Royalty Tours USA

Monday, July 30, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 7/30

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 30th Orioles at Yankees 7:05PM

Tuesday July 31st Orioles at Yankees 7:05PM

Thursday August 2nd Connecticut Tigers at Brooklyn Cyclones 7PM

Friday August 3rd Mariners at Yankees 7:05PM

Saturday August 4th Mariners at Yankees 1:05PM

                                  Diamondbacks at Phillies 7:05PM

Sunday August 5th Mariners at Yankees 1:05PM

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 7/23 in review.

In addition, I'll be doing a special post about our getaway to Baltimore.

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

Friday, July 27, 2012

Royalty w/o 7/16 in review

Prince Outside Richmond County Ballpark in SI

After we getting to the West Palm Beach Airport Tuesday morning, we went to Alamo and we returned the car we rented for the five days while we were in Florida. I wound up driving 2,075 miles safely as another great road trip was coming to a close.


We took the shuttle bus to the terminal and we went to Delta Airlines to catch our 11AM flight home to NYC. We got to the gate with plenty of time to spare.


We arrived at LaGuardia Airport 15 minutes early. Once we got home, I went out to do some shopping to get what we needed for the rest of the week.


When I got done with that, I made dinner then the King and I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays.


It was nice to get away but after all there's no place like home. It was good to be back in the Big Apple.
As for the game we saw, the Yankees didn't waste time getting a jump start on the Blue Jays. Andruw Jones hit a three run homer in the second inning to set the tone early as the Yankees lead 3-0. CC Sabathia was making his first start since he came off the disabled list. He pitched well throwing six shutout innings to earn the victory as the Yankees extended their lead in the seventh inning as they added three more runs to make it 6-0. Reliever Chad Qualls got touched up for a run in the eighth that broke up the shutout as the Yankees won the game, 6-1.


Wednesday I went back to work after taking some time off to hit the road. After work, I went home to do my laundry and to briefly rest up.


Thursday night after work I went to Staten Island to see the Baby Bombers play the Brooklyn Cyclones at Richmond County Ballpark at St. George.


I want to once again thank our pal Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich who came through with tickets for the game for the King and I as well as our pal Vincent Ascanio who was there too. In addition, we got to take advantage of the all you eat deal that they offer there.


As for the game we saw, runs were hard to come by, in fact it took 15 innings before we saw a run score. Finally the Cyclones broke through thanks to a sacrifice fly by second baseman Richie Rodriguez that wound up being the game winner. Quite amazingly, the game ended with a double play with a runner getting thrown out at the plate to end the four hour and ten minute marathon.


Friday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for dinner on my way to Citi Field as the Mets were playing the Dodgers over the weekend.


After a brutal road trip, I was hoping the Mets could get their act together with some home cooking. On this night, they dug a hole right off the bat as Johan Santana who started the game got roughed up. In three innings of work, he allowed six runs including a pair of two run homers one to Matt Kemp in the first inning and another one to Luis Cruz. As for Cruz, it was his first career home run in the major leagues.


The Mets fought back but they fell short as they lost the game, 7-6.


I did get to meet up with fellow ballpark chaser Steve Behm who came in from Los Angeles. He was with his friend Tim from Denver. They were going to Cooperstown over the weekend to see Barry Larkin get inducted into the Hall of Fame. They're both big Cincinnati Reds' fans. It was nice to meet and greet them.

Saturday afternoon the King and I returned to Citi Field for game two of the three game set with the Dodgers. We were hoping for a different outcome.


Unfortunately the Mets once again fell behind early and they were forced to play catch up. This time the Dodgers beat up starter Miguel Batista who gave up four runs in three innings. The Mets cut the deficit to 4-2 after three innings. The Dodgers continued to assault the Mets' bullpen as they tacked on a few more runs. The Mets fought back but in the end they couldn't overcome the Dodgers who won again, 8-5.


We did get to see our buddy Manny Morales who stopped by to pay us a visit. As always, it was great to see him again.


In addition, we got a guest appearance from our pal Bill Graven who showed up at Citi Field for the first time since the ballpark opened in 2009. It was the first time we saw him since March 2010. It was a pleasant surprise. Hope to see him soon.


After the game, the King and I went back to Staten Island for a rematch as the Cyclones played the Baby Bombers again.


This time we wound up buying tickets ourselves. We wound up meeting our friend Bryan Gilligan out there.
As for the game we saw, this time the Yankees scored after the Cyclones took an early 1-0 lead as Jeff Glenn hit a lead off solo home run in the third inning. The Baby Bombers tied the game at one in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, Saxon Butler of the Yankees hit a two run homer to break the tie as the Yankees held on to win, 3-1.


After the game, Bryan drove us back home. On the way home, we stopped off at Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.


Sunday the King and I returned to Citi Field for more punishment. We were hoping the Mets could salvage a game from the Dodgers after dropping the first two.


As for the game we saw, the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead on a two run homer from Juan Rivera in the fourth inning. The Mets cut the lead in half as they scored a run in their half of the fourth to pull within a run at 2-1. The Dodgers responded to get that run back in the sixth inning. The Mets fought back with a run in the seventh to get within a one run deficit again at 3-2. It stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth when the Mets managed to tie the game at three. It stayed tied until the 12th inning when the Dodgers exploded for five runs to complete the sweep, 8-3.


With that, another week of stadium travel is in the books.


Thank you for reading and following along.


Yours truly,


Gary Herman

2012-2013 NBA Schedule

To all my readers and followers,

The revised 2012-2013 NBA schedule has been released:

Please see the link below for all the details:

http://www.nba.com/schedules/national_tv_schedule/index.html

If you need any assistance don't hesitate to ask or consult me that's why this blog is here.

If I can make a difference in your life I will, all I ask for is a fair opportunity to do so.

Stay tuned for my upcoming basketball road trips as well as other creative ones that others may be interested in taking.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Royalty returns to Marlins Park along with a special guest, my Uncle Bob!

Prince outside Marlins Park
Three years ago, my Uncle Bob moved from Petaluma, California which is 40 miles north of San Francisco to Delray Beach, Florida.

Back in January 1992, the King and I went to the West Coast on a monster basketball and hockey trip. While we were there we visited my Uncle Bob. On that trip, we took him with us to the Cow Palace where the San Jose Sharks played their first few seasons while their new arena was being built.

We went back to visit him during baseball season on numerous occasions over the years when he lived there. We got to take him to Candlestick Park in 1993 and Pac Bell Park as it was known when it first opened back in 2000 to see the Giants and he also joined us when we went to Oakland to see the Athletics in 1997.

This time we got to visit him in Florida for the first time since he moved there. I arranged to meet him at his condo in Delray Beach which was on the way from Jupiter to Miami. Since we got a fast game that afternoon, we got to his place early enough so he could show us around his residence which overlooks a lake and a golf course.

He hadn't been to the new Marlins Park yet so I told him we'll take him there. It was a honor and privilege to do so.

As for the game we saw, the Miami Marlins fell behind the Washington Nationals, 2-0 early as Jesus Flores drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Ryan Zimmerman added a solo homer. In the bottom of the third inning, newcomer Carlos Lee hit a two run single to tie the game at two. A few batters later, now former Marlin Hanley Ramirez launched a two run homer to break the tie. By doing so, we got to see the sculpture in left center field light up as a Marlin started to fly around and water shot up in the air like it was coming out of a fountain. It was a cool sight to see. Since the ballpark has long dimensions, home runs don't fly out of there like they do at Yankee Stadium so we got to see a rare treat.

The Nationals inched closer as they scored another run in the sixth inning to make it 4-3. The Marlins wound up adding an insurance run in the seventh inning as they went on to win, 5-3 to gain a split of the four series.
After the game, we drove back towards my Uncle's place. Before we got there we stopped off at Steak N Shake and we had a shake. What a great way to wrap up this midsummer's night dream.

After enjoying the shakes we had, we spent the night at my Uncle's place.

We had breakfast Tuesday morning then we headed to the West Palm Beach airport to catch our flight home.

I want to personally thank my Uncle Bob for giving us some royal treatment while we were there.
Stay tuned as I continue by doing my week in review upon our return home to the Big Apple.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to Roger Dean Stadium to see Palm Beach Cardinals play a home game!

Prince at Roger Dean for Palm Beach Cardinals
After spending some quality time with the King's brother, Henry, I drove us back to the Travelodge in Riviera Beach Sunday night. By doing so, I put us in position to get a good night sleep so we could be rested and ready for another busy day of watching baseball on Monday.

We went to have breakfast at the Seagull Diner which is located in a shopping center in Juno Beach which is right next to Jupiter where Roger Dean Stadium is. As for the Seagull Diner, I found it in the yellow pages while we were at the hotel. It turned out to be a good choice. As a result, the King and I enjoyed a hearty inexpensive breakfast.

After we ate we drove a mile or two down the road to go back to Roger Dean Stadium to see some day baseball as the Palm Beach Cardinals were hosting the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the Florida State League.

Just like the game we saw when we arrived on Thursday afternoon, there was a very sparse gathering. The crowd consisted of mainly day campers who represented many of the announced attendance of 749. It was another relaxing day at the ballpark for us.

As for the game we saw, the Lakeland Flying Tigers got a solid start from their starting pitcher Brian Flynn who tossed seven innings of shutout ball. He allowed just three hits and he struck out six as he got credit for the victory as the Flying Tigers beat the Cardinals, 4-0.

It was a nice fast crisp game. After seeing many long ones over the weekend, we needed a break and we got one.

Stay tuned as I go into detail about our return visit to Marlins Park Monday night with a special guest.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 7/23

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 23rd Nationals at Mets 7:10PM

Tuesday July 24th Nationals at Mets 7:10PM

Friday July 27th Red Sox at Yankees 7:05PM

Saturday July 28th Athletics at Orioles 7:05PM

Sunday July 29th Red Sox at Yankees 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 7/16 in review.

In addition, I'll be doing some special posts that will finish recapping our midsummer's night dream down to Florida.

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

The King and I met up with Henry Casiano, the King's brother in Port Charlotte, Florida at Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill!

Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill
After we dropped off Paul Derrick at the airport in Tampa Sunday night, the King and I drove another 100 miles to Port Charlotte so we could spent some time with the King's brother, Henry Casiano.

The King called him and he told him we'll be in Port Charlotte shortly after 8PM. He told him we should meet him at the Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill which is his second home. He told us when we got there he lives there. It's his home away from home.

When we've gone down to Florida, we've seen Henry a number of times over the years. With that being said, we've been to Whiskey Creek on a few occasions. It's a great place to eat & drink. They recently renovated it Henry said. Upon arrival, Henry introduced us to a number of different people, workers and friends who were there.

As for my meal, I ordered wood fired salmon which was excellent. It came with two sides & bread. I got broccoli & asparagus with it. As for the King, he had a rib eye steak for dinner. As for Henry, he got there before us so he was done eating already. He enjoyed his beer while we were eating our dinner.

As for the restaurant, they have a wide variety of food to choose from. In addition to fish and steak, they also serve chicken, pasta, barbecue ribs, pulled pork and they have also added pork chops to their extensive menu.

As for Henry, it was really nice to see him again. Despite having such a tight schedule, I'm glad I was able to make some time to visit him for the King's sake. I know he wanted to see him as long as we were going to be in Florida.

He offered to put us up for the night but we had a hotel booked already at the Travelodge in Riviera Beach where we stayed Thursday night after we drove back from Daytona. After spending time with him, I drove 150 miles on different state roads so we could get back to the east coast of Florida in preparation for more baseball Monday afternoon.

Please stayed tuned as I wrap up the rest of our adventurous Southern getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees baseball with Paul Derrick at Tropicana Field as the Red Sox visit the Rays!

View from Section 300 at Tropicana Field 
After spending the night again in Ocala at Super 8, we got up Sunday morning & we drove just over 100 miles to St. Petersburg which is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. We parked the car in downtown at 1PM which gave us enough time to walk over to Tropicana Field for the 1:40PM start.

The last time the King and I saw a game there was back in July 1998. As for Paul Derrick, this was his first game there. It should be noted the King and I saw a hockey game there back in October 1995 when the Tampa Bay Lightning played there while they were waiting for their new arena to be built. The night before we saw the Braves clinch the pennant in the NLCS against the Reds in Atlanta at old Fulton County Stadium. We also saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play football that Sunday afternoon. They won an overtime thriller as they beat the Minnesota Vikings at old Tampa Stadium aka the Sombrero which was located next to where Raymond James Stadium is now.

This time we saw the Red Sox play the Rays. As for the game we saw, the Red Sox drew first blood as they scored a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. The Rays responded by scoring three in their half of the inning. Their lead was short lived as Mike Aviles of the Red Sox hit a two run homer to tie the game at three in the second inning. The score remained the same until the fifth inning when the Red Sox broke the game open as they tacked on three more runs to take a 6-3 lead. They added another one in the sixth inning & that's how it ended as the Red Sox beat the Rays, 7-3.

After the game, we drove to Tampa which is 20 miles from St. Petersburg so we could drop off Paul Derrick at the airport so he could catch his 7:45PM flight home to Houston, Texas. We got him there at 6:20PM so he had plenty of time to make his flight.

It was great to see Paul again. I want to personally thank him for joining us. I look forward to seeing him again in the future for another road trip.

Stay tuned for the next installment as the King and I made time to see his brother Henry for dinner after we dropped Paul off.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Turner Field in Atlanta to see the Mets play the Braves with Paul Derrick!

Prince at Turner Field
After arriving in Ocala, Florida at Super 8 at 3:15AM, the King, Paul Derrick and I got some sleep before we finished driving all the way to Atlanta. We had another 360 miles to go to get there.

We finally arrived within walking distance of Turner Field at 3:11PM as we parked the car at a Funeral Home that was charging $10 to park.

We got out of the car and we walked over to Turner Field where the Atlanta Braves were hosting the Mets at 4:05PM that Saturday afternoon.

It was a long grueling ride from Miami but I mapped it out and I managed to find a way to make it happen. Initially I forgot how far it was from Miami to Atlanta. Back in 1991, I went to Florida with my sister and we drove to Atlanta to visit our mother's friend from Delray Beach where our grandparents lived at the time. Upon returning to Delray Beach, I dropped off my sister and I got back in the car and drove to Miami to see the Heat play Michael Jordan and the Bulls at the old Miami Arena. I was exhausted but I still found a way to do it.

Early in 2012, I realized I underestimated the distance from Miami to Atlanta. With that being said, I redid the game plan so we could get there on time. I knew Paul needed to see Turner Field so I wasn't going to shy away from the challenge. True to my word, I found a way to get it done.

As for the game we saw, All-Star pitcher R.A. Dickey started the game for the Mets. Paul was thrilled to see him pitch in person. As for the King and I, we've seen him pitch numerous times since he became a Met a few years ago. On this day, he didn't have his best stuff but he left the with a 6-5 lead after pitching five innings. The Mets added an insurance run and they lead 7-5 after seven innings despite getting some bad calls from the umpires. As a result, Met manager Terry Collins got ejected in the fifth inning.

Unfortunately the bullpen let the game slip away for Dickey and the Mets. They managed to get two outs in the eighth inning but they couldn't get the third one until they lost the lead. With the crowd doing the tomahawk chop, the Braves responded and sent their fans home happy. Michael Bourn, Martin Prado and Jason Heyward delivered clutch two out singles to give the Braves a 8-7 lead at Turner Field aka the chop shop. That's the way it ended as Braves' closer Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch the ninth inning and he blew away the three Met batters he faced striking them all out to save the game as the Braves won, 8-7. As for the King and I, it was another frustrating loss in which the Mets had a lead late in a game and they let it get away.

After the game, we stopped off at a Waffle House outside of Atlanta and we had dinner as we braced for the long ride back to Ocala, Florida where we stayed at Super 8 again.

Stay tuned as I recap the next installment of this journey as we went to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg Sunday afternoon.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Royalty catches up with All-Star pitcher Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals at Marlins Park!

Gio Gonzalez and I at New Marlins Park 
Back in late December when the Washington Nationals announced they traded for my boy Gio Gonzalez, I got all excited. I knew in the middle of July I was planning to see the New Marlins Park and they were scheduled to play the Nationals that weekend.

Since Gio joined the team, I knew I had another chance to see him in person. I got to see him early in the season at Citi Field when the Nationals played the Mets in April.

I told him then I'll see him again in July in Miami. Ironically Gio grew up in nearby Hialeah and he went to high school there back in 2000 and 2001. He pitched a no hitter he told some family and friends who were on hand to see him.

After batting practice, I went over to the area near short right field. After his teammates all ran into the clubhouse, there was Gio coming over to meet & greet me, his family and friends as well as other fans who wanted his autograph and/or a picture with him. As always, Gio made sure he acknowledged everyone. He's such a great guy. He was with us for a good 15 minutes. I don't know many athletes these days that would even give you the time of day.

Despite being bombarded by his family and friends, he still treated everybody else there fairly.

I got to chat with him while he was there. It was great to catch up with him again. I told him I plan to see him again at Citi Field when the Nationals return in a week and a half. I also had the privilege of meeting his mother too. What a nice lady. I made sure I told her that he has a great son. She was wearing an All-Star jersey from Kansas City with his name and number on it.

Of course, Gio was scheduled to pitch Saturday night when we were going to be in Atlanta. I plan to finally see him pitch again at Citi Field when they play the Mets again. It will be payback for him since he got roughed up the other day against them in Washington.

Regardless of how he pitches, he's still my boy win or lose.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees the New Marlins Park along with fellow roadtripper Paul Derrick!

Prince at New Marlins Park in Miami
When the Major League Baseball schedule came out in the middle of September 2011, my main priority was to figure out a way to get to Miami so the King and I could see the New Marlins Park. That way we could say we've been to every current MLB park once again.

After thoroughly analyzing the schedule, I decided that July 13th would be the day that made the most sense for us to get there. With that being said, I proceeded to piece together the trip.

Once I finalized the game plan, I was contacted by Paul Derrick who wanted to join us for part of our Stadium Journey. After getting a sample of how we roll last July, he was anxious to come along with us for more. I was thrilled to have him join us. I arranged to meet him at the West Palm Beach airport where he flew to from his home in Houston, Texas on Friday. He landed around 12:30PM. The King and I were there to meet him. On the way to the airport, the King and I went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Paul had a layover in Atlanta where he said he ate already so he wasn't hungry he told me so I planned accordingly.
Upon arrival, I asked him what he wanted to do. He didn't have anything special in mind before the game. I offered to take him to South Beach if he wanted to go there. He said whatever you want to do is fine. While we were driving down I-95 towards Miami, I noticed a billboard on the highway that was advertising a casino that was not far away. It was near Fort Lauderdale. I asked Paul if that would work for him. He said that's fine. I know the King likes to go to casinos so I decided to get off the highway and check it out. We wound up at the Mardi Gras Casino. Since it was warm outside it turned out to be a good way to stay cool since we had some time to kill before we went to see the New Marlins Park.

It turned out great for Paul who played on a slot machine for a short time. He made some money and he decided not to risk losing it so he quit while he was ahead. I made a few dollars and the King lost some while we killed a few hours there.

After we were done, we got back into the car and off to Miami we went.

I wanted to get to the ballpark early so we could check out the place for ourselves. I had an idea from reading about people who have already been there.

We wound up parking the car on someone's driveway for $10 after we searched the area and that seemed to be the most logical way to go. We were only a few blocks from the park which worked out really well.
When we were walking towards the ballpark we saw a Wendy's restaurant that was located right up the block from where we parked.

We decided to go in and grab a bite. Since I had a hearty breakfast, I wasn't that hungry so it worked out well for me.

When we were done we walked over to the ballpark. Since we didn't have tickets in advance, I went to the box office and I remember my pal Kurt Smith, the author of Ballpark E-Guides saying that they sell $10 tickets the day of the game. I asked the lady at the ticket window and she said we have them. So I proceeded to buy three of them for us. I knew Kurt wouldn't steer me wrong. That was helpful advice. Hopefully in the future he'll get to Miami so he can see the ballpark himself. If and when he does, I know he'll put together an E-Guide so everybody else can benefit from it.

We proceeded to go inside and see the park for ourselves. Since it was warm outside, the retractable roof was closed. The ballpark consisted of all royal blue seats throughout on all the different levels. The exterior of the ball field itself was mainly lime green. They have an aquarium right behind home plate on the inside of the wall so those lucky enough to be able to afford those pricey seats can look at the fish swimming around during breaks in the game. They also have a sculpture out in left center field that lights up when a Marlin player hits a home run. When it does, it has Marlins swimming around in a circle and water shoots out like in a fountain which is really cool and unique to this ballpark.

In addition, on the concourse they have a Bobblehead Museum which has over 600 different bobbleheads in it. If you like collecting them, make sure you stop by and take a look.

Furthermore, they have a club called the Clevelander out in left center field that's next to the sculpture where you can watch the game. You have to have tickets for that area to do so. If not, you can go there after the game when it's open to the public. I tried to do that but it was too crowded and we were pressed for time.
After looking around the concourse on the lower level which wraps around the whole field, I went down to see Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals who were playing the Marlins when we were there. Gio got traded to the Nationals after I decided this would be the best time to get to the new ballpark. It worked out well that they got him. By doing so, I was able to catch up with him. Stay tuned for the special post regarding that experience.

As for the game we saw, we sat in the upper deck behind home plate in section 314 and we watched the first place Nationals beat the Marlins, 5-1. It was the Jordan Zimmermann and Ryan Zimmerman show. Jordan pitched six shutout innings and Ryan added a two run homer which proved to be the difference in the victory.

In the process, the King put on a show with his signature strikeout call for the natives. He usually does his thing for the home team. With that being said, he would do it when a Marlin pitcher struck out a Nationals' batter. Since we had a few Cuban gentlemen sitting by us, he decided to do a Spanish version of the call. It was hilarious as they got a good laugh. So did I for that matter. It was added entertainment for the other Marlin fans who were sitting near us. Despite the loss, it turned out to be a fun night for everyone.

After the game, we got in the car and we drove 300 miles to Ocala, Florida where we stayed the night as we were making our way to Atlanta, Georgia to see the Mets play the Braves Saturday afternoon.

Stay tuned for the special post regarding our visit to Turner Field.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Royalty sees a Florida State League baseball doubleheader!

Prince outside Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida
Thursday morning the King and I went to LaGuardia Airport to catch our flight on Delta Airlines to Florida. We had an early flight which thankfully arrived in West Palm Beach ten minutes early which gave us some more margin for error since we had a minor league baseball game to attend at Roger Dean Stadium in nearby Jupiter. It's the home of the Jupiter Hammerheads, the Miami Marlins single A affiliate and the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals farm team, the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Upon arrival at the airport, we went to the Alamo desk to rent a car. Since there were a few people on line, I was able to use the kiosk to speed up the process for us. After declining possible upgrade options, we went to get the shuttle bus to the Alamo cars. I was supposed to get a compact car. I went to the young man who was directly people to their cars and he said and I quote "today's your lucky day since all the compact cars are dirty and I don't want you to wait, you can choose a standard car instead." We proceeded to the standard car area. I noticed a few Chevy Impalas, a Chrysler 200 and a Ford Fusion. I was planning to take the Chrysler 200. I recently rented one of those at home and I liked it. Then the King noticed the Ford Fusion was equipped with Sirius satellite radio so I told him we'll take that. It turned out to be a wise choice. The car had only 240 miles on it. I was looking forward to breaking it in.

We checked out of Alamo and we were on our way to Jupiter which was only 15 miles away. We got off the exit off I-95 to the ballpark an hour before the game. Since there was a McDonald's up the road, we decided to go there for a quick meal since we were both on the hungry side. It worked out well.

After we ate, we headed back to Roger Dean Stadium. We parked the car for free and then we went to the box office to pick up tickets for the game between the Dunedin Blue Jays and the Jupiter Hammerheads that was starting at 12:05PM.

We proceeded to walk inside and we got set for our first game of the day and the trip.
There was a sparse gathering that consisted of many day campers who were there on a field trip. We had a passing shower during the game but luckily the game wasn't stopped.

Prince outside Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona
As for the game we saw, the Blue Jays got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the second inning. The Hammerheads responded with a run in the fourth inning. The Blue Jays answered by getting a run back in the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead. They added four more in the top of the ninth to go ahead 7-1. The Hammerheads tacked on a run in the bottom half but they ended the game and rally with a double play as they lost, 7-2.

After the game, the King and I got back in the car and we drove almost 200 miles to see our second baseball game of the day in Daytona. We dodged some severe thunderstorms along the way that slowed us down but we still arrived in Daytona around 6:10PM which gave almost an hour to get ready for game two.

We parked the car for free a few blocks away from Jackie Robinson Ballpark, which is a very nice old time ball yard. It also had a museum that showed the struggles that Jackie Robinson had to endure to break the color barriers back in 1947.

It was also Thirsty Thursday which meant they were selling beer and soda for just a dollar each. It was such a hot night that it came handy for the people who showed up. Unlike in the afternoon, they had a decent crowd on hand to see their 2011 Florida State League Champion Daytona Cubs host the Palm Beach Cardinals.

In addition, they had a special guest appearance by Vince Carter who plays for the Orlando Magic these days. He was at a table signing autographs. I had him sign my score book which was cool.

As for the game we saw, the Daytona Cubs scored first as they plated a run in the first inning. The Cardinals tied it at one in the top of the fourth inning. The Cubs responded with a run to retake the lead, 2-1. In the fifth inning, they added two more runs to go up, 4-1. The Palm Beach Cardinals proceeded to chip away by scoring a run in the sixth and they added two more in the seventh inning to tie the game. In the top of the eighth inning, they broke the tie and as they scored the winning run as they held on for the 5-4 victory.

After the game, we drove all the way back to Riviera Beach which is between Jupiter and the West Palm Beach airport. We stayed at the Travelodge there.

Stay tuned as the journey continued as we picked up our special guest Paul Derrick from Houston who joined us for the weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 7/9 in review

Statue of Liberty
With Major League Baseball officially on their All-Star Break, I had to resort to different alternatives to pass time.

Monday night after work I went down to Lower Manhattan to catch the Staten Island Ferry so I could get to the Richmond County Ballpark at St. George, home of the Staten Island Yankees. They were playing the Williamsport Crosscutters.

I met up with my pal Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich who has season tickets for them. He has a perk of being able to exchange tickets he doesn't use. As a result, he was able to get me a ticket for the game which included all you could eat food and drink. I was grateful that he was willing and able to accommodate me.
As for the game we saw, the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as their first baseman Saxon Butler hit a three run home run to center field. They gave a run back in the second inning to lead 3-1. They proceeded to tack on more runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to build a 9-1 lead. They wound up giving up three runs in the eighth and that's how it ended as the Yankees beat the Crosscutters, 9-4. It turned out to be a nice relaxing night out.

Tuesday night after work I arranged to meet up with my parents who came into town to visit. We went out to dinner at Romano's in Astoria. They brought my niece Taylor and my nephew Jeremy with them. It was great to see them all again. The kids are getting so big.

After we ate, they took me home. I went in and watched the baseball All-Star game which was being played in Kansas City. The game was over early as the National League scored five runs in the first inning against American League starting pitcher Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants started and pitched the first two innings for the National League. In the third inning, my boy Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals got to pitch. He made me proud as he retired the three batters he faced in order. He struck out Mike Napoli of the Texas Rangers and then he got two Yankees out. Curtis Granderson flew out to left field and he got Derek Jeter to ground out to second base.

The National League added some more runs as they went on to win the game, 8-0. It was the third straight year the senior circuit has won the Midsummer Classic. By doing so, the National League team who plays in the World Series will have home field advantage.

Wednesday night after work I came home and I did my laundry and I packed my bags in preparation for the King and I's road trip down South.

Stay tuned for the special posts that will go into detail about our latest getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, July 16, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 7/16

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 16th Lakeland Flying Tigers at Palm Beach Cardinals 12:05PM

                                 Nationals at Marlins 7:10PM

Tuesday July 17th Blue Jays at Yankees 7:05PM

Thursday July 19th Brooklyn Cyclones at Staten Island Yankees 7PM

Friday July 20th Dodgers at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday July 21st Dodgers at Mets 1:10PM

                                   Brooklyn Cyclones at Staten Island Yankees 7PM

Sunday July 22nd Dodgers at Mets 1:10PM

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 7/9 in review.

In addition, I'll be doing some special posts that will recap our midsummer's night dream down to Florida and Atlanta. Please bear with me as I try 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

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Royalty w/o 7/2 in review

Monday night after work I came home and I did my laundry. After I was done, I was able to rest and relax for a short time.

Tuesday I got out of work early which worked out because that morning I got an unexpected e-mail from Steve Cirvello. He works with my pal Rick Morris from the FDH Lounge. He asked me if I had any free time this week. I wrote him back instantly and I told him I'm available this afternoon since I was getting out of work early. It's not easy for me to find free time with my schedule and/or the lifestyle I live. This turned to be a perfect opportunity. I wound up meeting Steve in Midtown Manhattan to discuss a possible documentary plan for the near future. It was a very productive conversation we had. I hope things materialize going forward. For the time being, he wanted to get the ball rolling he said.

After I finished chatting with Steve, I made my way out to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of their three game set. In addition, it was fireworks night. It turned to be a fun night that included a record crowd that gradually showed up at Citi Field. They announced there were 42,516 people on hand. Amongst those who joined us was our pal Manny Bonilla. It was nice to see him again. He always enjoys our company.

As for the game we saw, the Mets' bats did the talking as the fireworks started early as the Mets built a 6-1 lead after four innings. In the sixth inning, Mets All-Star third baseman David Wright hit a three run homer to make it 9-1. Daniel Murphy added a two run double in the eighth inning to round out the scoring as the Mets took game one, 11-1. The crowd was so into the game all night which made for a very festive atmosphere. It was great to be apart of it.

After the game, the King and I decided to stick around with Manny Bonilla to see the fireworks show that they were having. It was an entertaining display. They showed highlights and they played brief musical clips that spanned the five different decades of the Mets franchise history which began 50 years ago in 1962.
Wednesday I was off from work as America celebrated Independence Day. I spent my afternoon back at Citi Field with the King, Bryan Gilligan and Vincent Ascanio.

As for the game we saw, the Mets lead the Phillies and Cliff Lee who was looking for his first win of the season, 2-0 after six innings. Mets starter Chris Young was pitching well similar to his start a few weeks ago against the Yankees. Just like the Yankees did, the Phillies struck back in a hurry. After Juan Pierre lead off the seventh inning with a single, Chase Utley followed him with a two run homer that tied the game at two. All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz followed by hitting a solo home run to give the Phillies the lead for good. They added three more runs in the eighth and ninth innings to even the series at a game a piece as they beat the Mets, 9-2. As for Cliff Lee, he finally picked up his first win of the season. He pitched well as he struck out nine and allowed only two runs in eight innings of work.

After the game, Bryan drove us all to Coney Island where we got to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play the Williamsport Crosscutters at MCU Park.

As for the game we saw, the Cyclones scored four runs in the first inning. The Crosscutters came back with a run in the second inning and they took a brief lead in the top of the fifth inning as they scored four more runs. The Cyclones responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth which included a three run home run to right field by Brandon Nimmo. That's the way the game ended as the Cyclones won, 9-5.

Thursday I went back to work after having a day off in the middle of the week which seemed rather odd.
After work I went to Checker's for dinner with the King on our way to Citi Field for the rubber game or grudge match if you will since the Mets' R.A. Dickey was facing the Phillies' Cole Hamels.

As for the game we saw, the pitching match up didn't exactly live up to billing as I had hoped it would. R.A. Dickey wound up going seven innings but he gave eleven hits and five runs. Cole Hamels did slightly better. He allowed seven hits and four runs in his seven innings of work. The Mets' bullpen kept it a one run game as they headed to the bottom of the ninth inning. The Phillies' brought in their closer Jonathan Papelbon to try and seal the deal. He allowed a lead off double to pinch hitter Ronny Cedeno. After Josh Thole bunted him to third, Papelbon struck out Kirk Nieuwenhuis for the second out. He proceeded to hit pinch hitter Jordany Valdespin who won a game for the Mets in Philadelphia earlier this year in Philadelphia by hitting a game winning home run off Papelbon. Ruben Tejada battled and worked out a walk to load the bases. Daniel Murphy followed with a smash up the middle that hit off of Papelbon. He tried to recover but he fell down, Murphy beat the throw to first base as the Mets tied the game at five. All-Star David Wright became the hero when he delivered the game winning hit as the Mets beat the Phillies, 6-5. As a result, Citi Field was sent into a frenzy. It was quite a scene.

Friday night after work I met up with the King for some pizza at Taste of Dolly's on our way back to Citi Field to see the Mets who were hosting the Chicago Cubs to begin a three game weekend series.
As for the game we saw, the Cubs drew first blood as they took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off Johan Santana who gave up a lead off home run to Reed Johnson. In the bottom of the second inning, Lucas Duda answered back with a solo home run of his own. The Mets went back ahead 2-1 in the third. The Cubs evened the score again in the fourth. Then they exploded for a five run outburst in the fifth which proved to be too much to overcome as the Cubs hung on for a 8-7 win. Cubs closer Carlos Marmol escaped by getting a double play to end the game.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.

Saturday afternoon the King and I went back to Citi Field for game two of the weekend series. This time the Mets won, 3-1 behind a solid pitching performance by Dillon Gee who pitched eight strong innings to earn the victory.

Sunday afternoon we went back for more hoping the Mets could go into the All-Star Break on a high note.
Unfortunately the Mets fell behind 4-0 before they came up to bat. Jonathon Niese got roughed up then he settled down until the seventh inning when he served up a three run homer to All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro to make it 7-0. That's the way it ended as the Mets couldn't get anything going.

Hopefully they just had a bad day and they can continue their winning ways in the second half of the season.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Prince gets interviewed by Chuck Booth, Guinness World Record Holder and writer for MLB Reports!

Back in April I had the privilege and honor of meeting up with a guy named Chuck Booth. He was in the midst of attempting to break his own Guinness Book of World Records' record of seeing all 30 Major League Ballparks in 24 days in 2009.

This time he was able to break his own record doing it in just 23 days. Now that's quite a feat.

During his latest historical attempt, he interviewed different experts in each city he visited. Since he already had someone lined up to do the Mets, he asked me if I would be willing to do one for him on the Yankees.

Since I've seen so many games at Yankee Stadium over the years, I told him I would. In addition, I told him about the Derek Jeter 3,000th hit experience I got to witness last July.

Please see the link below for the article he wrote on MLB Reports about me.

http://mlbreports.com/2012/07/10/garyherman/

It's a great piece. I enjoyed reading it and I hope you do too.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 7/9

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 9th Williamsport Crosscutters at Staten Island Yankees 7PM

Thursday July 12th Dunedin Blue Jays at Jupiter Hammerheads 12:05PM

Palm Beach Cardinals at Daytona Cubs 7:05PM

Friday July 13th Nationals at Marlins 7:10PM

Saturday July 14th Mets at Braves 4:05PM

Sunday July 15th Red Sox at Rays 1:40PM

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 7/2 in review.

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

Gio Gonzalez is playing in the All-Star Game for the second year in row!

Last year while pitching for the Oakland Athletics, Gio Gonzalez was named to the American League All-Star team. He only faced one batter in the game at Chase Field in Arizona but he got the Cincinnati Reds' Jay Bruce to strike out in his cameo appearance.

In the off season, the Athletics decided not to sign Gio long term. As a result, they traded him to the Washington Nationals for four prospects. The Nationals thought so highly of Gio that they gave him a long term contract with options to keep him in our Nation's Capitol for many years to come.

Gio has responded by showing the Nationals' upper management that they've made a very sound business decision.

Based on the first half of his first season with the first place Nationals, he's shown that he's more than worth the prospects they gave up for him.

After winning 31 games over the last two seasons he played in Oakland, he has 12 wins against 3 losses for the Nationals in a half a season so far.

If he keeps pitching well during the second half of the season, he could finish with at least 20 wins which is a rarity these days.

Yesterday Gio made his last start before the All-Star break. He threw six quality innings as he earned his 12th win. That tied him for the major league lead with R.A. Dickey of the Mets who's having a career year.
With the victory, Gio now has 50 wins at the major league level.

Back in May 2009, I saw Gio at an autograph table while he was spending time in the minor leagues at Sacramento the Athletics' Triple A affiliate after he had a brief stint in the majors. Shortly after that, Gio was recalled by the Athletics and now he's in the major leagues to stay.

He's come along way since then and with that being said, I'm so proud of all his hard work and the positive attitude that he brings to the table. As a result, he's now a rising star at the major league level.

Gio has had bouts with his control in his time at the major league level from time to time. Being a southpaw, it's not surprising. He has cut down the number of walks he's allowed the last few years. This season he continues to minimize the free passes he issues. His strikeout to walk ratio is almost 3 to 1 which is excellent. I hope he continues to built on his success.

Gio has a good track record of staying healthy which is key to his long term success. Over the last two and a half years, he's made all his starts.

This year he's thrown 101 and two thirds innings so far. He ha allowed only 71 hits including just 4 home runs which is impressive to say the least. He has struck out 118 batters which is more than one per inning and he's walked only 42. So if you do the math he has a 2.8 strikeouts to walks ratio. His earned run average is 2.92. That proves his future is very bright.

Time will tell. One thing is for sure Tuesday night he will be representing the National League and the Washington Nationals proudly in the Major League All Star Game Tuesday night in Kansas City. I plan to tune to watch him shine again.

I want to wish Gio only the best of luck in the second half.

Regardless of what happens I'm always behind him. He's such a great guy on and off the field, it's hard not to root for him. If and when you get to meet him sometime, you'll see what I mean.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Saturday, July 7, 2012

NBA Draft analysis of players Royalty saw play in college this past season!

On Thursday, June 28th the NBA held its annual Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
The draft consisted of two rounds. 60 players were drafted including 9 from foreign countries. I wound up seeing 14 different players who were selected. 7 in the first round and 7 in the second round.

I'll go into further detail below.

1st Round Picks I saw play:

#8 Toronto Raptors Terrance Ross from University of Washington. I saw him score 19 points against Marquette at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

#15 Philadelphia 76ers Moe Harkless from St. John's University. I saw him play four times with the Red Storm at MSG.

#23 Atlanta Hawks John Jenkins from Vanderbilt. He scored 27 points against Harvard and he scored 13 points against Wisconsin at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

#25 Memphis Grizzlies Tony Wroten from University of Washington. I saw him score 13 points against Marquette at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

#27 Philadelphia 76ers (rights were traded from Miami Heat) Arnett Moultrie Mississippi State. I saw him score 8 points against Texas A & M at MSG in November.

#28 Oklahoma City Thunder Perry Jones from Baylor. He scored 2 points against South Dakota State and he scored 9 points against Colorado at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

#30 Golden State (Pick traded from San Antonio Spurs) Festus Ezeli from Vanderbilt. He scored 8 points against Harvard and he scored 14 points against Wisconsin at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

2nd Round Picks I saw play:

#31 Charlotte Bobcats Jeffery Taylor from Vanderbilt. He scored 15 points against Harvard and he scored 9 points against Wisconsin at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

#34 Dallas Mavericks Jae Crowder from Marquette. I saw him get 18 points including the game winning shot against the Washington Huskies as the Golden Eagles won, 79-77 at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

#38 Toronto Raptors Quincy Acy from Baylor. He scored 4 points against South Dakota State and he scored 7 points against Colorado at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

#39 Denver Nuggets Quincy Miller from Baylor. He scored 10 points against South Dakota State and he scored 8 points against Colorado at the Pit in Albuquerque during March Madness.

#44 Detroit Pistons Kim English from Missouri. I saw him score 15 points against Villanova at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

#55 Dallas Mavericks Darius Johnson-Odom from Marquette. I saw him score 23 points against Washington at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

#59 San Antonio Spurs Marcus Denmon from Missouri. I saw him score 28 points against Villanova at MSG in December at the Jimmy V Classic.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Royalty w/o 6/25 in review

Derek Jeter passed Cal Ripken   for 13th place on hits list 
Monday night after work I went up to the Bronx for the first time since June 8th when I saw the Mets play the Yankees in the first game of the Subway Series.

Before I went into the Stadium, I stopped off at Burger King for dinner. I ran into Ralph & Vincent Ascanio who were eating there as well.

I decided to try the new limited time Memphis pulled pork sandwich that they have for the summer. It came with barbecue sauce and raw onions. It was very good. It's too bad they're going to have it only for a short time. I'll have to come back more often than once in a long while so I can take advantage of the opportunity to have some Southern style food there.

After I ate, I walked over to the Stadium. I picked up a bottle of water from Jin Kim who was hawking it outside his store, KJY Fruit Market. You can't go wrong with drinking water. In that regard, you can never have enough especially when it's steaming hot out. Why would I pay five dollars inside when I can pay one dollar on my way in. Luckily on this night, the weather was tolerable.

When I finally made it up to my seat in section 420B row 7, I saw my pal Greg Venuto who was at the game with his daughter Julietta. It was great to see him again. We exchanged pleasantries and he introduced me to Julietta upon my arrival. When I came in I was lucky enough to get a Yankee hat that they were giving out to the first 18,000 fans. With that being said, Greg said he didn't get one. So I gave him mine. He gave it to his daughter Julietta. She was so happy. That alone made my night. She looked even cuter with it on her head.
I got to catch up with Greg who I last saw in early May at a Yankee game. I remember him telling me he was going to Northern Virginia in the middle of June to visit a friend of his. While he was there he wound up going to see the Yankees play the Nationals that Saturday afternoon. He really lucked out. He saw the Yankees win and the game went 14 innings so he really got his money's worth. He was so thrilled to tell me about the experience he had. I was happy for him. Since he's married and he has two young children, he doesn't have the time and money to run around like I do.

Furthermore, It should be noted the Yankees were celebrating Hope Week at that the New Stadium this particular week. It's a tradition that started in 2009 when the Stadium first opened. The Yankees have been notorious for being very charitable in the community over the years. This is a great example of that. For the last four seasons, they've set aside a week to recognize less fortunate people who get to meet and greet the team. They have them do different things to make these people feel really special. They give them the chance to have Hope in their lives. In other words, they're Helping Others Presevere and Excel. It's nice to hear and see these feel good stories for those who appear to be less fortunate in life.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-1. Hiroki Kuroda who started for the Yankees pitched well. He gave up one run over seven innings while he struck out seven to earn the victory.

Tuesday night after work I returned to the Bronx for the second game of the series against the Tribe.

This time I stopped off the 7 Fish Market for dinner with the King. I had some scallops and fries.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees took it the Indians again. This time Phil Hughes pitched. He threw eight shutout innings and he left the game winning 6-0. Cory Wade came in to pitch the ninth inning and he give up four runs including a three run home run to Jose Lopez who came in as a defensive replacement. They survived the scare as they held on to win, 6-4.

Wednesday night after work I took a long train ride to Coney Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play the Hudson Valley Renegades. Upon arrival, I had just enough time to honor the King by stopping off at Popeye's for dinner. I ordered a classic meal just like he would have. Three piece white mild chicken combo. It was nice and hot. Once I finished eating, I walked over to MCU Park. I barely made it in time for the first pitch. I want to personally thank our pal Vincent Ascanio aka the Kid for coming through with a free ticket for me. When I got inside I saw our friends Sam and Frances Pam who initially met at a Cyclone game a number of years ago. Now they're happily married with a set of twins I heard on the way. I want to personally congratulate them. In addition, Phil Butleman & David Sack who were there as well.

Furthermore, I got a text during the game from my pal Eddie Pelle who was there with his buddy Fredy Sanchez. They stopped by during the game which was really cool. We got to catch with them. They said since we met up in Rochester, Toronto and Buffalo they've been working non stop. It turned out to be a great night out.

As for the game we saw, the Cyclones won, 4-1. Their starting pitcher Hansel Robles pitched 5 and two thirds innings of shutout ball to earn the victory.

Thursday night after work I went back up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a four game series with the Chicago White Sox. On the way to the Stadium, I went to the Court Deli Restaurant to pick up sandwiches for the King and I. He wanted Turkey and I had Corned Beef. As usual, Chris took good care of me there.
Once I rounded up all the goodies I needed, I made my way into the Stadium. When I got up to my seating area, I got to see my pal Steve Tepperman and fellow Yankee season ticket holder Rich Zimmerman who was at the game with his wife. They've been going to the Court Deli for many years they said. It was nice to see them again.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees had a 3-1 lead thanks to an insurance run in the 8th inning as Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run. In the 9th inning, Dayan Viciedo hit a three run homer off David Robertson which turned out to be the difference as the White Sox came back to beat the Yankees, 4-3.

Despite the loss, Derek Jeter picked his 3,184th hit in the seventh inning which tied him for 13th place on the all time list with Cal Ripken Jr.

It should be noted that the NBA Draft was held at the Prudential Center in Newark. Stay tuned for a special post that will do about the players who I saw play this past season that got drafted to potentially play in the NBA.

Friday night after work I went back up to the Bronx for game two of the four game series between the Yankees and the White Sox.

I went back to Burger King for dinner so I could enjoy another Memphis pulled pork sandwich. The Kid Vincent Ascanio decided to join me.

After we ate, we went to the KJY Fruit Market to get bottles of water to stay hydrated on this brutally hot summer night. It was great watching Jin Kim in action. He puts on quite a show when he 's pushing the water.
We proceeded to go into the Stadium and up to our seats in the grandstand in section 420B row 7.

As for the game we saw, Adam Warren who was called up from the minors was making his major league debut. He struck out the first batter he faced but it went down hill from there. He walked a few but luckily he got out of the first inning without giving up a run.

The Yankees wound up scoring four runs in their half of the first inning. Derek Jeter lead off with a double which moved him into sole possession of the 13th place on the all time hit list with 3,185 passing Cal Ripken Jr.
Adam Warren gave it right back as the White Sox tied the score. In the third inning, he allowed two more runs before he departed after just two and a third innings of work. He gave up six runs on eight hits. As the game wore on it felt like the Pinstripe Bowl came six months early. The Yankees tied the game again at 6 then the White Sox added the extra point to make it 7-6. When it was all said and done, the White Sox pounded the Yankees, 14-7. It got so bad in the ninth inning that Dewayne Wise wounded up pitching to two batters and he got them both out. A.J. Pierzynski hit two homers for the visiting Chisox. Needless to say, Adam Warrens' stay in the major leagues was short lived. He was returned to the minors after the game.

Saturday afternoon I braved the 95 degree heat as I went back to Yankee Stadium for game three of the four game set with the Chisox.

After losing the first two games, the Yankees came to life as Hiroki Kuroda pitched well again. He threw seven shutout innings and he struck out eleven batters as he out pitched Jake Peavy who pitched a complete game despite taking the loss as the Yankees beat the White Sox, 4-0.

The Yankee offense was supplied by Curtis Granderson who homered. In addition, Dewayne Wise who has bounced around the major leagues for 10 years which has included a stint with the White Sox, followed up his pitching debut with a three for three game which included a single, a double and a home run. With that being said, I heard a few Yankee fans who were sitting behind me say and I quote "he's living the dream." I got the impression these people thought he was a young player with a bright future. They sounded like typical Yankee fans who have no baseball knowledge unless they're wearing a Yankee uniform.

After the Yankee game, our friend Bryan Gilligan who was at the game said you would drive the King and I to Coney Island where we saw the Brooklyn Cyclones play the Aberdeen Ironbirds. I want to thank Bryan for being so kind and good to us.

As for the game we saw there, the game was tied at two. In the seventh inning, Brandon Nimmo who the Mets drafted in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, 13th pick overall hit a grand slam to put the game away as the Cyclones went on to beat the Ironbirds, 6-2.

Sunday afternoon the King and I had to deal with the brutal 95 degree heat again on Oldtimer's Day at Yankee Stadium. Since we played softball in the morning we were forced to miss the ceremonies that took place prior to the regularly scheduled game.

As for the game we saw, the White Sox took a 2-0 lead after the first inning. After that, the Yankees went to work behind Phil Hughes who settled down and pitched well for eight innings. He earned the victory as Robinson Cano and Eric Chavez hit two run homers to give the Yankees a 4-2 decision and it gave them a split in the four game series.

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Royalty schedule w/o 7/2

Here's the game plan:

Tuesday July 3rd Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday July 4th Phillies at Mets 1:10PM

Williamsport Crosscutters at Brooklyn Cyclones 6PM

Thursday July 5th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Friday July 6th Cubs at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday July 7th Cubs at Mets 4:10PM

Sunday July 8th Cubs at Mets 1:10PM

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 6/25 in review.

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