Royalty is returning to Atlanta in the middle of September!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium - New Home of the Atlanta Falcons

Here's the game plan:

I'm flying to Atlanta Hartsfield Airport on Southwest Airlines. I leave New York LaGuardia Airport on Friday, September 15th at 10AM Eastern Time, I arrive in Atlanta at 12:40PM if I'm not delayed for any reason. Upon arrival, I'm renting a car from Alamo for the weekend. I plan to see some baseball & football while I'm there. I fly back home Monday morning. My flight departs Atlanta at 8:55AM. I'm scheduled to land at 11:05AM at LaGuardia Airport if all goes according to plan.    
   
Friday September 15th Mets at Braves 7:35PM

Saturday September 16th Samford Bulldogs at Georgia Bulldogs 7:30PM
                   
Sunday September 17th Mets at Braves 1:35PM

                                 Packers at Falcons 8:30PM 1st Regular Season Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

If you're interested in going on this exclusive getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join me. If you live in the area and/or happen to be there that weekend & you want to meet up let me know. As I like to say, teamwork makes the dream work. 

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royal Review of SunTrust Park in Atlanta & the Surrounding Area!

On June 8th, the King & I officially rejoined Club 122 if you will. We saw a baseball game at the Atlanta Braves new ballpark called SunTrust Park which is located in Marietta, a northern suburb in Cobb County. It's a 25 mile drive from the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport which is 10 miles south of downtown Atlanta where their old home, Turner Field was located. For whatever reason, the Braves decided not to renew their lease. With that being said, they decided to move out to the suburbs. Like anything else in life, some people like the move & others hate it. As a visitor, I'm indifferent. I loved Turner Field but now I have a new place to go if & when I'm in Atlanta again. In that regard, it works for me. If I lived & worked in downtown Atlanta, I wouldn't be too happy.

Inaugural Season Logo 

SunTrust Park sign by Third Base Gate

Phil Niekro Statue by Third Base Gate

Bobby Cox Statue by First Base Gate

Atlanta Braves Sign in the Battery

Chophouse Gate

As for SunTrust Park, the location is the biggest problem. If you don't drive, it's definitely going to be a nightmare. You can resort to taking public transportation but it will be a very time consuming proposition. As an alternative, I suggest that you take it as far as you can then arrange to get an Uber to take you the rest of the way. As for the King & I, I rented a car while we were there. However since we stayed at the Ramada Inn which was about 3 or 4 miles away, we decided to see how the public transportation was from there. We wound up walking almost a mile down Delk Road to get a bus on Bentley Road. After a short wait we got on the #10 bus which took us right to the ballpark. We each paid $2.50 to get on. After the the game, we decided to go to Steak N Shake which was a short walk from the ballpark. After we ate, we proceeded to walk another mile or so to Aker Mill Road off Cobb Parkway where we eventually picked up the #50 bus which would have took us right to our hotel but for some reason, I decided to get off the bus early. It turned out not to be a total loss. As a result, I noticed a restaurant called the Delkwood Grill & Bar which was on the way back to the hotel. It wound up being beneficial because we ended up going there for a post game meal after the day night doubleheader Saturday night. It was a great alternative to staying in the Battery which is the entertainment district at the ballpark. It's still under construction. They have a number of bars & restaurants there with many more coming in the near future.

Ramada Inn in Marietta, Georgia

Marta Bus Stop for 10A bus by Bentley Manor Apartment Homes

Marta Bus Stop for 50 bus by Akers Mill

The Crossings at Akers Mill

Delkwood Grill and Bar

Outside of Delkwood Grill and Bar

Friday night I drove up to the ballpark, we wound up paying $15 to park & we still had to walk a mile or so to get to the game. Along the way, I saw a check cashing place which seemed odd because I personally thought the surrounding area look more on the upscale side. Mind you most ballparks & other sports venues are usually located in the less attractive parts of a city or suburbs. For the most part, SunTrust Park is surrounded by many different places including a variety of hotels, chain restaurants, gas stations as well the Battery itself. In other words, assuming you drive you have numerous options to choose from there. As for parking, I strongly suggest that you get a prepaid parking pass. That's what we did on Saturday & Sunday thanks to our pal Bryan Gilligan who joined us for the weekend. He got us a parking pass in lot 29 which is a tailgate lot. They have other lots as well as parking garages. For our needs, this lot worked out really well. Our other friends Michelle Ronis & Jeremy Bank wound up staying at a Courtyard by Marriott that was walking distance to the ballpark. Even though they rented a car they left it at the hotel.

View from Chophouse Seats

My Official MLB Passport Book Stamp

King & I in Section 324 row 7

View from section 324 row 7

Braves Vision

As for the ballpark itself, I want to thank fellow Ballpark Chaser & Stampeder, Robert O'Neil who lives within walking distance of the ballpark. He has season tickets for the Braves. He has a pair of seats in section 324 row 7 which is just to the right of home plate. The King & I wound up buying these seats from him for our first game there when the Braves played the Phillies. It worked out really well for us. The usher there named Katherine was very friendly & she enjoyed our company. I went over to guest services & I told them what a great job she did. I'm not one to praise people who work at a ballpark quickly. She was a real sweetheart. If you go there, please stop by & tell her I said hello from New York. In addition, Robert also has a pair of seats in the Chophouse which is the party area in right field. As a season ticket holder, Robert has set up a Facebook group to help other people get tickets to see SunTrust Park. He was able to get my friends & I tickets for the rest of the weekend. We requested seats in section 426 & he was able to accommodate us. We were all grateful for his kindness. As I like to say, teamwork makes the dream work.

King, me & Robert O'Neil

On Sunday, I got to meet & greet some new people I talk to online from time to time. I'm referring to Jay Carlton who goes by Carlton Jay on Facebook. He drove over from his home which is 32 miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee along with his lovely wife Anna & their adorable daughter, Jordin. It was so nice to meet these wonderful people.

Jay Carlton & I

King, me & Jay Carlton in Section 426

In addition, I got to see another young lady named Karrie Weddle who I met at Yankee Stadium last September. She had run a 5K race that Sunday morning she said & they gave her a ticket for the game. It was her first one there. She also lives a few miles from the ballpark. It was so nice to catch up with her again.

Karrie Weddle & I

As for the games we saw, the Braves won the first two & the Mets won the last three so it turned out to be a very fun time at the new home of the Braves. I plan to return again in September to see the Mets again as well as the Georgia Bulldogs & the Falcons in their new downtown home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman                         

       

Royalty goes to Gwinnett to see the other Braves play in August!‏

Welcome to the Peach State

After spending the night in Chattanooga, Tennessee, I returned to the Peach State to wrap up my weekend getaway down South. Since the Atlanta Braves had their game changed from a day game to a night game to accommodate ESPN, I decided to go to Gwinnett that afternoon instead. I knew all along that was going to happen. I didn't wait for the official announcement. I decided that it made more sense for me to fly back that Sunday night from Atlanta . I didn't want to get up extra early to go back home bright & early Monday morning since I had another busy day planned which included doing a lot more driving. As it turned out my pal Gio Gonzalez was pitching that night too since the Braves were playing the Nationals. As they say, you win some, you lose some. I made the best of the circumstances I was given.

On my way to Gwinnett which is a suburb north of Atlanta‎, I stopped off at a Waffle House where I got to enjoy a royal breakfast to start my day off right. It worked out well as I wound up pressing for time. They serve food good fast as they like to say. I was a satisfied customer. After I got done eating, I got back in the car & I  finished the drive to Lawrenceville which is the town in Gwinnett county. When I got off the highway, I had to drive a few miles to get to Coolray Field which is where the Gwinnett Braves play. They're the Triple A affiliate of their parent club, the Atlanta Braves. That day they were playing the Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles' farm team. 

 

Coolray Field, Home of the Gwinnett Braves 

Upon entry, I went to the guest services booth where I was greeted by a gentleman named Dan. He made me feel right at home. He thanked me for coming out to the game. I told him it was my first visit. He told me I'm happy you're here. After talking for a few minutes with him, I went on my merry way. He directed me to the team store since they didn't have the passport stamp at that booth anymore. He said they used to. He searched high & low before he asked a co-worker for assistance. That person told him they have it at the team store. I proceeded to go there. After I got validated, I went & I sat down behind home plate so I could relax & enjoy the game.

 

Here's my official stamp

Here I am getting ready for the game to start

As for the game I saw, the hometown Braves wound up blanking the Tides, 2-0. The Braves got a fine performance out of their starter, Mike Wright who threw seven shutout innings. The bullpen preserved the last two innings as the people who showed up got to go home happy.

After the game, I drove an hour or so to the airport which is located south of downtown. I had to maneuver around some traffic as I approached downtown Atlanta. I saw a sign that said a few lanes were closed, so I got off the highway as I noticed the traffic building up to a standstill & I drove around on the streets in the downtown area before I was able to get back on the highway to get to the airport. Since it took me longer than I expected, I decided to go right to the airport instead of stopping somewhere to have dinner along the way. I stopped off for gas right near the exit for the airport then I returned the Chevy Sonic I rented for the weekend to Hertz. I wound up driving 1,004 miles safely. I proceeded to check in for my flight on Delta Airlines. After I got through security, I saw a Bojangles' which is a fried chicken restaurant near my gate. I  decided it was "Bo time" if you will. That's what their slogan said. I sat down, relaxed & I enjoyed some more Southern Hospitality before it was time for me to depart for my flight back home. 

While I waited for my flight to leave, I got to follow the game I was missing at Turner Field in Atlanta on my phone using the MLB At Bat app. Since Gio was pitching I was following it very closely as I always do when he pitches. He struggled in the first inning. He then seemed to have settled down for the next two innings. Since it was time to take off, I couldn't follow anymore. When I landed at LaGuardia shortly after 11PM that night, I found out that Gio got roughed up. With that being said, in retrospect, I made the right decision after all. I would have loved to have seen him pitch regardless but the way it turned out I may have had more trouble sleeping.

Stay tuned for another special post I'm going to be that will recap that memorable Monday I had.

Thank you for reading ‎& following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 7/22 in review

Monday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for a few slices of pizza on my way to Citi Field as the Mets opened a four game series with their division rival, the Atlanta Braves. When I arrived at the ballpark, I entered through the Rotunda gate and I was greeted by my pal Sam Citron. As always, it was a pleasure to see him.

When I got upstairs to section 516, I was joined by the King, Vincent Ascanio and Bryan Gilligan. In addition, we also had our pals Phil Butleman, Manny Morales, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel & Al Linderman on hand. Furthermore, in section 513 the Hooligan's were present and accounted for. It's always fun when they show up.

As for the game we saw, the Mets got a great start from starter Dillon Gee who threw seven shutout innings. He left the game with a 1-0 lead. The Met bullpen did its job in the eighth inning but in the ninth it sprung a leak as closer Bobby Parnell was unable to seal the deal. He allowed three hits and two runs to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. The Mets tried their best to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. With runners on first & second & two men out, Justin Turner pinch hit and he drove a ball to the gap that appeared to be good for at least one run if not two. Thanks to Jason Heyward of the Braves it was good for none. He made a great game saving catch to end the game as the Braves hung on to win, 2-1.

Tuesday night after work I went to Checker's for dinner before I returned to Citi Field for game two of the series with the Braves on Citi Tuesday. Every Tuesday night home game, the Mets offer their Citibank cardholders special discounts and a $10 gift card just for showing their card. Since the King & I have Citibank credit cards we get to take advantage of this unique perk.

After we went out to the booth near the Apple in center field, we went up to our perch in section 516 behind home plate to watch the game. This time we were joined by Manny Bonilla, David Sack, Phil Butleman & Frank Anichiarico.

As for the game we saw, it didn't start off well as Braves' shortstop Andrelton Simmons lead off the game with a home run to give the Braves a 1-0 lead off Mets' starter Carlos Torres. Luckily Torres settled in nicely as he proceeded to shutout the Braves for six innings. He even helped his own cause by getting a hit in the third inning that tied the game at one. The Mets added three more runs in the sixth inning which made a winner out of Torres as the Mets beat the Braves, 4-1 to even the series at a game a piece.

Wednesday night after work I stopped off at Subway & Carvel by Junction Blvd on my way back to Citi Field for game three. After I had a quality meal and a royal dessert, I got back on the 7 train and I went to the ballpark.

After saying hello to Sam again, I made my way up to the Promenade level in section 516 where I met up with the rest of the crew that were in attendance that night. I'm referring to David Sack, Manny Morales, Rich Wolber, Martin Caamano, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman & Michael Abrams.

As for the game we saw, the Braves overpowered the Mets who were wearing orange jerseys with "Los Mets" on them in honor of Hispanic Heritage night. The Braves built a 6-0 thanks to the long ball. They got a solo homer from Evan Gattis in the second inning, a three run homer from Dan Uggla and a two run blast from Andrelton Simmons in the fifth inning which propelled them to an easy 8-2 victory over the Mets. Unfortunately for the Braves it turned out to be a painful night for them because they lost starting pitcher Tim Hudson who dominated the Mets for seven & two thirds innings. Hudson got spiked accidentally by the Mets' Eric Young Jr. on a play at first base.

Thursday night after work I went home to get a much needed night of relaxation. I made myself dinner and I watched some TV.

Friday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees play the red hot Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Before I went into the ballpark, I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant and I picked up a corned beef sandwich.

It should be noted that night marked the return to the Bronx for Alfonso Soriano who got traded back to the Yankees earlier in the day from the Chicago Cubs. He was in the starting line up.

When I got up to my seat in section 420B row 7, I was greeted by a fellow ballpark chaser, Ben Fallon who was there with his son Declan. Ben came up from the Washington DC area to visit his family who live on the Jersey Shore. It was nice of him to stop by to say hi. I met him last September for the first time when I went to Nationals Park. Speaking of Nats Town, stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do that will recap the weekend I spent down there. It worked out well that I got to see Ben here because he wasn't going to be there.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees got beat up. CC Sabathia started and he got bombed. He gave up six runs in the second inning as the Rays batted around. He wound up giving up seven runs in five innings of work. The Yankees trailed, 10-1 after seven innings before they staged a late comeback attempt that fell short in the ninth inning as the Rays used four relief pitchers to finish off the Yankees, 10-6. The game took 3 hours and 44 minutes. It was painful to watch for any baseball fan. As for Alfonso Soriano, he was a non factor as he went hit less in five at bats.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/20 in review

Monday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for dinner on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds who were making their only appearance in the New York area.
When I got to Citi Field, I was greeted by my pal, Sam Citron who was happy to see me by the Rotunda entrance. After we exchanged pleasantries, I went inside and up to section 515 where the rest of the royal court was sitting on this night. Among those we were there included Phil Butleman, David Sack and his friend Ben, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Al Linderman, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman, Martin Caamano and Michael Abrams.

As for the game we saw, the Reds jumped on Shaun Marcum who started for the Mets. He gave up a lead off walk to start the game to center fielder Shin-Soo Choo. After he recorded the first out, he proceeded to give up three straight hits which scored three runs. He then struck out the next two batters. The Mets came back in the bottom of the third inning and they tied the game at three as right fielder Marlon Byrd hit a three run homer off of Reds' starter Johnny Cueto to give the Met fans some hope. The Reds' broke the tie as right fielder Jay Bruce hit a solo homer to start the top of the sixth inning to make it 4-3. The Mets were unable to answer again as they dropped the first game of the series.

Tuesday night after work I went to Checkers for my pre game meal as I returned to Citi Field for game two of the series.

This time the royal court sat in its usual spot in section 516. We were joined by Manny Morales, Phil Butleman, Al Linderman, Pat Gorman & Martin Caamano. We also had in house entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were present & accounted for. They have great chants for different Met players as they come to bat. In addition, they love to join in with the King when a Met pitcher strikes out an opposing team's batter. In that regard, the King's signature strikeout call has become a staple among the fans who sit around us.

As for the game we saw, the Mets once again dug a hole for themselves early. This time starter Jonathon Niese got the first two outs then he lost his control. Three walks, a few hits and a costly error by David Wright opened the door for the Reds as they scored three runs in their first at bat for the second game in a row. Unfortunately the Mets couldn't touch Mike Leake who threw seven shutout innings. The Reds added another run in the ninth inning as catcher Devin Mesoraco hit a solo homer to lead off to give the Reds a 4-0 lead. The Mets failed to score against the Reds' bullpen as they fell again.

Wednesday during the day I was working so I couldn't attend the finale of the series which was an afternoon affair. The Mets wound up losing again. After work, I went home and I made myself dinner then I went out and I did my laundry.

Thursday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner and I relaxed & watched TV. It was nice to live like a normal human being for a night.

Friday night after work I went home since I got out of work early. I was able to pick up some warm clothes so I could be ready for the cool dreary night ahead.

Since I had a big lunch I decided to skip a pre game meal. I went right to Citi Field to see the Mets open the Memorial weekend with a three game series with their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves. Thanks to mother nature, the start of the game was delayed slightly. The first pitch was thrown by Mets starter Jeremy Hefner at 7:26PM.

As a result, I wound up wandering around the ballpark before the game began. When I got up to the Royal Court in section 516, I was joined by David Sack who was with his friend Andrew, Frank Anichiarico, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Pat Gorman, Michael Abrams and Alan Gimpel who all decided to brave the elements.

As for the game we saw, the Mets trailed right off the bat again as first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a two run homer in the first inning to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. The Mets slice the lead in half as left fielder Lucas Duda hit a pop up to left that fell in for a run scoring single thanks to the brutal wind that was blowing. The Mets evened the score at two in the fourth inning when catcher John Buck lead off with a solo home run. The Mets took the lead in the fifth inning when right fielder Marlon Byrd singled in a run. The Braves responded with a lead off solo homer by Dan Uggla in the seventh inning. The Braves regained the lead with a few runs in the top of the eighth inning as pinch hitter Evan Gattis delivered a clutch two out hit as the rain started falling again. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mets tied the game again with a single by Daniel Murphy and a wild pitch while Rick Ankiel was batting. Ankiel wound up striking out and the umpires decided to put the tarp on the field with the game tied at five. The game didn't resume after they waited 75 minutes. As a result, the game was suspended. They were going to resume the game Saturday night before the regularly scheduled game at 7:15PM.

As for the King, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico and I, we wisely left once they put the tarp on the field. We went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal. It turned out to be a great decision. We wound up meeting the King's brother Charlie there. It was great to see him again. We all enjoyed our meals, drinks and each other's company.

Stay tuned for a special post that will recap our Memorial Day weekend which was filled with personal milestones for the King & I as well as for another ballpark chaser we've met along the way.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty says goodbye to Chipper Jones at Citi Field!

Congratulations, Chipper! 

After work Thursday night I finally went home to get some rest after running around the Midwest then to DC followed by seeing the Super Bowl Champions open the 2012 football season.

I needed to recharge the batteries because after all I'm just as human as everybody else. Even if I'm doing what I love to do, it's hard to find the energy sometimes to function without sufficient rest.

With that being said, I was able to gear up for another busy weekend I had planned.

After work on Friday I went out to Citi Field to see the Mets take on Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves. I stopped off at Taste of Dolly's to get some pizza before I arrived at the ballpark.

Upon arrival, I saw my pal Sam Citron who always welcomes me with a handshake and a royal greeting. He usually says something about my blog since he tells me how he reads it religiously every day when he has free time to do so. He loves the way I detail my whereabouts. He and others have motivated me to not only maintain my blog but I want to continue to go as in depth as possible so they can continue to enjoy following my adventures now and in the future.

I love to write and it makes me feel good when others compliment my writing style. For those of you in particular, I'm forever grateful. It truly means a lot to me. I took tremendous pride in my work.

After seeing Sam, I proceeded into the ballpark and I went up to my seat in section 516. I was joined by Ralph & Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico and of course the King.

Before the game started, the Mets decided to honor longtime Met killer and potential Hall of Famer Larry aka Chipper Jones who will be retiring when the season comes to a close. Chipper has spent his entire 19 year career with the Braves. The Mets gave him a painting of Shea Stadium. Chipper loved Shea so much that he named one of his kids after it.

It was a classy and touching moment to see Chipper honored. Unlike most Met fans, I like and praise Chipper for all he's done in the Major Leagues over the years even if he did lots of damage against the Mets. He's a consummate professional. He has earned my respect in that regard.

As for the game we saw, the Braves wound up beating the Mets, 3-0. Despite getting a quality start from Jonathon Niese who allowed just one run over six innings. The Mets failed to score so he could have thrown a shutout and it would have been wasted on this night. Jason Heyward hit a solo home run in the fourth inning which proved to be the difference on this night. For good measure, David Ross hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to extend the lead and Dan Uggla rounded out the scoring with a solo homer in the ninth as the Braves did the Mets in. Unlike losses in the past, this one didn't hurt because the Mets are playing out the string and they appear to have given up a while ago. The first half of the season they showed surprising promise but since the All-Star break it's been all down hill.

After the game, Bryan, Frank as well as the King and I went to Donovan's Pub to have a post game meal.
Saturday morning after getting a good night sleep I was planning to do my laundry but since it suddenly started to rain so I decided to wait until it stopped to go out. By doing so, I had to rush to get to Citi Field for the start of the late afternoon game between the Mets and the Braves. The King and I were hoping the rain which was suppose to return around 7-8PM would stay away until we got the whole game in.

As for the game we saw, the Mets get torched early as starter Jeremy Hefner got lit up as he gave up five runs in just two and two thirds innings of work. The Braves went on to beat the Mets easily, 11-3. In between we had to sit through a rain delay of an hour and fifteen minutes after the game was already official. The King and I decided to go to the Caesars Club along with Ralph and Vincent Ascanio where we enjoyed some pizza as we stayed dry while the rain passed through. The game did resume but the rain didn't completely stop but thankfully they finished the game.

After the game, the King and I went home as we called it a night. We watched some late baseball games on TV before we went to sleep.

Stay tuned as I write a special post about my Sunday back at Met Life Stadium where I met up with some familiar roadtrippers.

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

Royalty w/o 9/5 in review

View from Section 319

After I returned from the Heartland Sunday night, I continued my adventurous holiday weekend by renting a car at Avis on Monday Labor Day morning.

I drove back to Astoria to pick up the King and off to Yankee Stadium we went to see the Yankees play the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05PM.

We wound up seeing a wild game that resembled batting practice as the Yankees held a 8-7 lead after just three innings. Robinson Cano hit a grand slam to help fuel the Yankee offense.

The scoring calmed down a bit as the game wore on as the Yankees prevailed, 11-10.

In the top of the ninth inning we positioned ourselves by the elevators so we could make a fast getaway. Upon doing so, we saw a familiar face. It was none other than Joe Neubauer who we know from going to Yankee games as well as other local area sporting events.

Joe has a unique distinction of attending every Yankee home game since June 1975 so he says. In addition, he's gone to every Major League All-Star Game since 1982 plus the one at old Yankee Stadium in 1977.
Needless to say, Joe said he'll be going to Kansas City next July for the All-Star Game. I told him I just got back from there. I told him what to expect since he said he's never been there before.

While we were talking he asked where we were going after the game. We said we're going to Philadelphia to see the Phillies play the Braves. He asked if he could join us, I responded sure we have room, the back seat is empty. He said let me call me my wife and check with her. His wife gave him the okay to go. With that being said, the King and I had unexpected company. We proceeded to walk to the car and off to Philadelphia we went.
Cliff Lee,
Joe said he went to Citizens Bank Park one time back in 2007. It was nice to be able to take there so he could see what I think is arguably one of the best new modern ballparks.

As for the game we saw there, it was quite the contrast of the game we witnessed at Yankee Stadium. In this game, we saw one of the game's best pitchers pitch in Cliff Lee who started and finished the game for the Phillies. He pitched masterfully as he shut down the Atlanta Braves, 9-0 allowing just five hits as lived up to his nickname "Completlee".

As a baseball fan, it was a joy to watch him pitch. He dodged the rain drops that fell on and off during the game to continue his recent domination after getting off to a slow start early in the season.

After the game, I drove the King back to work in Manhattan. He works at the Post Office at Grand Central Station. Just before I dropped him off we let Joe out at a bus stop so he could catch a bus to the Upper East side where he lives. Joe couldn't thank us enough for taking him. He said he would love to do it again sometime. It was a pleasure to have him with us.

I proceeded to take myself home and I returned the car Tuesday morning before I went back to work.
After work Tuesday I was planning to go to Yankee Stadium but it was raining so I went home first to have dinner. I met up with the King and we waited to see if indeed they were going to eventually play. They did but with the game not starting until 11:08PM I decided I'll just stay home. The King went since he starts work at 2AM so it's somewhat on the way so it made sense for him to go. As for me, I was exhausted from all the traveling I did over the weekend. In retrospect, it was a blessing in disguise.

Wednesday night after work I had another night off which allowed me to catch up on things at home.
Thursday I wound up getting out of work early so I could attend the doubleheader between the Mets and Braves at Citi Field.

Despite the sparse gathering at the ballpark, I got to see many familiar faces which included Charlie O'Reilly who's another road tripper. In addition, Vincent Ascanio and his father Ralph were present and accounted for.
As for the games we saw, the Mets wound up falling behind 3-0 in top of the first inning. They came right back to take the lead in the bottom half of the first as Jason Bay hit a grand slam to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. The Braves eventually regained the lead and they held on to win game one, 6-5.

In the night cap, the Braves completed the sweep as they beat the Mets, 5-1 to take both games of the twin bill.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do some special posts that will capture the events that transpired over the 9/11 weekend here in the New York City area. It was memorable and unforgettable in more ways than one.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Prince of Royalty Tours USA saying "Play Ball" at Citi Field on June 4, 2011!

Royalty w/o 5/30 in review

Mets Season Ticket Holder of the Game

I lived at Citi Field for the whole week except for Thursday afternoon because I was doing something called work.

Monday night the Mets had a nice military salute and tribute for all the brave men and women who have and continue to protect our country day in and day out. We're always proud to be Americans everyday but Memorial Day is one of those days that patriotism takes on more meaning.

On this night, the Mets built a lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates only to have the score tied up at the seventh inning stretch.

Apparently the Mets were inspired by the special rendition of God Bless America in honor of Memorial Day. They stormed back to retake the lead by scoring two in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth and they held on to beat the Pirates, 7-3 sending the crowd home happy.

It should be noted the Hooligan's were in attendance as well. They provided their usual added entertainment as they sang their songs as the Mets batted.

Tuesday night the Mets scored a run in the first inning. Unfortunately they didn't score anymore. They wound up giving up three runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth as they fell to the improving Pirates, 5-1.

It should be noted that Pirate rookie Josh Harrison made his major league debut and he got his first major league hit.

Wednesday night I was back for more punishment as it turned out. The Mets had a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning when the Pirates broke through on the Mets again. They scored five runs in the inning. They added four more in the eighth to put the game away. The Mets added one more as they lost this one, 9-3.

We did have a special surprise guest on this night so it wasn't a total loss or waste of time. The King's half brother Charlie Casiano stopped by to say hello. It was a pleasure to see him again. Hopefully he'll join us for a road trip in the near future.

Thursday night I got a break from watching Mets baseball. After those last two games, it couldn't have come at a better time.

Friday night I went back to see if they could win again in front of me. This time their division rival, the Atlanta Braves who were visiting Citi Field for the first time this season.

The Mets once again had a lead until the late innings. This time they were up 3-1. Their starter Jonathon Niese pitched well before he was taken out of the game with two outs in the eighth inning. The bullpen allowed the Braves to tie the game after Niese departed. Jason Isringhausen was victimized this time. In the ninth inning, they brought in Francisco Rodriguez aka K-Rod in to keep the game tied. He failed to do so. He got hit hard this time as the Braves chopped him up as they scored three more runs to take game one of the series, 6-3.

Saturday night was different in more ways than one. The week before my ticket representative for the Mets, Michael Parton arranged for me to be selected as the Mets Season Ticket of the Game. I got to say the two words baseball fans long to hear before the game starts. That being "Play Ball." It was a thrill and an honor to do so.

I must have inspired the Mets who wound up scoring five runs in the seventh inning to break open a scoreless game. They amazingly hung on to win, 5-0. Dillon Gee pitched seven shutout innings to improve his record to 6-0.

It should be noted our fan club in section 516 was in the house supporting me. I also had Vincent Ascanio who took the great picture of me on the scoreboard as you can see and his father Ralph was with him for this special occasion.

Sunday the Mets and Braves wrapped up their three game series at night thanks to ESPN which decided to take the game. As a result, Citi Field looked a lot less crowded than it would have been for a day game.
Those of us including our pals Manny Bonilla and Arjun Lal who decided to show up got treated by the Mets as they had early 6-0 lead. Despite that they still tried their best to blow the game. Thankfully they held on again to win, 6-4.

In the future, if you plan to come to Citi Field let me know so we can arrange to hook up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman