Royalty Tours USA

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Royalty sees the Home Run Derby at Citi Field!

After I left the Fan Fest Monday afternoon July 14th at the Jacobs Javits Center, I walked over to a bar across from Penn Station called Local West where I met up with my pal and fellow roadtripper, Andrew Van Cleve who took Amtrak up from Philadelphia to see the Home Run Derby with me. I met him inside the bar. I sat down and I had a beer with him. When we got done we went around the block and we ate dinner at Wendy's. After we ate, we took the subway out to Citi Field for the Home Run Derby.

Home Run Derby at Citi Field
This was the first time I witnessed this unique event. It was strange going to a ballpark to watch different players just swing for the fences. It turned out to be a very entertaining event. Before the players took their swings in the batter's box, there was a musical performance by Pitbull.

As for the participants of the Home Run Derby, they consisted of eight players, four from the American League and four from the National League.

They were as follows:

Prince Fielder (last year's champion) Tigers
Michael Cuddyer Rockies
Yoenis Cespedes Athletics
Pedro Alvarez Pirates
Chris Davis Orioles
Bryce Harper Nationals
Robinson Cano Yankees
David Wright Mets

The format was as follows:

The players took turns by alternating leagues starting with the American League going first. There was two rounds which was followed by a Championship round.

The four players with the highest number of home runs in the first round advanced to the second round.
In the second round, the home runs carried over from the first round to the second round.

The Championship round consisted of the two players who hit the most cumulative number of home runs in the first two rounds. The player with the most home runs in the Championship round was declared the Home Run Derby Champion.

The rules were as follows:

Each player was allowed ten outs in each round. An out was registered when a player swung at a pitch and didn't hit a home run.

Each team had a captain. For the American League, it was Robinson Cano of the Yankees and for the National League, it was David Wright of the Mets.

Here's how the Derby played out:

Round one the winners were Yoenis Cespedes who lead the way with 17 long balls. Chris Davis & Bryce Harper each had 8 and Michael Cuddyer made the final cut with 7 roundtrippers.

In the second round, Yoenis Cespedes added 6 more homers to finish the two rounds with 23. Bryce Harper added 8 more to finish with 16 which qualified him for the Championship round.

In the Championship round, Yoenis Cespedes beat out Bryce Harper, 9 homers to 8.

As a result, he was declared the 2013 Home Run Derby Champion. Ironically he was the first winner of the Derby not to play in the actual All-Star Game.

Speaking of the All-Star Game, stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about that experience.

It should be noted that after I left Citi Field after the Home Run Derby, I was stranded outside the entrance to the 7 train. There was a fire at the 103rd street station at 10:40PM which suspended service for almost an hour. Thankfully I wasn't working the next day. With that being said, I tried my best to stay calm. Once the subway service resumed, I went home like I normally do. I finally got home at 12:30AM. What a way to end a fun night.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees Tim Parks, Founder of the MLB Ballparks Passport Program at All-Star Fan Fest in NYC!

Back on Sunday July 7th when the King and our pal Dave Block from San Diego were in Cincinnati at Great American Ballpark for the Reds and Mariners, we met up with Tim Parks, the founder of a unique program that started in 2012.

Tim came up with a clever idea when he was traveling with his family back in 2009. He decided that when someone goes to another country they get their passport stamped/validated to show they were physically there. With that being said, he decided to come up with something similar when someone goes to see a live major league baseball game. As a result, he came up with an idea that can bridge the gap from generation to generation. He designed a compact book that's made out of leather & looks like a photo album from back in the day. On the inside, there's a loose leaf binder which opens up so you can take the pages in & out easily. You can also add new pages as new ballparks go up down the road.

MLB Ballpark Pass-Port  
These pages consist of a brief description of each team/stadium, a space for your official stamp/validation, a seating diagram where you can place the "I sat here" stickers that come with the book, you also get a set of ballpark stadium stickers that give a high resolution image so you can take a look back, there's also a ticket stub holder for you to keep your paper proof intact, as well as an area to write in pertinent details of the game you attended and a page where you can add notes from your experience. They will serve as a memory for you when you look back and/or pass on the book to another family member or friend for safe keeping. There are additional pages for autographs and special events such as the All Star Game, Home Run Derby and the post season.

It's an old school way of relating to people of all ages. In this day and age, we're all consumed by technology day in, day out. In order to appreciate this great idea, I strongly suggest if you're a baseball fan that you get yourself a ballpark passport book. They're available online for your convenience. Trust me you'll be glad you did. I was skeptical at first too.

Tim Parks at All-Star Fan Fest
Once I got the passport book, I've been having fun filling in the pieces. When I got to the All-Star Fan Fest, I came across Tim's booth. As a result, I saw him explain to the people firsthand how his great idea works. I spend a lot of time there getting an education about the product. As a result, I decided to get additional books that are designed for seeing 25 baseball games either on the major league and/or minor league level. There's one for each. They also come equipped with directories of all the teams so you know where they're located if and when you decide to take a road trip to visit family and/or friends.

I hope other people will follow my lead and start documenting their future baseball games.

As a seasoned veteran of sports travel, I know it's hard to start over for those who've been to all the ballparks already. Life goes on so why not do the same. Get a book and see how much you can fill in. You can always pass it on to someone else to finish it for you.

Happy stamping/validating!

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to NYC to take in Fan Fest at Jacob Javits Center!

Monday morning July 14th I went to Avis and I returned the Chevy Cruze I rented for the weekend. I drove 1,143 miles safely.

I took vacation days from work that Monday & Tuesday so I could enjoy the All-Star game festivities with getting too stressed out doing so. It was much more relaxing that way.

Me at the Fan fest
As a result, I took a few buses to the subway as I made my way into Manhattan so I could go to the All-Star Fan Fest that was taking place at the Jacob Javits Center on the West side of midtown Manhattan.

Daily Events at Fan Fest 
The Fan Fest consisted of a number of different areas that define the history of the game of baseball. They had a section that honored the Negro Leagues, the Minor Leagues and the Major Leagues. It was a one stop shop for baseball fans of all ages. People from all over the country were walking around taking in the festive and educational atmosphere.

It should be noted they had different interactive areas for people of all ages to participate in. In addition, there were different players signing autographs at different times for those who like to collect players' signatures from years past. They had some former Mets and Hall of Famers doing the honors.

Furthermore, they had different booths where people were selling and promoting merchandise of the game of baseball.

It was a nice way for everybody to take part in the festivities even if they couldn't make it out to the ballpark.

I really enjoyed the time I spent there. Believe it or not, it was the first All-Star Fan Fest that I've attended.

Stay tuned for a special post I'm going to do that will go into detail about one of the vendors I saw while I was there.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with another roadtripper in Aberdeen at Ironbirds game after the Oriole game in Baltimore!

Sunday July 14th I was able to see a second baseball game on my way home from Baltimore. On paper I knew I had a good chance as long as the Orioles played a game in a timely fashion. Thankfully they did. The Oriole game ended at 4:11PM. I planned to drive 30 miles north to Aberdeen, Maryland for the Ironbird game at Ripken Stadium that was scheduled to start at 5:35PM against the Williamsport Crosscutters. It should be noted that Ripken Stadium is conveniently located right off the highway. You can see the stadium when you drive by on I-95.

Me & Sean Rowland at Ripken Stadium 
During the week, I got in touch with fellow roadtripper and Stadium Journey writer, Sean Rowland thanks to his website that said he was spending the weekend in Baltimore with his wife, Cheryl. They planned to go to see the Orioles play Saturday afternoon and the Ironbirds Sunday night. In between, they planned to go sightseeing. When I knew he was going to be at the Ironbird game, I told him I'll definitely be there.

It worked out well since I was able to get out of Baltimore quickly. Luckily I was able to dodge pockets of traffic on I-95 which allowed me to get to Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen Ironbirds at 5:15PM. Upon arrival, I got a ticket and I headed inside. Shortly after the game started, Sean came over to where I was sitting and we enjoyed each other's company. He then went back to see his wife after we spoke for a little while. He told me he'll come back later in the game. True to his word, he came back with his wife, Cheryl who he introduced me to. It was nice to see him again.

As for the game we saw, it was very sloppy to say the least. The Ironbirds made a bunch of errors. They were fortunate that they were only charged with four. It should have been more. It was that bad. Since this was a low level minor league game, I wasn't too surprised with the quality of play but this game was really hard to watch. The visiting Crosscutters wound up beating the Ironbirds, 8-6.

After the game, I walked Sean & Cheryl back to their car in the parking lot. We said our goodbyes and we went our separate ways. Hopefully we'll meet up again down the road.

On my way home, I stopped off for some gas and a made to order chicken cheesesteak hoagie at Wawa's. I ate it in the car then I drove back home. Thankfully I wasn't working that Monday.

Stay tuned for a special post that will detail how I spent my day off.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Royalty goes to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to see the battle of the birds!

Sunday afternoon July 14th after I had a great breakfast at Eichenkranz Restaurant, I went to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to see the battle of the birds. The Baltimore Orioles were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays in the last game before the All-Star break. After I parked the car on the street in the neighborhood, I started walking over to the ballpark. It didn't take me long to start sweating. It was a hot day outside.

Upon entry into the ballpark, I got an Oriole hat they gave out. As a result, I was able to wear it to cover my head from the sun. I very rarely wear a hat but I thought it was a wise decision to do so on this day. I proceeded to walk out to the team store out in right field so I could get my MLB passport book stamped & validated for my visit.

My stamp & validation from Camden Yards
Once I was done, I headed upstairs to the upper deck so I could sit behind home plate under the overhang in the shade. When I finally got up there, I was sweating from the heat. Luckily as the day went on it, a breeze started to blow which made it more tolerable.

View from section 336 
As for the game I saw, the Orioles set the tone early after they got the Blue Jays out in the top of the first inning. The Orioles responded with four runs off Josh Johnson who started for the Blue Jays. The outburst included a two run double by first baseman Chris Davis who was wrapping up an amazing first half of the season. He added his league leading 37th home run a few innings later as the Orioles opened up a 6-0 lead. The Blue Jays got two back to make it a 6-2 game. The Orioles extended their lead to 7-2 when center fielder Adam Jones added a solo homer. The Blue Jays tacked on a few more runs late but they fell short as the Orioles beat them, 7-4. Starter Scott Feldman of the Orioles pitched seven and a third innings allowing three runs to earn the victory. Josh Johnson who gave up all seven runs in six innings took the loss.

Thankfully the game was played in a timely fashion for a change. It ended at 4:11PM. As a result, I was able to go to nearby Aberdeen to see a minor league game that was starting at 5:35PM.

Stay tuned for the details of that as my latest adventurous weekend getaway was winding down.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with more special people at Eichenkranz Restaurant in Baltimore!

After spending the night at Knights Inn in Somerset, Pennsylvania Saturday night July 13th, I got up Sunday morning and I drove 185 miles to Baltimore so I could meet up with my friends Peter & Carmen Agnew at the Eichenkranz Restaurant, which is located in the middle of a neighborhood on Fagley Street.

I got there around 11:30AM. Peter & Carmen arrived a little before me so they could hold a table & they told them I was on my way there. That way I was still able to order breakfast. We were waited on by Rose who loves seeing me when I come in. She loves hearing my accent when I place my order.

I sat down and I had bacon and eggs over hard with home fries and pancakes. It was excellent.

More importantly, I got to spend some precious time with Peter & Carmen. I know they love to see me when I'm in town. I was going to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to see the Orioles play the Blue Jays at 1:35PM that afternoon. With that being said, I arranged to go out of my way to meet up with them.

It worked out well as I had just enough time to drive back to the neighborhood near the ballpark where I parked the car.

I want to personally thank Peter & Carmen for joining me. It's always great to see them.

Stay tuned for the special post that will recap the game I saw at Camden Yards that afternoon.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with more roadtrippers at PNC Park in Pittsburgh!

After I ate my early dinner at Eat N Park, I drove to the North Shore of Pittsburgh where PNC Park is located. I parked the car on the street by a meter within walking distance of PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I purposely got there early so I could meet and greet some other roadtrippers who were going to be there too. First of all, I met fellow ballpark chaser Blair Long and his lovely wife Paula who drove early in the morning from their home in Central New Jersey. We had been in contact for a few weeks thanks to modern technology. On this night, we finally got to meet up. By doing so, we got to exchange stories of our past travels. Paula who's originally from Ireland told me how much she loves our country. She loves the idea of driving around to different parts of it so she can appreciate all this is do here. When she first met Blair she wasn't a baseball fan. Blair took her to a game and she loved it. With that being said, I told Blair he's a lucky man. They're happily married which is a rarity these days. After speaking for a while, we decided to walk around the concourse of the lower level since this was their first time at PNC Park.

We went out to the bullpen area in left field where a person I knew was. I'm referring to JeanAnn Harrison. She happens to be a business partner of Pirates' closer Jason Grilli. With that being said, she was watching batting practice and she was waiting to see Jason when he walked out to the bullpen just before the game started.

Since I was with Blair & Paula at the time, I introduced them to each other. Ironically, JeanAnn did the same since she was with a few friends of hers, Dawn & Scott. I told JeanAnn that I'll be back so I can see Jason too.

I proceeded to walk around to the team store behind home plate with Blair and Paula because Blair and I wanted to get our ballpark passports officially stamped & validated.

Blair Long & I with our Passports stamped & validated
After we did so, we went to their seats in section 115 which was just to the right of home plate. They had a tremendous view of the field. Shortly thereafter, we said goodbye to each other.

I proceeded to walk back out to the outfield area. I stopped off in section 140 row B in right center field to see a guy named Dennis who I met at Wrigley Field the week before when I saw the Pirates play the Cubs. Those are his season tickets he said. He told me to look for him there and he'll buy me a beer. Honestly, I didn't care about the beer necessarily. I wanted to see him so I could back up my word that he would see me there. True to his word, he walked me to a beer stand and he bought me a beer as he said he would. For that, I was very grateful. I then went back to see JeanAnn by the bullpen. I introduced Dennis to her as well.
A few minutes later Jason Grilli made his way out there. I got to shake his hand again and he signed some pictures I took of him. I gave one to Dennis for his son Jack who I met at Wrigley Field. Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about Jason.

After JeanAnn & I saw Jason we went to our seats to watch the game as the Pirates were hosting the Mets.

As for the game we saw, it was scoreless for the first three innings. In the top of the fourth inning, the Mets scored a run off Pirates' starter A.J. Burnett to go up 1-0. They added another run in the top of the fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Pirates finally got to Mets' starter Carlos Torres. They cut the Met lead in half as they broke the shutout making it a 2-1 game. The Mets were lucky the Pirates didn't score more that inning. Since Torres was making a rare start, he was pulled after five innings. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Pirates got even as center fielder Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homer to right center field to make it 2-2. It was the 39th Bucco Blast at home this season according to the tracker they have in right field. In the seventh inning, "Cutch" as he's called came through again in the clutch. He delivered a two out run scoring single after a costly error by Ike Davis of the Mets prolonged the inning. The Met bullpen made matters worse as they wound up walking catcher Russell Martin with the bases loaded to make it a 4-2 game. The Pirates called on the shark tank as their bullpen is called to shut it down in the late innings. Mark Melancon came in & he threw a 1,2,3 eighth inning setting up the ninth inning for Jason Grilli aka Grill Cheese for the potential save opportunity. After a thunderous introduction on the scoreboard, Jason also got the Mets out 1,2,3 in the ninth to seal the deal as the Pirates held off the Mets, 4-2. By doing so, he picked up his 29th save of the season.

After the game, they had a nice fireworks show which enabled me to beat the majority of the traffic as I drove 75 miles to Somerset, Pennsylvania where I spent the night.

Stay tuned for a special post I'm going to about a few special people that I met for breakfast that Sunday morning.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with some more special people on my way to PNC Park in Pittsburgh!

After getting some sleep at Knights Inn in Macedonia, Ohio Friday night, July 12th, I woke up Saturday morning the 13th and I went to Cracker Barrel in nearby Twinsburg, Ohio for breakfast. I wound up meeting up with the King and our pal Bryan Gilligan there. They were on their way to Wrigley Field in Chicago after they spent the night in Pittsburgh. As a result, we arranged to meet up there at 10AM. It was nice to see them again as they were in the midst of a ten day journey around the Midwest.

After we ate, we said our goodbyes and we went in opposite directions. Since I had a lot of time on my hands, I took a scenic toll free route towards Pittsburgh. I wound up stopping at a Walmart to do some shopping in Salem, Ohio on the way. When I was done, I continued on to the Steel City.

I arranged to meet some people I know who live in the Pittsburgh area for an early pre game dinner. I'm referring to Mike & Alicia Irr who are avid readers of my blog. They wound up going to the Pirate game Friday night. With that being said, I wound up meeting them at Eat N Park in nearby McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania at 3:15PM. We met up there & we enjoyed each other's company. We got to catch up since we last met. When we got done, we parted ways. I want to personally thank them for making time to see me as I was passing through the area.

Stay tuned for another special post that I'm going to write about some more special people that I met up with at PNC Park.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, July 29, 2013

Royalty schedule w/o 7/29

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 29th Hudson Valley Renegades at Brooklyn Cyclones 7PM

Friday August 2nd Royals at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday August 3rd Royals at Mets 1:10PM

                               Erie Seawolves at  New Britain Rock Cats 7:05PM

Sunday August 4th Royals at Mets 1:10PM

                              Braves at Phillies 8:05PM

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 the rest of my July 13th weekend getaway as well as my w/o 7/15 & w/o 7/22 in review. In addition, I plan to do a number of special posts that will go into detail about the special guests I met along the way as well as the All Star Game festivities here in NYC. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. 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

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Royalty meets up with another special guest at Steak N Shake!

After I said goodbye to my pal Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge, I got in my car and I drove towards Macedonia, Ohio which is where my hotel was for the night. Before I checked in to the Knights Inn there, I arranged to meet another friend of mine, Bessanne Hustosky who wanted to see me again. She told me during the week she wasn't going to be able to make the Tribe game. I told her that's not a problem. She said how about If I meet you for a late post game meal instead. I told her that sounds like a plan.

With that being said, we arranged to meet up at Steak N Shake which was right on the way to my hotel. In matter of fact, it turned out to be a mile and a half away. I was tired and hungry so it worked out well that she was willing to join me.

It was nice to see her again as we got to catch up on things. In the process, I enjoyed some shooters and a shake. More importantly, her company was my top priority. I want to personally thank her for making some time for me while I was in the area.

Stay tuned for another special post that will go into detail about some more special people I got to meet up with as my getaway continued.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman


Royalty meets up with Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge at Progressive Field in Cleveland!


Friday July 12th I took off from work so I could getaway earlier for the weekend. I went out to Long Island via public transportation & I rented a 2014 Chevy Cruze from Avis which had only 604 miles on it and it was equipped with XM radio.

I went back home & I picked up my bags & I headed towards Cleveland, Ohio. I got off to a later start than I hoped to. I left Astoria at 10:36AM.

Thankfully I was able to get out the NYC area in a timely fashion. As a result, I crossed the Delaware Water Gap shortly after midday. By doing so, I was able to position myself for a gas & late lunch break at Sheetz in Brookville, PA just before 3:30PM. I bought myself a made to order meal of chicken strips and mozzarella sticks which I ate as I was driving once I got back in the car.

I finally pulled into downtown Cleveland around 6:10PM which gave me enough time for the 7:05PM start. I was able to park the car on the street for free by Cleveland State University which is a short walk to Progressive Field formerly known as Jacobs Field which is the home of the Cleveland Indians. I contacted my pal Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge who was meeting me for the game as I was approaching the Cleveland area. He told me he'll be arriving around the same time. We decided to meet up at the Bob Feller statue in right field. We did so around 6:30PM. It worked out well. We proceeded to get our tickets and we went inside the ballpark.

Upon entry, I went to the souvenir stand located just inside the right field gate so I could get my new baseball passport book stamped which proves I was really at the game. These days anybody can buy a ticket online and say they were there without even leaving their home.

Official Stamp
After I did that, Rick & I went upstairs to section 553 which is right behind home plate. We sat down, relaxed and enjoyed the game together as the Indians were hosting the Kansas City Royals in the first game of the three game series over the weekend.

Prince at Progressive Field
As for the game we saw, it was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Tribe finally broke through against the Royals' bullpen after starter Bruce Chen threw six shutout innings against them. The Indians got five straight hits to start the inning which netted them three runs. As it turned out, that was all they needed as they went on to beat the Royals, 3-0. The Indians got a great start from pitcher Corey Kluber who allowed just three hits over seven & two thirds of shutout ball. He did survive a scare from the Royals in the fifth inning as he allowed a lead off triple to David Lough. He then walked the bases loaded with one out but he was able to pitch himself out of the jam.

After the game, we were treated to a ten minute fireworks show that had a disco theme to it. It was nice to hear some music from back in the day. With that being said, I'm glad we stayed.

When it was all said and done, Rick & I walked back towards our cars. Once he got by the parking garage where he parked his car, we said our goodbyes. I want to personally thank Rick for making the time to join me for the game. His company as always was a pleasure. I hope to catch up with him again down the road.
Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail about my post game meal with another special guest.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Royalty w/o 7/8 in review

Monday morning before I went to work I returned the car I rented from Dollar despite getting only a few hours sleep.

After work, tired and all I still went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a four game series with the Kansas City Royals. Before I went into the Stadium, I stopped off at Burger King for a pre game meal.
When I finally got up to my seat in section 420B, I was greeted by some familiar faces. I'm referring to William Frank Guthrie, Steve Tepperman and Larry Peim who were also there.

As for the game we saw, the Royals got a well pitched game from their starter Jeremy Guthrie who allowed a run over six and two thirds innings to emerge victorious as the Royals beat the Yankees, 5-1. It should be noted there was a 59 minute rain delay during the game too. That just made my night out even longer.

Tuesday night after work I returned to the Bronx for game two of the series. More importantly, I met up with my Cousin Andy when I got off the train. It was his special day so I arranged to spend the night with him. I took him to the Court Deli Restaurant for dinner then we went into the Stadium. It was great to see him again. We did the same two years ago when Derek Jeter got his 3,000th career hit. What a day that was.
When we got upstairs, we were joined by my pals Al Linderman & William Frank Guthrie who came back for more.

As for the game we saw, the Royals once again beat the Yankees. This time they won, 3-1. The Yankees scored the first run of the game in the first inning but that's all they managed to get. CC Sabathia gave up a few solo homers to David Lough & Billy Butler. He also gave up a run scoring double to Eric Hosmer which accounted for the Royals' offense. CC did go the distance in the losing effort.

Wednesday night after work I went back for more as I saw game three of the series. This time I stopped off at the New Sunflower Chinese restaurant for my pre game meal. I had fried scallops and fries. When I finished I walked over to Yankee Stadium.

This time I was joined by my pals Rich Wolber and Frank Anichiarico.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees got a solid pitching performance from Ivan Nova who went eight strong innings to back the much needed offense that they gave him as Robinson Cano hit a three run homer in the third inning & Lyle Overbay added an opposite field grand slam to left field as the Yankees beat up the Royals, 8-1.

Thursday night after work I went home and I did my laundry as I got ready for the big weekend getaway I had to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore & Aberdeen, Maryland.

Stay tuned for a number of different special posts I'm going to do that will recap it.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with other roadtrippers at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to wrap up Fourth of July weekend!

After the King, Dave Block aka The Gratitude Guy & I left Wrigley Field Saturday night of Fourth of July weekend, we drove to Indianapolis to spent the night. On the way there, we stopped off at Steak N Shake for dinner in West Lafayette, Indiana which is the home of Purdue University.

Dave Block posing with the shakes
This was Dave Block's first time at Steak N Shake. When we got done eating, he was a satisfied customer. He loved the steak burger & shake he had. I told him it's a great place. He knows I wouldn't steer him wrong. After we ate, I drove us to the Best Western Airport Suites hotel that was located by the Indianapolis airport that Dave arranged to get for us. It wasn't as good as the MainStay Suites in Milwaukee but it did suffice.

Sunday morning we got up and we had breakfast at the hotel before I drove 120 miles to the Queen City of Cincinnati where we were going to see the Reds play the Seattle Mariners at Great American Ballpark that afternoon.

The King, Dave Block, Tim Parks & I 
I parked the car on the street in downtown. Shortly thereafter, I got a message on Facebook from a fellow ballpark chaser named Tim Parks who lives in the area & he has season tickets for the Reds. He's also the founder of a brilliant idea. Stay tuned for a special post that will go into further detail regarding that. In the meantime, he asked me where I was sitting for the game. I told him my friends and I don't have tickets yet. He wrote back to me and said to meet him at the VIP concierge entrance near the main entrance to the ballpark. We showed up there around 12:15PM almost an hour before the game. Tim greeted us and he gave us tickets to the Champions Club in section 227. We were very pleasantly surprised and grateful for his act of kindness to us. He took us up to the Club level and he gave us a guided tour. We were able to get all you can eat food in a special area behind the seating area. I didn't indulge too much since I already had a big breakfast. If I knew Tim was going to be so accommodating I would planned accordingly.

Regardless we were very thankful for his generosity. In addition, we got to see roadtrippers Reachelle Spieker and Patrick Smith who were also at the game. They also benefited from Tim. He gave them tickets for the game too. It was nice to see them as they were continuing their journey to all 30 major league ballparks.

View from Champions Club section 227
As for the game we saw, the Mariners jumped on the Reds early thanks to a few long balls off starter Bronson Arroyo. The second batter of the game, second baseman Nick Franklin hit a solo homer to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, first baseman Justin Smoak hit a two run homer to left field to make it 3-0. The Reds finally broke the shutout in the bottom of the seventh inning when left fielder Chris Heisey hit a run scoring double to make it 3-1. Unfortunately for Tim, his Reds' fell short on this day as the Mariners beat them by that score.

After the game, the King and I drove all the way back home to NYC. We got back at 4AM. As for Dave, he wound up catching a flight home to San Diego. It was nice to see him again. In the process, he picked up a few new ballparks.

Stay tuned for my w/o 7/8 in review.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Royalty schedule w/o 7/22

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 22nd Braves at Mets 7:10PM

Tuesday July 23rd Braves at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday July 24th Braves at Mets 7:10PM

Friday July 26th Rays at Yankees 7:05PM

Saturday July 27th Mets at Nationals 3:05PM

                              New England Revolution at DC United 7PM

Sunday July 28th Mets at Nationals 1:35PM

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 the rest of my Fourth of July weekend getaway as well as my w/o 7/8 & w/o 7/15 in review. In addition, I plan to do a number of special posts that will go into detail about the special guests I met along the way as well as the All Star Game festivities here in NYC. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. 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

Royalty returns to Wrigley Field as roadtrippers reunite over Fourth of July weekend!

After the King, Dave Block & I got a much needed good night sleep, we drove towards Chicago. We made a pit stop at a royal restaurant first for breakfast. I'm talking about The Point Pancake House in Gurnee, Illinois. We weren't disappointed. I had my usual breakfast there which consisted of two charbroiled pork chops, eggs, fruit salad and pancakes. It was excellent. Dave & the King were also very satisfied as well.

Me & Dave Block Outside Wrigley Field
After we finished eating we drove to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates that afternoon at 3:05PM local time. It worked out well. We got to the neighborhood early so we could park the car within walking distance for free at 1PM. We then proceeded to walk over to Wrigley Field. We went to the box office in hopes of getting some standing room tickets. They told us they weren't selling any. We asked what the cheapest tickets they had available were. They told us $51.52 in the upper deck with all the added taxes.
As a result, we decided to walk away and press our luck on the street instead. Luckily I ran into a guy who said he wanted $40 for a pair of tickets on the lower level in section 229. He said there were his season tickets. Without hesitation, I grabbed them for the King & I. We still needed one more for Dave. He wound up getting a single near us in the same section for $20 he said. Ironically I planned to meet some fellow roadtrippers at the game who had seats in section 130 which was right below where our seats were. I'm referring to Bob DeVries and his lovely wife Charlie. They were there with their friends Kristin & Dan who they introduced me to. It was great to see them again.
Me with Charlie & Bob DeVries
We also had another special treat on this day. Before the game started the 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks brought the Stanley Cup to Wrigley Field. That was an added thrill. As part of the festivities, coach Joel Quenneville threw out the first pitch with the Cup resting by the pitcher's mound.

It was so cool to see the holy grail in baseball heaven. It was fitting indeed.


As for the game we saw, the Pirates scored first when third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit a solo homer to give the Buccos a 1-0 lead. The Cubs answered in the bottom of the fourth inning when Alfonso Soriano hit a two run homer to give the Cubs the lead, 2-1. In the fifth inning, Soriano did it again as he hit another two run blast to make it a 4-1 game. That's the way stayed as the Cubbies beat the red hot Pirates. By doing so, the natives got to sing the song Go Cubs Go as they made their way to exits.

After the game, on the way back to the car we stopped off at Artemio's Bakery and we got some cookies before we hit the road.

Dave along with the King and I  proceeded to drive to Indianapolis where we were spending the night before we continued on to Cincinnati to see the Reds play on Sunday afternoon.

Stay tuned for a special post that will go into further detail about that day.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with fellow roadtripper Dave Block aka the Gratitude Guy in Milwaukee!

After the King & I survived the 15 inning marathon game at Citi Field on Fourth of July, we made our way out towards Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We went to McDonald's to get some food to take out after the game. We ate it in the car as we finally got to escape from New York.

We wound up stopping in Maumee, Ohio which is just outside of Toledo just after 2AM Eastern Time. We stayed at Days Inn. By doing so, we had 340 miles left to drive to Milwaukee on Friday July 5th. Thankfully we were gaining an hour due to the time zone change. We got some sleep and then we woke up in the morning & we went to Waffle House which was nearby before we got back on the highway finish the mission.

We finally arrived in Oak Creek, Wisconsin which is a suburb of Milwaukee around 4:30PM Central Time. It's also right up the road from the airport. We went to MainStay Suites where we met up with fellow roadtripper and huge fan of ours, Dave Block aka the Gratitude Guy. Dave was able to get us a royal deal at the hotel so we all got to split the expense. It worked out really well. He had arrived earlier in the day as he flew in from San Diego where he lives to join us for the weekend. As a result, he was able to check in to the hotel early. We went inside and we dropped off our bags.

Branded Steer
Once we got situated, we went next door to have a pre game dinner at the Branded Steer, a Wood Grill Rotisserie & Saloon before I drove us all to Miller Park which was ten miles away to see the Brewers host the Mets. As for our meal, it was excellent. We ordered chicken wings which were delicious as an appetizer. I then had wood grilled salmon for my main course. The King ordered pork chops and Dave had ribs. We were all very satisfied customers. It was a perfect way to cap off a long tiring day.

Prince at Miller Park
When we got done, we went to Miller Park. We got there with just enough time to spare. We wound up sitting in the upper deck in section 423 behind home plate. We sat down and we relaxed. Shortly thereafter, we got a surprise visit from our pal Marc Beck from NYC who was also at the game with his wife and daughter. It was so nice of him to come up and spend some time with us.

As for the game we saw, the Mets and the Brewers played another long game. The Mets eventually won, 12-5. Zack Wheeler pitched and he struggled to get through five innings. He did pick up the win. In addition, he also got his first major league hit in the third inning. The bottom line is a win is a win. After suffering the day before at Citi Field, we'll take it. Quite amazingly, we drove 895 miles to see it.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do another special post as our weekend getaway continued through the Midwest.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 7/1 in review

Monday morning I was able to leave the car I rented from Dollar for the week on the street near the house thanks to Bryan Gilligan because he left his car there on the right side of the street so I didn't have to worry about moving it because of alternate side parking. With that being said, I took his spot. I got some sleep then I woke up & I went to work with peace of mind.

After work I went to Taste of Dolly's for pizza on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a four game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I was exhausted but I still followed my game plan. Upon arrival to the Rotunda when I got off the 7 train, I was greeted by my pal, Sam Citron. It's always a pleasure to see him.

Upon entry, I went upstairs to the promenade level where I was joined by David Sack, Manny Morales, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel & Martin Caamano in section 515. It should be noted the usual regulars were there as well. I'm referring to Ralph & Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan & the King. These guys live at Citi Field so it seems.

As for the game we saw, it was another long one. The Mets wound up winning this one, 5-4 in 13 innings as Josh Satin delivered the game winning hit. I decided to leave after 11 innings because I needed to get some sleep. I'm glad I did. It took them almost an hour to play the last two innings. I got home in time to see the end of the game it was that bad.

Tuesday night after work I went to Checker's for dinner before I returned to Citi Field for more punishment.
This time I sat in section 516 with Phil Butleman, David Sack, Manny Bonilla, Frank Anichiarico, Al Linderman and Pat Gorman as well as the usual fixtures.

As for the game we saw, the Mets wound up winning, 8-1. In the process, they handed Diamondbacks' starter Patrick Corbin his first loss of the season. He was 9-0 coming in. This game was actually a fast one it went only 2 hours and 24 minutes. The only problem was there was an hour and 41 minute rain delay that kept us in the ballpark for just over four hours. Another night I lost sleep. I'm glad I stuck it out this time even though I really wanted to leave. The Mets broke a 1-1 tie with seven runs in the seventh inning after the delay to enable them to put the game away.

Wednesday I went to work. I thought I would be getting out early but I didn't know for sure until I got back from lunch at 1PM when I was told we were leaving at 3PM. I was relieved to hear that. As a result, I went home for a while. I got to lay down for an hour or so. I got up and I made myself dinner. I decided to drive the car I rented to Citi Field so I didn't have to be at the mercy of the MTA.

When I got in the car I noticed it said there was a light saying low tire pressure. I decided to stop off at Dollar so I could get that checked out. I had a long weekend trip planned and the last thing I needed was to get stuck. With that being said, I wisely got the problem fixed. It cost me 15 minutes. When I was done, I proceeded to park the car on the street within walking distance from Citi Field on 114th street just before Northern Blvd at 6:55PM. I raced over to the ballpark hoping to see the first pitch around 7:10PM. I did arrive in time in a huff and a puff only to see the tarp was on the field because there was a threat of rain in the area. With that being said, another long night awaited us.

Matt Harvey was starting for the Mets and it was fireworks night after the game. As a result, there was a huge crowd on hand.

We were able to sit in section 516. Amongst those who were there that night were Steve Tepperman, David Sack, Manny Bonilla who was with his sister Vicky and his nephew Gio. It should be noted they were seeing their first baseball game. It was nice to be a part of it with them. We also had additional in house entertainment as the Hooligan's and the 7 Line were present & accounted for in section 513. It was great to hear them when a Diamondback struck out because they love to join the King in his signature strikeout call.

As for the game we saw, It finally started at 9:01PM. A one hour & 51 minute rain delay this time. Matt Harvey didn't pitch great on this night. He shutout the Diamondbacks for the first five innings. Thanks to solo home runs by David Wright and Josh Satin who hit his first major league home run the Mets lead, 2-0. In the sixth inning, Cody Ross hit a three run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead. Matt Harvey gave up a lead off walk which was followed by a single & a double to start the seventh inning. That was the end of the night for him. The Met bullpen allowed the two of the three inherited runners to score so Matt Harvey's line looked a lot worse than it appeared. He did walk three & he fanned nine. He wound up taking the loss as the Mets fell to the Diamondbacks, 5-3. The game ended at 12:18AM.

Thursday afternoon the King & I spent our Independence Day back at Citi Field. Upon entry to the ballpark, we got an All-Star gnome.

We went upstairs to section 515 and where we were joined by fellow roadtripper Charlie O'Reilly who was there too. It was great to see him again. We also had our pals William Frank Guthrie, Pat Gorman & David Sack there as well.

As for the game we saw, the Mets & Diamondbacks played another marathon. This time without a rain delay. The game wound up going 15 innings. It lasted five hours and 46 minutes. It finally ended at 6:57PM. The Mets finally succumbed to the snakes, 5-4, as Cliff Pennington delivered the game winning single as the Mets settled for a split of the four game set after they won the first two. They miraculously tied the game not once but twice in the 13th and 14th innings after the Diamondbacks pushed across the go ahead run thanks to Anthony Recker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, two unlikely sources who both hit solo home runs to prolong the agony for the Mets.

Stay tuned for some special posts that will recap the adventurous holiday weekend the King & I enjoyed.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Friday, July 19, 2013

2013-2014 NHL Schedule

To all my readers and followers,

The 2013-2014 NHL schedule has been released.

Please see the link below for all the details:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=678238&navid=DL|NHL|home

Just click on your favorite team's logo.

**Please note times are listed as EASTERN TIME so if you live in a different time zone please take that into account**

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 hockey 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

Royalty sees Gio Gonzalez as the Washington Nationals return to Citi Field to play the Mets to end June!

Friday night after work I raced out of my office at 5:30PM in Midtown Manhattan so I could go right to Citi Field to catch the end of batting practice. More importantly, my main goal was to see my boy Gio Gonzalez again. When I arrived at the ballpark, I went out to short left field. I noticed Gio with his red glove standing out there. I was all excited. I got myself in position by going all the way down to the first row near where he was standing and I yelled out his name. He looked over and I he acknowledged me. I patiently waited until after batting practice ended. I told me the people around the area that Gio will come over. When it did, Gio started to walk off the field towards the dugout. I proceeded to yell at him again. Once he saw it was me, he backtracked and he came over to me. He shook my hand and we started to talk briefly. I asked him to sign a few pictures for me. One was for a young lady that met Gio at one of his functions that his Foundation did recently. Her name is Neva. I met her on Twitter. She's apparently less fortunate in life than some of us. I told her to e-mail me the picture of her and Gio which she had in her profile picture on Twitter. She listened to me and she did so. When I got it, I printed out in color for her. I didn't make any promises to her. I told her I'll do my very best to get Gio to sign it for her.

Since I'm a persistent person who doesn't except no for answer, I was determined to come through for her. True to my word, I did indeed. When Gio saw the picture of her with him, I asked him if he remembered her. He said he did. I told him she said hello. In addition, another young lady I met on Twitter is also is a big fan of Gio. I told him she said hello too.

Me & Gio Gonzalez at Citi Field
With that being said, Gio made my night complete and then some. First of all, he personally signed a picture I took with him back in April at Citi Field with his bobblehead box that he signed for me. Secondly, he told me he reads my blog and he said and I quote "you travel more than anybody." Thirdly, I asked him about getting a game worn jersey from him. He told me and I quote "I'll get you one, what color do you want." I told him white gets too dirty. I also said I don't care for the red and/or blue alternate ones. I said I want a gray one. I like traditional uniforms. The Nationals' road jersey reminds me of the old Montreal Expos' design before they relocated to our Nation's Capitol back in 2005. It has Washington in script across the front in red and red numbers on the back. Gio said and I quote "I'll personalize it for you." If and when I get it, I plan to wear it proudly to all the games I go to.

I can't wait to arrange to get the jersey from Gio. That's my next mission. I did give him a folder with my contact information again and some pictures of him and I for his own personal collection.

I told him I was coming over the weekend too. Saturday since I had to do my laundry in the morning I got to Citi Field too late to even attempt to see him again.

Gio Gonzalez warming up in the bullpen 
Sunday I knew he was pitching so the only way I could see him was to go out to the bullpen area. I got there in time to see him stretching out in the outfield. He was zoned in at the time. He was listening to music as he got himself ready for the game at hand. Once he took out his ear plugs and he headed towards the bullpen, I got his attention and he acknowledged my presence. I proceeded to watch him warm up in the bullpen. I took some pictures before I went upstairs to my seat in section 516.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Royalty closes out the month of June with a two city baseball doubleheader!

Back on Sunday June 30th, I rented a car for eight days so I could have it for the Fourth of July weekend getaway I had planned. I wound up getting a royal upgrade when I went to pick up the car. I wound up renting a Hyundai Sonata which was equipped with XM radio from Dollar Rent a Car by LaGuardia Airport. I would have rented from Avis but it was cost effective and more convenient to go to Dollar this time.

By getting the car when I did, I was able to avoid the extra expense of the outrageous holiday weekend pricing. With that being said, it always pays to plan ahead. You snooze, you lose. That's just a word to the wise. Royalty knows the tricks of the trade all year round.

In early June, I found out that the Baltimore Orioles were playing the New York Yankees on Sunday night baseball at 8:05PM. As a result, I decided to rent a car from Dollar a day earlier than I originally planned too. That way I could drive the King and our pal Bryan Gilligan to Baltimore after we all went to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Nationals in the afternoon.

As for the Mets/Nationals game, we were joined by my buddy Tolu Robertson who stayed over to see his Nationals play again at Citi Field. After he saw the Mets beat his team Saturday, he was hoping to see them get even on Sunday. Thanks to my pal Gio Gonzalez who started the game, they did indeed. With that being said, stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about Gio. He always warrants & gets plenty of royal treatment on my blog.

Gio Gonzalez vs. Zack Wheeler

As for the game we saw, the Nationals whipped the Mets, 13-2. Zack Wheeler made his first home start for the Mets that day. He looked good in the first inning then the Nationals proceeded to toss him a beating much to delight of Tolu & I because Gio was the benefactor of the much needed offense after a rough beginning.

Since the game was well in hand and Gio was done for the day after he pitched seven strong innings there was no need for us to stay to the bitter end. The score was 10-0 Nationals when we checked out of Citi Field. In retrospect, it turned out to be the right move because we had some pockets of traffic which caused delays as we drove to Baltimore. I did my very best to get us there on time but that wasn't possible given the circumstances. I did drop off Bryan & the King so they could get inside ASAP. They wound up missing a few batters. As for me, I missed the whole first inning. That's the way it goes. You can't win them all. I tell it like it is so there's no need to lie. It is what it is.

As for the game we saw once we got settled in, the Orioles led 4-0. The Yankees sliced the lead in half late in the game. As a result, the Orioles called on their closer Jim Johnson who's been shaky thus far this season after he pitched so well for them last year to close it out. Thankfully for the Oriole fans on hand he was able to seal the deal without too much difficulty. By doing so, the Orioles completed a three game sweep of the Yankees. It should be noted not everyone in the building left happy. There were a good number of Yankee fans present and accounted at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Stay tuned for the special post of my latest encounters with Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, July 15, 2013

Royalty schedule w/o 7/15

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 15th All-Star Fan Fest at Jacob Javits Center

                             Home Run Derby at Citi Field

Tuesday July 16th MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field 7:30PM

Wednesday July 17th Batavia Muckdogs at Staten Island Yankees 7PM

Thursday July 18th Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Brooklyn Cyclones 7PM

Friday July 19th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday July 20th Phillies at Mets 1:10PM

                             Batavia Muckdogs at Brooklyn Cyclones 6PM

Sunday July 21st Phillies 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 7/1 & w/o 7/8 in review. In addition, I plan to do a number of special posts that will go into detail about the special guests I met along the way. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I'm falling further behind. Please be patient. 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

Friday, July 12, 2013

Royalty gets a special visit from another roadtripper at Citi Field!

Saturday morning June 29th I woke up early so I could do my laundry.

After I got done, I went out to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Washington Nationals in game two of their three game series in the afternoon.

I didn't get to see my pal Sam Citron at the Rotunda entrance upon arrival because he wasn't working. He told me on the last homestand that his son was getting married so he took a few days off. It felt different not seeing him there.

When I went upstairs to section 515 where we sat that day, I was greeted by a fellow roadtripper, Tolu Robertson who I initially met on Twitter over the winter. His handle is @DarkMeatHook. Please feel free to follow him. He's a good guy. He lives in the Washington DC area. I met him in person for the first back in April on Gio Gonzalez bobblehead doll day. Speaking of bobbleheads, he's a big collector of them. He said he prefers getting ones from his local teams though. Tolu came up to NYC by bus to see his Nationals play for the weekend. He also was seeing Citi Field for the first time. He wisely bought a ballpark e-guide in advance from my pal Kurt Smith so he could get a good idea of what to expect before he arrived. With that being said, he was impressed with the ballpark as a whole.

In addition, we had some other special guests on hand that day in section 513 as the Hooligan's and the 7 Line showed up. They always make the total experience better.

Furthermore, we had some of our usual pals there with us too. I'm referring to David Sack, Michael Carson, Manny Morales, Pat Gorman and Alan Gimpel.

As for the game we saw, the Mets bounced back after their brutal meltdown Friday night as they evened the series at a game a piece by beating the Nationals, 5-1.

After the game, Tolu and I took the subway to Coney Island to see another baseball game. We went to MCU Park to see the Brooklyn Cyclones take on the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Ironically on the way there, my pal Steve Cirvello from the FDH Lounge got on the train. It was a pleasant surprise. He was going to the Cyclone game too. It was great to see him again. I told him about some future trips I have planned. He said he hopes to put together a project that will include me while I'm on the road. Time will tell if something can be worked out.

When we finally got to the game, we were joined by my pals Rich Wolber, Michael Abrams, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan and the King.

As for the game we saw, the Renegades tossed the Cyclones a beating as they whipped them, 9-0.
After the game, my pal Tolu Robertson was determined to go to a restaurant that he saw on the show Man vs. Food that airs on the Travel Channel. The place was called Spurmoni Gardens. He mapped it out beforehand. It turned out to be a few subway stops away on the train. With that being said, I made sure we went there. It worked out really well since we were both starving.

We ordered a half tray of sicilian pizza which we wound up splitting. It was delicious. I want to thank Tolu for suggesting this brilliant idea.

After we ate, we took the train back to Queens. I went home and Tolu went to a nearby hotel that he reserved for the night.

Stay tuned for the special post that will go into detail about how I spent that Sunday to end the month of June.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Royalty w/o 6/24 in review

Monday after work I went down to Lower Manhattan and I took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Staten Island Yankees play the Aberdeen Ironbirds at Richmond County Ballpark at St. George. Before I got to the ballpark, I stopped off at Subway in the Ferry Terminal to have a pre game meal. When I got there I was greeted by my pal Eddie Pelle who was waiting for his buddy Fredy Sanchez to come off the boat. He did with his girlfriend Kate who he introduced to me while I was finishing up my dinner.

Once I was done, we all walked over to the ballpark. It was their first time there they said. It was nice to spend the special occasion with them. They're good people.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees wound up winning, 3-2 in 13 innings. I missed the last inning because I wanted to make the 11PM boat so I could get home at a reasonable time. I wound up getting home at 12:15AM. Of course the game ended right after the boat pulled out Eddie said. He wound up staying to the end. I hated to leave but I need to get sleep in order to function properly at work.

Tuesday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open up a three game series with the Texas Rangers. Before I went into Yankee Stadium, I stopped off at Burger King for dinner.
When I got to my seat in section 420B row 7 I was greeted by the King. For whatever reason, we didn't have anybody else around that we knew.

As for the game we saw, it was a battle of Japanese pitchers as Yu Darvish of the Rangers started against the Yankees' Hiroki Kuroda. It should be noted this was the first time I saw Yu Darvish pitch live. Since he arrived here in the United States, he's pitched well. On this night, he wasn't anything special in my eyes. He wound up giving up three runs. He didn't get a decision and he threw a lot of pitches. Hiroki Kuroda pitched slightly better but he didn't get a decision either. Ironically the game was decided by fellow countryman Ichiro Suzuki who hit a game winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Yankees a 4-3 win. I was relieved when he did. I didn't want to see another extra inning game.

Wednesday night after work I returned to the Bronx for game two of the series. This time I went to the Court Deli Restaurant and I picked up a corned beef sandwich for myself.

When I went inside the Stadium. I headed towards the Bleachers because I arranged to meet up with some fellow roadtrippers out there. I'm referring to Reachelle Spieker and her friend/travel partner Patrick Smith who were in the midst of seeing all 30 major league ballparks over a three month period from May to August. They call it their Stitched In Our Soul Tour aka SIOS. It was a pleasure to meet and greet them. Reachelle is originally from Dallas, Texas. With that being said, she's a huge Ranger fan. She now lives in Southern California. She came dressed for the occasion. She broke out her cowboy boots to show her Texas pride. As for Patrick, he's going to school at Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma. He's also a big Ranger fan.

Patrick Smith, me & Reachelle Spieker
As for the game we saw, it turned out to be a great night for them as the Rangers beat the Yankees, 8-5.
Thursday night after work I went back to Staten Island to see the Baby Bombers play again. This time they hosted the Hudson Valley Renegades. Before the game I stopped off at Subway again in the Ferry Terminal and I had a sandwich. When I got to the ballpark I was joined by the King and our pals Frank Anichiarico, Bryan Gilligan, Vincent Ascanio and Michael Abrams.

As for the game we saw, the Renegades and the Yankees played a slugfest until mother nature interfered in the 6th inning. With the Renegades up, 10-8 at the time the game was official. Once they put the tarp on the field, we all decided to leave knowing they probably weren't going to resume. This time we made a wise decision. The game was called off. As a result, the Renegades got the rain shortened victory.

Friday night after work I dashed out of the office so I could get to Citi Field as soon as possible. The Mets were playing the Washington Nationals in the first of three games over the weekend. I was determined to see my boy Gio Gonzalez after batting practice. Stay tuned for a special post that will go into further detail about that.

On my way upstairs I got to see Reachelle Spieker and Patrick Smith again as their SIOS Tour continued. This time they were at Citi Field. They said they were much more impressed with the ballpark than they were with Yankee Stadium.

When I finally got to the Royal Court in section 516, I was joined by Phil Butleman, Manny Morales, David Sack, Al Linderman, Frank Anichiarico & Pat Gorman.

As for the game we saw, Matt Harvey started and he pitched great for the first seven innings. He struck out eleven Nationals. He left winning the game, 4-0. Manager Terry Collins decided to overmanage with his bullpen and it came back to bite him. They blew the game for the Mets and Matt Harvey who wound up getting a no decision for his stellar performance. The Mets lost, 6-4.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub to forget about the nightmare ending we saw.

Stay tuned for a few special posts about the rest of the weekend and one on Gio Gonzalez. Please bear with me as I try my best to catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, July 8, 2013

Royalty schedule w/o 7/8

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 8th Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Tuesday July 9th Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Wednesday July 10th Royals at Yankees 7:05PM

Friday July 12th Royals at Indians 7:05PM

Saturday July 13th Mets at Pirates 7:15PM

Sunday July 14th Blue Jays at Orioles 1:35PM

                          Williamsport Crosscutters at Aberdeen Ironbirds 5:35PM

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 6/24 & w/o 7/1 in review. In addition, I plan to do a number of special posts that will go into detail about the special guests I met along the way. Please bear with me as I try to find time to 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 2, 2013

Royalty is going to the West Coast for a week full of baseball games all over California, Reno, Nevada and Arizona in the middle of August!


The King & I are going to the West Coast in the middle of August.

Here's the game plan:

Saturday, August 10th we have a flight booked on American Airlines that departs LaGuardia Airport at 6:30AM Eastern Time we're scheduled to arrive in San Francisco, California at 11:15AM Pacific Time with a layover at Chicago-O'Hare.

Upon arrival, I'll be renting a car from Dollar for the week.

Saturday August 10th Orioles at Giants 1:05PM

                                  Modesto Nuts at Stockton Ports 7:05PM

Sunday August 11th Orioles at Giants 1:05PM

                                Bakersfield Blaze at San Jose Giants 6:05PM

Monday August 12th Nashville Sounds at Reno Aces 7:05PM

Tuesday August 13th Mets at Dodgers 7:10PM

Wednesday August 14th Orioles at Diamondbacks 12:40PM

                                       Oklahoma City Red Hawks at Tucson Padres 7:05PM

Thursday August 15th Mets at Padres 7:05PM

Friday August 16th Astros at Angels 7:05PM

Saturday August 17th Indians at Athletics 6:07PM

We'll be flying back home on a redeye flight, August 17th. Our flight on American Airlines departs San Francisco at 11:25PM Pacific Time. We arrive at  LaGuardia Airport at 9:40AM Eastern Time after we have a layover at Chicago-O'Hare.

Please feel free to check back for all the details of how this getaway turned out. It's going to be a midsummer's night dream.

If you want to join us, please let me know so I can arrange to make it happen.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, July 1, 2013

Royalty schedule w/o 7/1

Here's the game plan:

Monday July 1st Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Tuesday July 2nd Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday July 3rd Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Thursday July 4th Diamondbacks at Mets 1:10PM

Friday July 5th Mets at Brewers 7:10PM

Saturday July 6th Pirates at Cubs 3:05PM

Sunday July 7th Mariners at Reds 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 6/24 in review. In addition, I plan to do a few special posts that will go into detail about the special guests I met along the way. Please bear with me as I try to find time to do so.

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