampa Bay Rays.

I went to the 7 Fish Market for dinner with the King. I also went next door to see my pal Jin Kim at the KJY Fruit Market which is always a must since I can get a cold bottle of water for a dollar plus they have plenty of other snacks to choose from.

After we finished eating, the King and I made our royal entry into the Stadium. There's nothing like seeing familiar faces along the way. While everybody's lined up somewhere else to go in, we get to go in nice and quick because we know all the tricks of the trade. Being a friendly person has its advantages when you see other friendly people who are willing to listen.

We continued through the Great Hall and up the elevator as we went to our seats in the royal box if you will in section 420B row 7 which is right behind home plate. We were greeted by our pal Vincent Ascanio who was there.

We got settled in and we observed the game. With James Shields pitching for the Rays, we had high expectations. He came into the game with a 5-0 record. He was facing Ivan Nova who had a 3-1 record for the Yankees.

James Shields didn't pitch his best like he did in Boston on Patriot's Day when he worked into the ninth inning and shut down the Red Sox as the Rays won that day, 1-0. This time he was ordinary allowing three runs in six innings which still qualifies as a quality start which is a big deal these days. He left the game trailing, 3-1. The Rays chipped away at the Yankees lead but they fell short as they left the bases loaded against David Robertson who picked up his first save filling in for Mariano Rivera. Despite pitching awful he managed to prevent the Rays from scoring as the Yankees held on to win, 5-3.

Wednesday night I returned to the Bronx. This time I met up with the King and Vincent Ascanio at Burger King for dinner.

After we ate, we entered the Stadium in our usual way. We proceeded to go to the royal box and we saw game two of the three game set between the Yankees and the Rays.

This time the Rays beat the Yankees, 4-1. The Yankees scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a run scoring single by Robinson Cano.

The Rays didn't score until the ninth inning when the Yankees put David Robertson back in to get another save. This time he loaded the bases and the Rays unloaded them as B.J. Upton hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one and Matt Joyce hit a three run homer to lift the Rays to a 4-1 victory as the Yankees' failed to score in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Thursday night I went to the Court Deli Restaurant for dinner. I had a Corned Beef sandwich and the King asked me to get him a Roast Beef sandwich. So I took it out and I proceeded to see Jin Kim at the KJY Fruit Market for some refreshments and snacks.

After I rounded up all the food, I went into the Stadium for the rubber match of the series. With CC Sabathia starting against David Price of the Rays', I hoped to see a pretty good game.

With that being said, I didn't get what I hoped for. Well CC held up his end of the bargain as he pitched eight solid innings allowing two unearned runs while striking out ten Rays. David Price on the other hand, got lit up for five runs and eleven hits over seven innings.

With David Robertson pitching the last two nights, the Yankees decided to give former Ray closer Rafael Soriano the ball in the ninth inning to seal the deal this time. He gave up an infield hit then he slammed the door shut to preserve the victory for CC as the Yankees won, 5-3.

Friday night after work I went back up to the Bronx to see the Yankees take on the Seattle Mariners. Ironically, the Mariners were the only team I didn't see play in person in 2011. When they came to Yankee Stadium last year I was on a road trip with Paul Derrick from Houston.

Before the game I stopped off at Subway for dinner. After I ate, I proceeded to go into Yankee Stadium. I went up to the royal box and I watched the game.

As for the game I saw, the Yankees fell behind 1-0 as Dustin Ackley lead off the game with a home run off of starter Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankees responded with a run scoring double by Robinson Cano to tie the game at one off of Felix Hernandez, the Mariners' ace. Former Yankee Jesus Montero broke the tie in the top of the sixth when he hit a solo home run. The Yankees came back again thanks to Raul Ibanez who hit a three run home run to make it 4-2 in the bottom half of the sixth. Andruw Jones added a pinch hit two run blast to round out the scoring in the eighth as the Yankees beat the Mariners, 6-2.

Saturday afternoon the King and I took a Chinese bus from Chinatown to Philadelphia.

Stay tuned for the special posts I'm going to do about how we spent our memorable Saturday.

Sunday I went back to the Bronx to see the Yankees play the Mariners again. It was a special day indeed not only because it was Mother's Day, it also marked the return of Andy Pettitte to the Major Leagues. After retiring after the 2010 season, Andy decided to return to baseball.

He shined bright early on but he got roughed up for a few two run home runs, one by Justin Smoak and the other by Casper Wells who hit the ball halfway up the right field foul pole to spoil Andy's return. He did pitch into the seventh inning getting an out before departing to a nice ovation from the Yankee faithful.
The Yankees wound up losing the game, 6-2.

After the game I met up with my family as we all got together to have dinner to celebrate Mother's Day. It was great to see them again.

With that another week is in the books.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 5/14

Here's the game plan:

Monday May 14th Brewers at Mets 7:10PM

Tuesday May 15th Brewers at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday May 16th Reds at Mets 7:10PM

Friday May 18th Louisville Bats at Rochester Red Wings 7:05PM

Saturday May 19th Mets at Blue Jays 1:07PM

Indianapolis Indians at Buffalo Bisons 7:05PM

Sunday May 20th Marlins at Indians 1:05PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 5/7 in review.

In addition, I plan to do a special post about the Ultimate Sports Baby's 2nd birthday party.

Please bear with me as I try to find time to play catch up.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Royalty has been nominated to be inducted in the Stadium Journey Hall of Fame!

If you're an avid reader and/or follower of my blog, you know that my good friend Michael Casiano aka The King and I are pioneers of sports travel as a few people have said on occasion. We've been traveling together for the last 25+ years.

We recently had an article written about us by ESPN. We also have a huge following thanks to Rick Morris Morris of the FDH Lounge and the 21st Century Alliance who he's associated with.

In addition, Kurt Smith, author of Ballpark E-Guides, is always blown away by our accomplishments.

Stadium Journey, one of the premier if not the best sports travel source around has decided to start their own Hall of Fame. They have informed me that the King and I have been nominated for possible election to be in it.

With that being said, please feel free to click on the link below for all the details.

When you do so, make sure you cast your votes for royalty. The King and I will be very grateful you did.

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/news/05-10-2012/61/stadium-journey-hof-nominee-profile:-gary-herman-&-michael-casiano

Thank you for your time and consideration..

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Royalty meets up with roadtripper Andrew Van Cleve for Devils/Flyers Game 3 at the Prudential Center!

Legendary Devil Fan Baumann
I thought my hockey season was over once the baseball season started but thanks to my pal Andrew Van Cleve that changed.

Since I didn't buy the playoff tickets for the Devils who I have season tickets for, I planned to just skip them altogether. With all the baseball games I had planned, I had plenty on my plate already. It just so happened the Devils were playing the Philadelphia Flyers on a rare night off.

I was initially looking forward to going home after work that night to rest up and take it easy. Then I got an e-mail at work saying that I was invited to a meet and greet work related get together. So I got excited since it fit right into my busy schedule.

All of a sudden, the Devils advanced to the second round of the playoffs and they were scheduled to play that night too.

With that being said, Andrew contacted me and asked me if I was going to the game. I reluctantly said maybe, I'll wait and see.

As it got closer, I told him I'll meet him out there. I wound up going to the get together I had. I left a little early so I could meet up with Andrew at the Prudential Center in Newark.

While I was on the train he was outside the arena trying to round up a few tickets for us. It wasn't easy. He let a few go because they were too pricey for my liking. Trust me I'm not made of money just creative ideas.
I finally got out there around 7:10PM. The game was supposed to start at 7:30PM really closer to 7:40PM when they finally drop the puck.

Shortly after I met Andrew he was able to get a single ticket for a decent price on the lower level.

Unfortunately we still needed another one. We kept trying and trying. Finally after the game started we were able to luckily get another one thanks to Andrew's persistence. He's a great guy. He missed the start of the game because of me. He decided to wait until we both got a ticket before he went in. That says a lot about the kind of person he is.

I decided to go out there without a ticket because I knew he was driving up from Philadelphia to do the same.

Like I say, teamwork makes the dream work. In the last few years since we met in Chicago, we've taken turns helping each other out. I know I'm truly blessed to have responded to an e-mail he wrote me a few years ago.

As for the game we saw, we got in right as the Flyers scored the first goal of the game at the 6:08 mark of the first period on the power play. We just missed seeing it.

We decided to flop into some empty seats we saw on the lower level where we entered. Quite amazingly, I sat right across the aisle from a long time Devil fan I recognized. I don't even know his first name but his last name is Baumann. He's been coming to Devil games long before they won their first Stanley Cup back in 1995. He was notorious for originally starting the Devil chant of give me a D, give me an E, give me a V, give me an I, give me a L and give me a S. Then he would ask the crowd what's that spell. They replied DEVILS, he said what's that spell, DEVILS. Then he would lead the crowd by clapping and yelling Let's Go Devils! He used to sit in section 230 at the old Meadowlands Arena. I hadn't seen or heard him in a number of years. When I noticed him I said to myself he lives. It made me feel good to know that.

By going to the game, I got to see Andrew and a long time Devil fan, so my decision to go was a wise one indeed.

As for the rest of the game once Andrew and I got settled in, we saw a pretty exciting and entertaining game to say the least. I honestly didn't care who won but our pal Kurt Smith, author of Ballpark E-Guides is a big Flyer fan so I was rooting for him.

After the Flyers scored first, the Devils scored twice 20 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead after the first period. In the second period, the Flyers scored early on to tied it up at two. In the third period, the Devils scored to retake the lead, 3-2. They tried to hold on but the pesky Flyers found a way to tie it up again at three with just nine minutes left in regulation time. Unlike the regular season, they play sudden death overtime. So whoever scores first wins. I honestly didn't need overtime but this is the playoffs and nothing beats that this time of year. That's what makes the hockey playoffs so exciting. An odd bounce can cost you a game and possibly a chance to hoist the sacred Stanley Cup aka the holy grail. It was looking like the game was going to go to a second overtime period but with 2:39 left, the Devils capitalized on a Flyer mistake as they got caught on a shift change in the Devil zone. As a result, the Devils' Alexei Ponikarovsky who was a mid season pick up cashed in on his own rebound which gave the Devils' a thrilling 4-3 overtime win. With the victory, they took a two games to one lead in the series. I felt bad for Kurt. That's the way it goes. Andrew wasn't too happy either. He wanted to see another hockey game close to home.

After the game, Andrew and I said our goodbyes and we went on our way home.

Barring a miracle, my hockey season for all intents and purposes should be over now.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

KJY Fruit Market up the block from Yankee Stadium

Jin Kim in action
When I go to see the Yankees play, I always buy my dinner outside the ballpark.

If you read and/or follow my blog you know some of the places I go to.

Here's another place that you should go to before you go into the Stadium.

This place has all the goodies you need to snack on such as a wide array of fresh fruit, candy and soft drinks.

In particular, my pal Jin Kim is usually outside on the street in front of the store which is located at 71 E 161 Street selling bottles of ice cold water as well as popcorn, candy bars and peanuts among other things. The store is just past the McDonald's when get off the subway and it's right next to the 7 Fish Market where I like to eat from time to time as well.

My pal, Jin Kim is notorious for his unique way of selling the bottles of water, Poland Spring 24 ounce ones.

He says and I quote "Do you know how much water cost at Yank Stadium?". He then says "five dollars, why would you pay five dollars inside when you can pay one dollar here." "One dollar, one dollar, one dollar" really fast numerous times.

In other words, you can get five bottles of water from him instead of one at Yank Stadium for the same price.

Like the royal way of operating, you can't go wrong.

In addition, as the weather gets warmer in the summer, he sells frozen water so it lasts even longer for the same one dollar.

Print out this post and show it to him. That way he'll make sure you get the royal treatment you deserve.

Most importantly, you can bring the food and drinks into the Stadium too. Just don't open the bottle until you get inside the ballpark and you won't have a problem.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, May 7, 2012

Royalty w/o 4/30 in review

Bob Kelly, Me and The King
Another royal week of Stadium Travel has come and gone. It was rather eventful to say the least.

Here's how it went:

Monday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a three game series against the red hot Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees won thanks to a solid pitching performance by Hiroki Kuroda as they beat the Orioles, 2-1. All the runs came in the second inning. The Orioles took a brief 1-0 lead in top half of the inning and the Yankees answered back as Eric Chavez delivered a two run homer which turned out to be the difference.
What I didn't know at the time was that I saw Mariano Rivera's last appearance of the season most likely because he hurt his knee during batting practice later in the week.

Mariano said he plans to return from this injury. Before the season started, he hinted this year could be his last. Time will tell. If he doesn't come back, I saw the last game he pitched in. With that being said, I may have seen history without knowing it at the time.

Like the King, I'm not a big fan of closers, but since it's become crucial to have one these days, I'll take Mariano any day of the week. He's the best in the business at what he does. Nobody comes close. He's not perfect but when you need somebody to get the big outs at the end of a game, he comes through almost every time he's called on especially when it matters most. I do hope to see him pitch again in the future.

Tuesday night after work I went back to Yankee Stadium for game two of the three game set. The King and I were joined by our pal Vincent Ascanio who was present and accounted for.

As for the game we saw, the Orioles beat up the Yankees, 7-1. In the process, Orioles' manager Buck Showalter who managed the Yankees back in 1995 picked up his 1,000th win as a Major League manager.

Wednesday night I returned to the Bronx for the rubber game of the series. I had the privilege of meeting up with a few special guests who were at the game. I'm talking about Greg Venuto, who reads my blog regularly and his Cousin Dave who came to the game with him. Greg drove down from his home in Norwalk, Connecticut. He stopped off to pick up his Cousin Dave in White Plains on the way down.
They wisely decided to leave their car by the Woodlawn station which is the first and last stop of the number 4 train. By doing so, they were able to park for free on the street and then they hopped on the train to the game. Why drive all the way there and have to hassle to find a parking spot somewhere near the Stadium unless you have to.

Since I knew they were coming to the game, I arranged to give them a royal upgrade. Greg has told me in the past that he prefers to sit behind home plate like I do so I made it happen for them. He told me his tickets were in section 306 on the terrace level which is way out by the right field foul pole.

As promised, I delivered on my word. I told him I'll meet them by my seat in section 420B row 7 around 6:45PM. I got up there around 6:40PM and they were already there. Nothing beats perfect planning and execution. Thankfully Greg and Dave listen and cooperate well. In order to make the dream work, you need teamwork. This is just another of the many examples I can talk about that proves my point.

When I came up I had my sandwich from the Court Deli Restaurant with me. So I just needed a little time to eat it. Once I got done and I got my scorecard ready for the game, I proceeded to have a conversation with them. Everything went well except for the game on the field. Since Greg is a big Yankee fan, he wanted to see them win. Unfortunately, on this night they laid an egg. They wound up getting shut out by the Orioles, 5-0. As a result, they also lost the series two games to one. Regardless of the outcome, Greg, Dave and I all enjoyed each other's company and that's all that matters.

Thursday night after work I went to a work related get together. Originally I was planning to go home after work. Then I find out this gathering was taking place and I was invited. With that being said, I thought it would be appropriate and proper for me to go.

Shortly thereafter, I found out the Devils were also playing that night and my pal Andrew Van Cleve asked me if I was going to the game. I told him maybe. Stay tuned for the special post that I will be doing on how I wound going there too.

As for the meet and greet get together I had, I wound up impressing a young lady named Colleen who I work with from the company we wound up visiting. She was blown away with my travel knowledge. She said she went to school in Richmond, Virginia. I dazzled her when I told her different things about that area. She has seen my blog before so she now knows what I write is the truth for sure.

Friday night after work I wasn't sure what I was going to eat for dinner on my way to Citi Field. Then my pal Manny Bonilla texted me just before I was leaving work and he said am I going to Taste of Dolly's. I was leaning towards not going there but when he said that's what he wanted I said to him since you want to go there, I'll join you. We met up there and we ate dinner together. Needless to say, he loves the royal way.
After we ate, we got back on the train for one stop and we went to Citi Field to see the Mets open a three game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Upon arrival, I introduced Manny to my buddy Sam Citron the security guard who also is a big fan of my blog.

After seeing Sam, we went inside to the royal box if you will as recommended by the Stadium Journey Magazine in section 516.

We got to meet up with the rest of the royal court that were on hand which included Ralph and Vincent Ascanio.

As for the game we saw, the Mets had a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning but their bullpen imploded. An error, a walk and a few hits did them in as they went on to lose, 5-4.

Saturday which was Cinco De Mayo, I went back to Citi Field. It was Tom Seaver Bobblehead day. So the King and I made sure we arrived early so we could get them because it was only for the first 25,000 fans.

As the musical group Chicago used to sing back in the day, Saturday in the Park. That it was and we had a very large royal gathering too I might add. We were joined by our pals Bryan Gilligan, Manny Morales, Marc Beck, Manny Bonilla who came back for more and Steve Tepperman were there along with Ralph and Vincent Ascanio.

Later in the game, we got a surprise visit from our friend Bob Kelly who came up special to say hello to us. He said he was sitting on the 300 level with some co-workers. He was on a business trip. We met him last year in Norfolk, Virginia for a minor league hockey game since he lives in nearby Virginia Beach. He also came to Citi Field last September with his brother Dennis who was there with his lovely wife Sue. They had come in from Irvine, California which is near Anaheim. The King and I originally met them when we were in Japan to see the Mets in 2000 to open the baseball season. We've taken turns seeing each other over the years. As always, it was great to see Bob again. I want to thank him for going out of his way to come up to see us. That's what royal treatment is all about. He wanted to make sure he told his brother Dennis that he saw us. See the picture above for the proof.

As for the game we all saw, the Mets scored four runs in the fourth inning and they held on to beat the Diamondbacks, 4-3.

After the game, the King, Bryan Gilligan went to Donovan's Pub to enjoy a post game victory meal. We invited Bob but he couldn't make it. Next time he's in town, he said we'll get together and we'll all go out. He's such a great guy, I can't wait to see him again.

Sunday we returned to Citi Field for the rubber match of the series. Before we got inside the park we got to meet and greet ballpark chaser Ken Lee who was visiting from the Seattle area. He's in the midst of his "See All 30" road trip. It was nice to finally get to meet and greet him.

I proceeded to say hello to Sam Citron as I ran in and I barely made the first pitch but I saw it as usual. After watching the first inning and a half downstairs, I went upstairs to watch the rest of the game from the royal box where we got a visit from our pal Arjun Lal who was so excited to see us again.

As for the game we saw, it was a quick one as R.A. Dickey worked into the ninth inning before Frank Francisco came on to close it out. The Mets won, 3-1 as they took the series.

With that another week of baseball is in the books.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 5/7

Here's the game plan:

Tuesday May 8th Rays at Yankees 7:05PM

Wednesday May 9th Rays at Yankees 7:05PM

Thursday May 10th Rays at Yankees 7:05PM

Friday May 11th Mariners at Yankees 7:05PM

Saturday May 12th Padres at Phillies 7:05PM

Sunday May 13th Mariners at Yankees 1:05PM

Happy Mother's Day to all the royal Moms that had all my readers and followers. Enjoy your day.

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 4/30 in review.

In addition, I plan to do a special post that will enhance your experience the royal way if and when you decide to go to the Bronx to see the Yankees play.

I'm also going to do a special post about the hockey playoff game I saw at the Prudential Center.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Stadium Journey Magazine


As a pioneer of sports travel as I've been referred to on a few occasions, I know many creative ways to do a road trip and how to see different parts of the country in the process.

With that being said, I just got an electronic version of the latest Stadium Journey Magazine which goes into detail about the different ballparks including the newest one in Miami, Florida where the Marlins now play. They also included a great story about the Opening Games that were played in Tokyo, Japan.

In addition, this issue also has some trivia questions that will enhance and reinforce your baseball knowledge as well as insightful information to guide you if and when you're ready to take in a baseball game in your hometown or on the road to watch your favorite team play.

I strongly suggest that you spend a small amount of money to further educate yourself like I did.

My way of thinking is you should always get the best for less, why pay more if you don't have to. I affectionately refer to my style as the "royal way."

By investing a few dollars, you'll be getting your money's worth and much more.

Furthermore, their website reviews different sports venues here in North America as well as other parts of the World so that with copies of their magazines past and present you'll have all the bases covered when you're ready to get away.

Here's the link to so you can make your wise decision:

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/380813

Trust me if you're an avid reader of my blog you know I won't steer you wrong.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Royalty w/o 4/23 in review

Royal View from Section 420B Row 7 at Yankee Stadium
Since the Mets and Giants got rained out Sunday afternoon, they were forced to play a single admission old school doubleheader Monday starting at 4:10PM.

Since I had to work until 5:30PM, I couldn't get to Citi Field in time to see an official game so I caught the last few innings of the first game that the Mets lost, 6-1.

There was a very sparse gathering for the twin bill. With that being said, I still knew a number of people who were sitting in the area where the King and I sit. Our friends, Frank Anichiarico and Al Linderman were among them. They both like the Giants so they got to take advantage of the opportunity to see two games for the price of one like the good old days. Our pal Mike Jaffee was also in the building. He usually comes to the midweek afternoon games which I'm not able to attend because of work. With that being said, it was nice to see him again.

In addition, Vincent Ascanio and his father Ralph were present and accounted for.

It was a brutally cold night and the Mets play on the field made it feel even worse as they proceeded to lose the second game of the double dip by a score of 7-2. They fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and they couldn't catch up the rest of the night.

Tuesday night I went back to Citi Field as the Mets welcomed back former Met shortstop Jose Reyes who signed to play with the Miami Marlins as a free agent in the off season. The Marlins were visiting for the first time this season.

The Mets showed class as they gave him a video tribute before the game. The Met fans on the other hand, greeted him with a serenade of boos when he came up to lead off the game. The last game he played as a Met didn't sit well in the eyes of many Met fans and it showed. He got a hit and he left the game to preserve his batting title. Now he's playing for the enemy.

Reyes hit a long fly ball that center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis snagged at the wall for the first out of the game. He proceeded to go hit less the rest of the night in his four at bats which really pleased the crowd.

The Mets went on to beat the Marlins, 2-1 as Lucas Duda broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lost in the shuffle were the wasted pitching efforts by the Marlins' Josh Johnson who pitched well for six and two thirds innings as he walked one and struck out nine and Johan Santana of the Mets who matched him as he walked two and fanned eleven batters over his six and two thirds innings of work. The Mets failed to hold their 1-0 lead. As a result, Santana got a no decision as did Josh Johnson.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field for more. This time Jose Reyes after going hit less in three more at bats finally got a hit against his former team in his last at bat as he delivered a single. The Mets wound up getting the last laugh as they beat the Marlins again, 5-1.

Thursday night after work I went home to rest up and recharge the batteries.

Friday night after work I went up to the Bronx as the Detroit Tigers were making their only visit to the Stadium to play the Yankees. The last time the Tigers came to Yankee Stadium they ended the Yankees' season prematurely in early October.

With Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers, it looked like the Tigers would pick up where they left off. He left the game with a 6-5 lead after six innings but the Tiger bullpen sprung a leak as they blew the lead and the game in the eighth and ninth innings as the Yankees emerged victorious, 7-6.

Saturday afternoon I went back to the Bronx to see game two of the series.

The Tigers rebounded to even the series at a game a piece as rookie Drew Smyly pitched well for six plus innings as he picked up his first Major League win. He allowed a run on two hits as the Tigers beat the Yankees, 7-5. Freddy Garcia of the Yankees got hit hard as the Tigers knocked him out of the game in the second inning. The Yankees stormed back in the ninth inning against Tiger closer Jose Valverde who needed the work but they fell short as Eric Chavez flew out to the warning track in right field to end the game with the tying run on base.

After the game, the King and I were joined by our friend Frank Anichiarico as we went to Donovan's Pub for dinner. We all enjoyed our meals and drinks. As for me, I had a pair of pork chops that were to die for. It was a pleasant surprise that they were listed on the specials that night. I lucked out big time.

Sunday afternoon the King and I returned to Yankee Stadium for the rubber match between the Yankees and the Tigers.

CC Sabathia tamed the Tigers for eight innings as the Yankees won the series behind their ace by a score of 6-2. The Tigers hung around for six innings as they trailed by a run 3-2. The Yankees tacked on some insurance runs in the seventh inning and they added another one in the eighth which cost their closer Mariano Rivera a save opportunity. Instead David Robertson came on to pitch the ninth inning and he retired the Tigers 1, 2, 3 to preserve the win for the Yankees.

With that being said, another week of baseball is in the books.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty is heading back up to Western New York, Toronto and Cleveland to visit some special people in a few weeks!


Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car Friday morning from Avis for the weekend.

I'll be heading up to Western New York, Toronto and then I'll be continuing West through Erie, Pennsylvania en route to Cleveland, Ohio before returning home late Sunday night.

Friday, May 18th Louisville Bats at Rochester Red Wings 7:05PM

Saturday, May 19th Mets at Blue Jays 1:07PM

                                Indianapolis Indians at Buffalo Bisons 7:05PM

I'll be meeting up with our roadtrip buddies from Buffalo, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell of the Ultimate Sports Road Trip aka USRT as well as Sean MacDonald and his pal Peter Sharp.

Sunday, May 20th Marlin at Indians 1:05PM

I plan to meet up with Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge as well as some other special guests from his media alliance network for a memorable breakfast. What a way to start a day.

In addition, I look forward to seeing our friend Bessanne who lives in Cleveland. She's planning to join me for the game as well.

If you're interested in going on this exclusive getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join me.

It's going to be a blast so why not come for a "royal" ride.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman