Royalty is heading to Milwaukee for a Reunion of Sports Travelers in July!

Here's the game plan:

I'm flying to Chicago on Southwest Airlines. I leave New York LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, July 19th at 9:45AM Eastern Time, I arrive in Chicago at Midway Airport at 11:15AM Central Time if all goes well. Upon arrival, I'm renting a car for three days from Alamo Rent A Car. I plan to spend that Thursday in the Windy City. Friday morning I plan to stop off at The Point Pancake House in Gurnee, Illinois so I can have a royal breakfast to start my Friday off right before I take a ride up To Green Bay, Wisconsin to possibly take a tour of Lambeau Field if time allows before I go to see a minor league baseball game in Appleton that night. I'll be driving back to the Milwaukee area to sleep so I can be ready to go for the main event of this getaway. That being the 5th annual Ballpark Chaser Meet Up. See the link below for further details.
   
I plan to hang out with whoever isn't worn out from the day long festivities since I have to catch a flight home out of Chicago Midway at 6AM Central Time Sunday morning. I rather wait until I get home to catch up on sleep. I should land at 9AM Eastern Time if I don't get delayed for any reason.    
 
Thursday July 19th Cardinals at Cubs 6:05PM Central Time

Friday July 20th Dayton Dragons at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7:05PM Central Time
                            
Saturday July 21st 5th Annual Ballpark Chasers Meet Up                                                                      

                                  Dodgers at Brewers 6:10PM Central Time 

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 & many other people I plan to meet out there.

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with a few native Australians for dinner in Hornsby, Australia!‏

After the King & I spent the day at the Taronga Zoo seeing the animals, we went back to Circular Quay after taking a ferry back there. Thankfully I was able to get WIFI while I was there. By doing so, I was able to finalize plans to meet up with two special people. I'm referring to two guys I met back on August 23, 2011 when I went to Yankee Stadium after work. I was on the train with a co-worker of mine at the time. All of a sudden, we got involved in a conversation with two gentleman who came to visit our country from Australia. These guys I believe asked us if this train goes to Yankee Stadium. We told them it did. We spoke during the ride up. My co-worker who lives in upper Manhattan got off the train at 125th Street. I stayed on with these guys & I wound up escorting them right to their bar stool type seats out in short left field on the main level behind the regular seats that they bought online a few days before. It was great to meet them ‎& help them get to the game without a problem. Before I said goodbye to them, I took down their e-mail addresses & I gave them mine just in case. They told me if I ever go to Australia to let them know. At that time, I didn't know if I ever would go Down Under.

Last June, when I heard the Dodgers ‎& Diamondbacks were going to open the season in Sydney, I knew that was my chance to go Down Under. Once I booked the flights & the hotels, I decided to e-mail these guys, one was Joey Khoudair & the other was Jamil Mannah. Jamil told me his cousin played soccer there. Ironically his brother also now lives in Manhattan after he lived seven years in London, England. 

Hornsby Train Station

Hornsby Local Guide

A week or so later, I got an e-mail from Joey saying that he & Jamil indeed remembered me from when they came to NYC. He told me to call him when I got Down Under & we'll take it from there he said. We arrived on Saturday. I decided to wait until I got up Sunday morning to call him. True to my word, I called & I told him I'm with my friend. I mentioned that we had a day trip planned for Wednesday & a sight seeing bus tour on Thursday. I told him to e-mail me when he & Jamil were going to be available. It turned out that Tuesday night make the most sense for all of us. I asked him where they lived. He told me in Hornsby, which is North of Sydney about an hour away by public transport. So I looked on the map & I saw it. With that being said, I told them when we got back to the Circular Quay that we'll take a train ride there. It took about 45 minutes by train since it was rush hour & they skipped a few stops. I spoke to Jamil who e-mailed me back. He said to call him when we get to the train station in Hornsby. I did indeed. He told me to go outside by the taxi stand & Joey will come to pick us up. Shortly thereafter, Joey came along. We shook hands & greeted each other. I also introduced him to the King who I called by his real name which is Mike. We got into the car & we drove a short distance to a place called the Hornsby RSL Club. It was a nice place. In order to go there, you have to be a member which Joey & Jamil are. Mike & I signed in as guests. Once we did, Jamil who was already there, saw me & he came over to greet me. I proceeded to introduce him to Mike aka the King who never met these guys until that night.

Hornsby RSL Club

We proceeded to sit down at a table where we had some drinks then we all ordered dinner together. I wound up having a nice piece of grilled fish they call ‎barramondi. It came with mixed vegetables that consisted of cauliflower, carrots & string beans. In addition, it came with a slice of steamed pumpkin. It was a tremendous meal. The King ordered a burger with minimum add ons. Joey  & Jamil ordered burgers too with the works which included a fried egg on top. They told the King & I quote "this is what you missed out on". We enjoyed our dinner while we conversed back & forth. We told them of our plans for the rest of the trip as well as what we already saw. They got to relive their big trip to the States with us. They went to Los Angeles, Las Vegas & Houston before they came to NYC near the end of their journey. I met them the night before they were heading back home.

Me, Jamil Mannah, Joey Khoudair & The King aka Mike

As I told them when we were talking, this meet up was the highlight of the trip. We'll to be perfectly honest, it was one of the very many highlights of this amazing journey. I was so thrilled to that I got to meet them while I was there. It was such a wonderful passage of time. I want to personally thank them for their royal treatment. They unexpectedly paid for our meals. That wasn't necessary but they said they didn't forgot how I treated them when they came to NYC. With that being said, they wanted to take care of us. We were very grateful for their generosity. They also told us to go to a place near our hotel called Harry's Cafe De Wheels which is known for their meat pies. They said plenty of celebrities have been there. I told them I will definitely go there before we leave.

Joey driving on the right side

Me sitting on passenger side in front on the left

When we got done spending precious time with them, Joey drove us back to the train station. The King & I then went back to Potts Point to our hotel to get some sleep since we had to get up early Wednesday morning.

Stay tuned for another special post that will go into detail about that memorable day.

Thank you for reading ‎& following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees Game 2 of the MLB Opening Series in Sydney, Australia!‏

Tickets to Game 2 for MLB Opening Series at Sydney Cricket Ground

After getting a decent amount of sleep, the King & I woke up Sunday morning, March 23rd & we got ready for a full day of activities Down Under.  After we cleaned ourselves up, we got dressed & we went to have breakfast at the DeVere Hotel. When I booked the room, I knew what the breakfast meal consisted of because they had a nice detailed description of it on their website. Needless to say, I got what I expected & then some. They had a wide variety to choose from. In other words, they had hard boiled & scrambled eggs to baked beans as well as other things such as cereal, toast, bacon & sausage. It should be noted that they did have small packets of vegemite but I wasn't daring enough to try it LOL. I knew it was worth buying. Since I put a lot of emphasis on eating breakfast, I wanted to make sure we got our money's worth & we certainly did. It cost us $13 a person but considering the prices of necessities there it turned out to be a sound decision. I know I did good when the King said he was a satisfied customer. Being such a picky eater, that was music to my ears.

Poster of Dodgers & Diamondbacks by Fan Fest area

Me & Stacey Flores in the special booth at Fan Fest

After we finished eating, we went back to our room to get the stuff we needed for the rest of the day. It was around 10AM so we decided since we had plenty of time before the game started at 1:15PM, we wound up walking all the way back to the Sydney Cricket Ground for game two of the MLB Opening Series. After feeling lost the night before, we became pros at getting around literally over night. It took a while but we finally arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground shortly before 11AM which gave us some spare time to play with since the gates weren't scheduled to open until 11:30AM. As a result, we decided to walk around the outside of the venue in the meantime. When we got near right field, the King told me he was going to sit down on a bench to rest. I told him that I was going to walk around when I saw what appeared to be a fan fest type set up. By doing so, I got to take a picture in a special booth they had set up with the Cricket Ground & the Opening Series logo in the back drop. Ironically while I waited my turn in line, all of a sudden, Stacey Flores, another ballpark chaser who I met for the first time at the Light Brigade the day before, got my attention. I told her to join me so we could take a picture together. It was a pretty cool moment for both of us. Timing is everything. We were in the right place at the right time. We spoke briefly then I went back to where the King was. Shortly thereafter, the King & I proceeded to go inside. We wandered around the lower level before we headed upstairs to our seats in the upper level. This time we were sitting over the Dodgers dugout which was situated between third base & home plate in Bay 404 row A. For a change, it was nice to have a slightly different perspective to watch the game. Thankfully mother nature cooperated this time & the game started on time at 1:15PM.

View from our seats in Bay 404 row A at Sydney Cricket Ground

Unlike Saturday, I was able to get connected to WIFI which made for a really fun afternoon as I was able to let family & friends back home know how things were going thus far.

King's 7,423rd baseball game live in person

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers didn't waste time as they scored first again right off the bat. In the top of the first inning, they got a one out single by  right fielder Yasiel Puig then with two outs first basesman Adrian Gonzalez worked out a walk. They had two men on with two outs, center fielder  Andre Ethier delivered a clutch run scoring single to right center field to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. Ethier wound up getting thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double to end the inning. In the third inning, the Dodgers added to their lead when they got four hits which they turned into two more runs courtesy of Yasiel Puig who singled in one & Adrian Gonzalez who hit a sacrifice fly to plate the other one. In the top of the fifth inning, the Dodgers extended their lead against Diamondbacks' starter Trevor Cahill who lost his control. He walked the first two batters & he got pulled from the game. Josh Collmenter came on to pitch in relief. He wound up walking the first batter he faced to load the bases with no outs. Former Met Mike Baxter hit into a double play which drove in a run to made it a 4-0 game. Third baseman Juan Uribe followed up with a clutch two out run scoring double to left center field that made the score 5-0 as the book was closed on Trevor Cahill. On the other hand, Hyun-Jin Ryu threw five shutout innings for the Dodgers who tacked on single runs in the sixth & the seventh inning to extend their lead to 7-0. The Diamondbacks finally broke the shutout as they got a run thanks to a single to right field by left fielder Mark Trumbo in the bottom of the eighth inning. He also drove in their lone run in the opening game. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Diamondbacks put a scare into the Dodgers as they roughed up their bullpen for four more runs but Dodger closer Kenley Jansen was able to finally close the door in a non save situation after he struck out right fielder Gerardo Parra to seal the deal after he allowed a home run to Mark Trumbo which made it a 7-5 ballgame. That's the way it ended four hours & a minute really seconds later. Luckily we had no way to go so we didn't mind the extra long time consuming game. I was happy since I got to use the WIFI longer than I expected.

King & I after the game 

During the game, we did get a visit from fellow ballpark chaser, David Schaffer who came up special to say hello to us. It was great to see him again. He had a seat downstairs where you couldn't go to unless you had a ticket for that area. We did try to go where he was sitting but we weren't successful. With that being said, we did appreciate him coming up to see us. I know other people we met the day before said they were sitting in the outfield. We couldn't see any of them because in order to get to those seats, you needed to go into a separate entrance. With that being said, those people were stuck out there. Ironically, after the game as we were on our way out of the venue, we ran into Stacey Flores again. She was looking for her friend Evan Bates. They had seats on the lower level on the third base side she said. We spoke briefly then Evan came along. we walked outside together as we all said our goodbyes. They told us they were leaving on tomorrow which was Monday to go back to Phoenix. They had come earlier in the week so they already got to see the different sites. They were in a down mood since they knew their party was coming to a close.               

Stay tuned for the next installment as I go into detail about what the King & I did after the game.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees the 2014 MLB season officially open in Sydney, Australia!

Tickets to 2014 MLB Opening Series Game 1 at Sydney Cricket Ground

After enjoying an overwhelming welcoming gathering, the King & I as well as other people we met including Martyn Bailey all walked over to the Sydney Cricket Ground to see the Arizona Diamondbacks who were designated as the "home" team for the 2014 MLB Opening Series Games. They played host to their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. We arrived there shortly after the gates opened at 5PM so we could take a walk around the inside of the venue, snap pictures & watch batting practice as we prepared for the official start of the new baseball season Down Under. In the process, we got to meet up with fellow ballpark chaser, David Schaffer who hung out with us before the game as we took in the pre game festivities & atmosphere together. We then proceeded to go upstairs to our seats in the upper deck which were right behind home plate the way we like it.

King & I at Tokyo Dome on March 29, 2000

The last time the King & I left North America to see the baseball season open up in a different country & continent was back on March 29, 2000 when we saw our beloved New York Mets host the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The Mets lost the first game they played there but thankfully they won the second one. They did so in dramatic fashion as Benny Agbayani hit a grand slam in the tenth inning to to send us back home very happy to say the least. What a thrill that was.

 King & I along with David Schaffer at Sydney Cricket Ground

Now turn the clock ahead almost 14 years to the day & this time we were in a new country & continent doing the same. For those of you back in the Northeast, the first pitch was scheduled to come at 4:15AM which was 7:15PM local time in Sydney live on Saturday, March 22nd. Thanks to mother nature, the season was delayed an additional 45 minutes as we had to wait out a rain delay. Finally at 8PM local time, Wade Miley of the Diamondbacks delivered the season's first pitch to Dodgers' right fielder Yusiel Puig & just like that baseball was back for real.

View from Bay 446 row W at Sydney Cricket Ground

As for the rest of the game, the Dodgers drew first blood on the young season as they scored the game's first run in the second inning as center fielder Andre Ethier grounded out to second base but it was good enough to score first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who lead off the inning with a walk. He advanced to third base on a double by leftfielder Scott Van Slyke. The Dodgers added two more runs in the fourth inning when Scott Van Slyke hit a two run homer to right field to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. The Diamondbacks broke the shutout in the sixth inning when they got a ground out to second base by newcomer & former Angel Mark Trumbo who they traded for in the off season. He made an impact instantly as he drove in the first run of the season for his new team. Unfortunately for the rest of the Diamondbacks, they couldn't figure out how to beat arguably the game's best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw who pitched well for the first six & two thirds innings of the game. He allowed just the one run, he walked one & he struck out seven in the process. The Dodgers' bullpen shut it down the rest of the way as they were victorious in their first game to start the new season.

Dodgers win, 3-1!

After the game, the King & I wandered around the ballpark. When we finally got back down to the lower level, we ran into Stacey Flores, another ballpark chaser who was looking around for her friend, Evan Bates who she made the trip with. Needless to say, she was disappointed that her Diamondbacks failed to come away with a win. I told her hopefully they'll get even tomorrow. She smiled & thanked me.

After we parted ways, the real fun began for the King & I. We needed to find out our way back to the DeVere Hotel we were staying at in Potts Point. Since we stopped off at the Light Brigade first we didn't know exactly which way we needed to go. Luckily we walked a short distance & we saw a bus stop. We asked a guy who was waiting which bus goes towards our hotel. He kindly told us to get on the bus that showed up shortly thereafter. We took it down Oxford Street. He told us where to get off. He said to walk back a few blocks then make a left. He said it's about a 15 minute walk to our hotel from there.

Ironically, we wandered down the block in the opposite direction when we got off the bus. All of a sudden, Gavin who was Ken Liu's host in Sydney noticed us lost souls on the street right outside a restaurant they were eating at right at that time. He told us to come in. So we sat down & we spoke to them for a little while. He went on his smartphone & he googled our hotel when I told him the exact address. He confirmed that we were told the right way to get there. Since we were new to the country, we wanted to make sure we were going in the right direction. After we finishing speaking to them, we walked the way we were told. Thankfully we did indeed get to the hotel eventually. It turned out to be an interesting walk as we passed through Kings Cross, which is the red light district in the City. It was an interesting area to say the least.

Once we finally got to the hotel, we went up to our room & we got some much needed sleep after a very long day.

Stay tuned for another special post that will recap the way we spent our Sunday in Sydney.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes Down Under to see MLB baseball season start & then some!‏

Prince is ready to go Down Under from JFK

On Thursday, March 20th the King & I realized a dream when we boarded a Delta Airlines plane to Sydney, Australia that made a stop in Los Angeles, California from New York JFK airport. We left NYC at 4:45PM Eastern time. We arrived in LAX at 9:12PM Pacific time. We then wound up going right to our connecting flight that was getting ready to board for Sydney, Australia. We finally landed Down Under at 6:20AM local time on Saturday morning which is 15 hours ahead of our time zone here in the Northeast. In the process, we flew passed the equator & over the international dateline. By doing so, we didn't get to enjoy Friday the 21st. With that being said, on the way back we would make up the day we lost.

My Passport Stamp

Upon arrival, we went through customs to officially get into a new country & continent. Lucky for us, the process went rather quickly. Once we finished, we proceeded to go to the Travel Concierge at Sydney Airport since we didn't have a preset game plan as far as sightseeing went. Without further adieu, I spoke to a young lady there named Fatima who was very helpful at guiding us along. First of all, she told us they had a shuttle bus that we would take us right to our hotel. I knew from doing my research that the Airport Link train they have goes to an area called Kings Cross that was a 7 minute walk to the hotel. That was $16.40 one way. Fatima told me we could take their shuttle bus instead one way for $19. It would have been $32 round trip but since we needed to leave early upon our return to the airport, we decided to take her up on her deal. In retrospect, it turned out to be a smart move. For a few bucks more, we got door to door service right to our hotel. It was better than dragging our luggage around more than necessary. Since there were other customers on the bus we got to take a ride around the CBD aka the Central Business District if you will. That's what they refer to as their downtown area there. After taking a joy ride we arrived at our hotel in Potts Point which is a classier suburb of  inner Sydney. The lady who sat next to us on the plane told us that it's a very nice area. I think she gave us sound advice when it was all said & done.

Prince at Sydney Airport

In addition, we also purchased a one day trip to go to the Blue Mountains & Wildlife Park Tour & the Australian Explorer which is a sightseeing bus tour for another day. By doing so, we had something set in stone for a few of the open days we set aside to look around the City & the surrounding areas during the time we planned to be there.

DeVere Hotel in Potts Point, Australia

As for the hotel, we stayed at the DeVere Hotel for six nights which also included breakfast each morning that we paid half price for since we were staying at that hotel. Their slogan is simply comfortable & affordable. It wasn't the top of the line nor was it the bottom of the barrel. It was somewhere in between. It suited us just fine since the location turned out to be ideal for our needs. Upon arrival early Saturday morning, we were able to get an early check in at 9:30AM instead of the normal 2PM check in time. In addition, since we got there around 8:45AM they even gave us a voucher for a free breakfast while we waited for our room to be ready. Right off the bat, I knew I made a sound decision when I booked the room online in the middle of February. 

I also want to personally thank our pal, fellow roadtripper & experienced world traveler, Sean MacDonald who was vital in helping me plan out this once in a lifetime journey. He guided me along as I found a way to piece together this excursion to foreign land. When I first knew I was going there, I didn't have a clue. As it got closer, I did the best I could researching online & I also read a book called Australia For Dummies that a co-worker of mine had given me. He used it when he went there on his honeymoon last April. It proved to be a very helpful & informative tool in finalizing my trip plans. 

Once we got checked in, we went to the room & we got to catch up on sleep since we were exhausted from the long plane ride we took to get there. We managed to get three hours sleep before we went out to meet up with some Ballpark Chasers that I arranged to meet on our way to the Sydney Cricket Ground where the MLB Opening Series games were taking place between the Los Angeles Dodgers & the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Across the street from the hotel, there was a Woolworth's store that sold tickets for the bus that would take us towards The Light Brigade in Paddington where we were going to meet these people at 3PM for pre game drinks. We wound up buying a ten ride pack for $18.40 which was a discounted price from the usual $2.20 they charge for each ride individually. It turned out that we needed to take two different buses in order to get where we needed to go. That plus some help from some perfect strangers aka mates as they call people there. Thankfully we were able to find a few who were very nice & helpful. Without them, we would have never found the place without wasting more time. We did arrive later than planned because we had to wait for the first bus for quite some time. In the end, it all worked itself out.

The Light Brigade in Paddington, Australia

When we finally arrived at the Pub, I walked in & I looked around for familiar faces but I didn't notice any right away. All of a sudden, I heard someone yell out & I quote "Casiano" it was none other than Eddie Bultman who was present & accounted for along with a table filled with other Ballpark Chasers. Among those people who showed up were David Schaffer who's also from NYC. I've met him a few times. I arranged to have him join us there. In addition, Ken Liu who I had been in contact with online also showed up. He lives in Los Angeles & he likes the Dodgers. He was there with a guy named Gavin who he hired as his host for the time he was spending in Sydney. Furthermore, a young lady named Stacey Flores who I spoke to briefly online through the Ballpark Chasers Facebook page was there with her friend Evan who now lives in Phoenix with her but he said he's originally from Seattle. They were Diamondback fans. We also met up with a guy from Toronto named Martyn Bailey whose been to 66 different countries he said. I remember him mentioning on the ballpark chasers  Facebook page that he was going too. It was great to meet him. Last but definitely not least was a gentleman named Paul Tyson who was there with his lovely wife Susan. Eddie & I knew him from Twitter. He lives in Melbourne, Australia. He & Susan came up to see the first game. As a result, he's the reason we wound up there in the first place. It turned out to be a memorable welcoming gathering for all of us. We all got to share stories of our amazing travels.

Ballpark Chasers meet up at The Light Brigade

When we got finished we made our way over to the Sydney Cricket Ground which was within walking distance. Along the way, we lost some of the group & since communicating was difficult because I didn't get a data plan while I was there, I had to rely on WIFI & random meet ups. Ironically the King & I managed to run into some of these people along the way at the game. 

Speaking of the game, please stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail about the first MLB game ever played Down Under.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Los Angeles to see the Mets play the Dodgers!

Tuesday morning August 13th we woke up after getting a good night sleep. We checked out of the Carson Valley Inn in Minden, Nevada. We bought gas at the Shell station which was right next to the hotel. It was a wise decision because the gas prices in Nevada are a lot cheaper than they in California. Once we filled up we made our way towards Los Angeles which was still about 400 miles away. We left there at 9:50AM.

We drove a few hours on scenic route 395 into California. We stopped off in Bishop, a town along the way. We were told by Tike that there was a place he saw on Yelp. He strongly suggested that we go there. He said he hasn't been there. With that being said, I planned accordingly. Ironically when I went to the team store in Reno to get my minor league pass-port book stamped, I overheard a gentleman say he came from Bishop to see the game. I asked him about this place that Tike told us about. He said it was a must see. He warned me it could be crowded. As we approached the town of Bishop, I did notice a billboard on the side of the road saying that Erick Schlat's Bakkery, home of the original sheepherder bread since 1938 was just up the road. I had the address thanks to Tike and we found it with no problem. We turned in to the parking lot and we waited a minute as a few cars were pulling out. The lot was packed. When we got out of the car and we walked towards the entrance. There was a seating area outside too. It was quite a set up. They have an area for sandwiches where we got on line just in time. The line wasn't terribly long when we did. After we were paying at the end, I noticed the line grew and grew. It was a madhouse. It looked like a bus load just pulled into the parking lot.

Erick Schlat's Bakkery

As for the sandwiches, we all got carved turkey on their famous sheepherder bread. It was a tremendous sandwich to say the least. My sandwich had dark green lettuce which was excellent it should be noted. We sat inside and ate. After we finished I noticed they had a separate pastry area with no one on line so I decided to get a cinnamon twist which was scrumptious. Duck took out some cookies as well. It turned out to be a great stop. Once again I have to thank Tike for telling us about it. If he didn't I probably would have drove right by it.

After we got back in the car, we continued on our way to Los Angeles. We drove on route 395 until we saw the cut off for route 14 which we took until we got to I-5. We did make a quick stop in Lancaster to check out Clear Channel Stadium where the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League play. It was conveniently located right off the highway so I decided to get off & take a look.

It should be noted that the drive we took was amazing as we drove through mountains and cannons on different elevations. It was truly breathtaking.

As we approached the Los Angeles area, we surprisingly didn't run into too much traffic. As a result, we got to Dodger Stadium around 5:30PM. We wound up parking the car on the street just before the entrance to the stadium parking lot. We proceeded to walk over to the stadium.

We didn't have tickets yet so we just went to the box office and bought them. We picked the wrong game to attend though. For whatever reason, this game was deemed a three star one. That meant the ticket prices were higher. We wound up paying $20 for Top of the Park seats in the upper deck. It should be noted that Monday night was a one star game for $8 and Wednesday night was a two star game for $10. We got our money's worth when we walked and they gave us a skull cap. I didn't realize it got that cold in Los Angeles. Apparently it's for fashion purposes. You got to love LA. Honestly speaking, I don't. It's one of my least favorite cities to visit.

Once we went inside the ballpark we were limited to where we could go. We could have gone down to the reserve level below us but that was all. That's the drawback of being in the upper level there. As a whole, Dodger Stadium is a great ballpark. Unlike the majority of today's modern parks, you're there mainly to see a baseball game. We decided to eat there too. By doing so, we had the famous Farmer John Dodger Dogs. It was nice to return there. The last time the King & I were there was in June 2008. As for Duck, it was his first time so it was a treat for him.

View from the Top of the Park 

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers were hosting our New York Mets. It was an intriguing pitching match up as the Mets had their young stud Matt Harvey on the mound against the Dodgers' rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu from South Korea. The Mets drew first blood when Juan Lagares, the second batter of the game hit a solo home run to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the Dodgers finally got to Matt Harvey who escaped trouble as he got the Dodgers to hit into three double plays in the first four innings. In the fifth inning, his luck ran out as shortstop Nick Punto hit a two run double to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. They added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when catcher A.J. Ellis drove in two more with a two out single to make it 4-1. The Mets managed to get one back in the top of the ninth inning off Dodger closer Kenley Jansen but they couldn't get anymore as they fell to the Dodgers, 4-2.

Stay tuned as the journey continued as we made our way to the desert for a mid week doubleheader in the state of Arizona. Please bear with me as I try to find the time to play catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/17 in review

Opening Night at Richmond County Ballpark

Monday after work I took the Staten Island Ferry from Lower Manhattan to Richmond County Ballpark at St. George, the home of the Staten Island Yankees. They're the single A affiliate of the New York Yankees in the NY-Penn League which is a very low level league. A lot of players who just got drafted go to play in this league and/or similar ones across the country.

It was Opening night as the Baby Yankees were hosting their interborough rivals, the Brooklyn Cyclones who are the Mets' single A farm team.

Before I went over to the ballpark, I stopped off at Subway in the Ferry Terminal. I had my pre game meal there. When I finished I met up with my pal Vincent Ascanio who got me a $10 ticket for the game. We then we went inside to see the game. We were joined by a few familiar faces as Michael Abrams and Rich Wolber were also in attendance.

As for the game we saw, the Staten Island Yankees took advantage of a throwing error by Cyclones' third baseman Anthony Chavez which allowed two runs to score. They managed to make them stand up as they held off the Cyclones, 2-1. James Roche of the Cyclones hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to slice the lead in half. It should be noted that we saw L.J. Mazzilli, son of former Met & Yankee Lee Mazzilli play his first professional game. He was drafted by the Mets out of UCONN. He also got his first professional hit, a single to left center field in the 4th inning.

Tuesday night after work I went up to the Bronx in hopes of seeing the Yankees play the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time in the Bronx since the 1981 World Series. In addition, it marked the return of Don Mattingly to the Bronx. The former Yankee player is now the manager of the Dodgers. Unfortunately mother nature dampened those plans as she decided to rain at the wrong time. I wound up meeting up with Vincent Ascanio again. We went to Burger King to have dinner. While we were eating we found out the game was called off.

After we ate, we headed home. I wound up watching the sixth game of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat on TV.

Wednesday I was working so I couldn't make it to the make up game that afternoon between the Yankees and the Dodgers. The Yankees beat them, 6-4. However after work I did go back up to the Bronx for the regularly scheduled game. Before I went into Yankee Stadium, I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant and I picked up sandwiches for the King & I. He had roast beef and I had corned beef.

Me & Megabus Matt at Yankee Stadium

When I finally went into the Stadium, I went up to my seat in section 420B row 7 where I was greeted by the King, Vincent Ascanio and a special guest. I'm referring to Matthew Weil aka Megabus Matt who was back in town after taking some exhausting bus rides down south to Atlanta, Tampa & Miami. It was great to see him again as he continued his 25 games in 25 days tour on Megabus. A few days later he finished his journey and he had some spare change left from his $700 budget. Thanks to modern technology, he was able to keep a running account of his expenses. I was happy to see that he achieved his goal. I told him I hope to see him again in August when the King & I go out to the West Coast.

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers came out hitting. They got straight singles of Yankee starter Phil Hughes. They wound up scoring two runs. They added some more as the game went on. Yasiel Puig, the sensational rookie hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to close out the scoring as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 6-0. Former Met Chris Capuano threw six shutout innings to pick up the victory.

Thursday night after work I returned to Yankee Stadium as the Yankees opened up a four game weekend series with their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. Before I went inside, I stopped off at the New Sunflower Chinese restaurant for my pre game meal. I had fried scallops and fries.

As for the game we saw, the Rays smacked around Yankee starter Andy Pettitte. They wound up getting five runs off of him in his six and two thirds innings of work. Evan Longoria was the difference as he hit a sacrifice fly and two home runs. Yunel Escobar also went deep for the Rays as they went on to beat the Yankees, 8-3. on the bright side for the Yankees, rookie Zoilo Amonte who pinch hit for Vernon Wells got his first major league hit. He hit the third base bag with the ball and it caromed into left field.

Friday night after work I went back for game two of the series between the Yankees and the Rays.

As for the game we saw, Zoilo Amonte picked up where he left off Thursday night. He got three more hits which included his first major league home run in the sixth inning. He also came out for a curtain call per the fan's request. Joe Girardi told him to go ahead out of the dugout. The Yankees went on to beat the Rays, 6-2.

After the game, our pal Bryan Gilligan drove the King & I to Donovan's Pub where we had a post game meal. I wound up having roast turkey since they were out of pork chops.

Saturday morning I got up early and I did my laundry before I went back to Yankee Stadium for game three of the four game series between the Yankees and the Rays. We were joined by Bryan Gilligan, Vincent Ascanio, Rich Wolber and Pat Gorman this time.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees built a 3-1 lead with their ace CC Sabathia on the mound. Then in the sixth inning, CC got hit around. The Rays took the lead, 5-3 thanks to rookie Wil Myers who hit his first major league home run, a grand slam no less. The Yankees responded in the bottom of the seventh inning as they got a bases loaded walk to David Adams to cut the lead to 5-4. Then Vernon Wells pinch hit and hit a three run double to give the Yankees the lead for good as they went on to beat the Rays, 7-5. In the process, CC Sabathia picked up his 199th career win despite allowing five runs in seven innings of work.

After we left the Bronx, Bryan Gilligan drove the King, Vincent Ascanio and I to MCU Park in Coney Island, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. They were hosting the Aberdeen Ironbirds, the Baltimore Orioles farm club.

We were joined by David Sack, Al Linderman, Michael Abrams & William Frank Guthrie.

As for the game we saw, the Ironbirds got eight shutout innings of three hit ball from their starter Sebastian Vader. He left the game winning, 4-0. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the bullpen imploded and they cost him a victory as the Cyclones rallied to tie the game at four. The game went extra innings but the Ironbirds wound up getting a game winning single from their third baseman Kristopher Richards in the tenth inning to beat the Cyclones, 5-4.

After the game, Bryan wanted to go back to Donovan's Pub for another post game meal. So the King & I decided to join him. This time I ordered chicken parm and spaghetti. It was delicious.

Sunday the King and I back to Yankee Stadium to see the finale of the four game series between the Yankees and the Rays. In addition, it was their 67th annual Oldtimer's Day as they welcomed back Yankee legends from years past.

The King and I got there close to game time so we missed the pre game festivities.

We had our pals Larry Peim and Al Linderman there with us.

As for the game we saw, Ivan Nova made a rare start and he pitched well for the Yankees. He allowed three runs over six and two thirds innings. The Yankee offense only managed to score one run as the Rays beat the Yankees, 3-1. James Loney hit a two run single in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 tie to give the Rays the victory. As a result, they split the four game series.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/22 in review

Taste of Italy No. 2

Monday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner and then went out & I did my laundry.

Tuesday night after work I stopped off at a restaurant called Taste of Italy No. 2 which is located at 40-05 Junction Blvd in Corona, Queens. It's right off the 7 train which makes it nice & convenient to go to. I want to thank my pal Vincent Ascanio for the royal recommendation. I wound up getting chicken parm and spaghetti which came with three garlic knots for $5.95. They have waitress service too so you can sit down, relax and enjoy your meal. I certainly did. When I got done, I hopped back on the 7 express train one stop to Citi Field where I went to see the Mets open a three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicken Parm and Spaghetti

When I got off the train, I went to see my pal Sam Citron who greeted me with a handshake. As always, it was a pleasure to see him again. I went upstairs to section 515 because that's where the rest of the people I know were sitting on this cold, windy night. Amongst us regulars were our friends Steve Tepperman, Pat Gorman and Martin Caamano who were present and accounted for as well.

In addition, we had some musical entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were at the game too. They always make the game experience more amusing. In fact, they chanted out during the game, Where's the King? He was near me. He said and I quote "they're asking for me." I told him, yes they are. They're also big fans of his signature strikeout call which they join him on. Regardless of the lousy weather, it turned out to be a great night out.

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers got a three run homer from Mark Ellis in the seventh inning which broke a 2-2 tie to make it 5-2. In the eighth inning, they added a few more runs thanks to a two run double by A.J. Ellis. The Mets wound up losing the game, 7-2. The one bright spot for the Mets was that former Brooklyn Cyclone Juan Lagares who was called up from the minor leagues got his first major league hit, a single in the seventh inning.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway and Carvel for my pre game meal before I went to Citi Field for game two of the three game series between the Mets and Dodgers. This time we sat in our usual section 516 up near the top. We had a nice gathering on this night which was also cold & nasty. Thankfully Matt Harvey was starting for the Mets so we had a chance to see a good game.

As for the people who joined us, we had Manny Morales, Charlie Vitanza, Phil Butleman, David Sack, Rich Wolber, Alan Gimpel and Martin Caamano. In addition, we had some special guests who used to show up more often. I'm referring to my good friend James Gabriele who was there with his son Andrew and our pal Mike Klein who came out as well.

As for the game we saw, Matt Harvey pitched well. He went six innings. He allowed three runs & four hits while he walked just one and he struck out seven. He left the game down 3-2. The Mets rallied to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to a clutch two out hit by David Wright which got Matt Harvey off the hook for the loss. The game was decided in the tenth inning as the Mets got a game winning grand slam from Jordany Valdespin which gave them a 7-3 win.

Thursday night after work I went up to the Bronx. I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant. I got a roast beef sandwich for dinner. I took it into Yankee Stadium and I ate it. I was joined by the King.

The Yankees were opening a four game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Thanks to the horrible scheduling the Mets were home over the weekend too at the same time Friday and Sunday.

As for the game we saw, the Blue Jays took an early 3-0 lead thanks to Edwin Encarnacion who hit a two run homer in the first inning and Brett Lawrie who hit a solo shot in the second inning. The Yankees answered back in their half of the second inning as former Blue Jay Vernon Wells hit a solo homer to make it a 3-1 game. In the third inning, Robinson Cano hit a three run homer with two outs to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. They added another run in the fourth inning when Francisco Cervelli hit a rare homer as home run derby continued. The Yankees and Blue Jays didn't score the rest of the way as the Yankees won the game, 5-3.

Friday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for a pre game meal on my to Citi Field as the Mets opened a three game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since the Yankees were also home, we had a smaller than usual crew amongst us on this night. Those who were present & accounted for were Pat Gorman, Frank Anichiarico, Alan Gimpel, Martin Caamano and Michael Carson. In addition, the Hooligan's were in the house again too which is also a welcome addition.

As for the game we saw, the Mets and Phillies were scoreless until the sixth inning when the Phillies finally broke through. They roughed up Mets starter Dillon Gee who gave up four straight hits which resulted in four runs before he recorded an out. Michael Young got a run scoring single and Ryan Howard cleared the bases when he hit a home run to center field to give the Phillies all the offensive support they needed as starter Kyle Kendrick pitched a gem. He went the distance as he shutout the Mets on just three hits. He walked one and struck out five as the Phillies took the opener, 4-0.

After the game, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico, the King & I went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.

Stay tuned for a special post that will recap the way we made the most of our weekend in NYC.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 7/16 in review

Prince Outside Richmond County Ballpark in SI

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Thank you for reading and following along.


Yours truly,


Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/2 in review

Citi Field

After getting a much needed night off on Monday night after work, I wound up going to Citi Field to see the Mets who returned home.

Tuesday night the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants made their one and only visit to Citi Field to play the Mets.

This night turned out to be a very entertaining one in the stands. With the threat of rain in the air, the King and I decided to move up towards the top. We wanted to be under cover so we could keep score of the game without getting our scorebooks wet in case it did indeed rain. Luckily it rained lightly for a brief time but it didn't stop the game.

Since we decided to sit higher up we got treated to a musical comedy show if you will in the next section. There were a group of Met fans sitting together across a few rows who provided some great entertainment.
They were having fun and since there were a number of Giant fans sitting nearby they turned up their act another notch. It made for an amusing night as they sang songs when different Met players batted. They had fun with the Giant fans too.

One guy was dressed up with a light green Citi Field style staff jacket. He went over to a Giant fan and acted like he was Citi Field security and he was going to throw them out. He had me fooled for a minute. Then I saw it said "Hooligan's" on it so I knew it was a prank.

In matter of fact, a few of the guys amongst these people thought I was Josh Hamilton who plays for the Texas Rangers. He's hurt now. They asked me how I was feeling. I played along with them. They even wanted to take a picture with me so I complied with their request.

It was lots of fun thanks to these people who sat nearby.

As for the game we saw, it was a seesaw battle as the game was tied at 6-6. The Mets blew chances to win this game. Finally in the tenth inning, Aubrey Huff delivered the game winning blow when he hit a solo home run to give the Giants the 7-6 victory. As a result, the Giant fans in the house got the last laugh on this night.
Wednesday night we were back at Citi Field. This time it was for the "Freak" show as slender Tim Lincecum took the mound for the Giants.

The "Freak" didn't disappoint. He got off to a slow start but he certainly finished strong. He wound up walking three and he struck a dozen including the last five batters he faced in his seven innings of work.
Thanks to Met killer Pat Burrell who had a run scoring single and Mike Fontenot who also drove in a run, the Giants had all the run support they needed as their bullpen came in and shut the door. They used three pitchers to get through the eighth inning which was ridiculous to say the least after the "Freak" was allowed to throw 114 pitches in seven innings. Brian Wilson, their bearded closer finished and preserved the shutout as the Giants won, 2-0.

Thursday night I went home after work. I needed to catch up on things at home so it worked out well.
Friday night I went back to Citi Field as the Los Angeles Dodgers returned "home" if you will. The Dodgers like the Giants left their original home in New York to head out West 53 years ago.

With the return of the Dodgers, the Mets drew a very nice crowd. The Mets fresh off a win Thursday afternoon, were looking to make it two in a row. Thanks to their spark plug, Jose Reyes they did just that. Reyes had two triples, a double and a walk in five plate appearances to pace the Mets past the Dodgers, 6-3.

It should be noted the Mets pitchers couldn't shut down Dodgers' outfielder Andre Ethier who came into the game with a 29 game hitting streak technically speaking. For some reason, he didn't play their last game in Chicago which tainted the so-called streak. Nonetheless, Ethier was lethal on this night as he got three hits to extend his streak to 30 straight games with at least one hit in the games he's played in.

Saturday night I returned to Citi Field. I was greeted by my fan club when I got to my seat by Manny Bonilla and Arjun Lal who were in the house. I hadn't seen them in a few weeks so it was a welcome sight to have them there. As usual, they were thrilled to see the King and I.

In addition, our good friend Manny Morales was there present and accounted for. Manny was with some of his friends who have had a Saturday plan for years for the Mets. At Shea, they sat on the Mezzanine level just to the left of home plate. When they opened Citi Field they gave them lousy seats way out just past first base in short right field. Needless to say, Manny and his friends weren't too happy. Last year they got upgraded to be closer to home plate. It was a slight improvement. This year they got a major upgrade because they now sit in our section higher up than us but it's a much better view than they had since Citi Field opened in 2009.

Manny missed the first few Saturday games so this was his first time sitting in his new seat. He seemed happy with the upgrade. As he said and I quote " he's now sitting in the "royalty" section.

As for the game we saw, the Mets were looking to make it three wins in a row so they could get back online. They did indeed as they beat the Dodgers, 4-2. In the process, they put an end to Andre Ethier's 30 game hitting streak for what it was worth.

Sunday I spent my Mother's Day afternoon at Citi Field hoping to see the Mets sweep the Dodgers before going out with Mom for dinner. It wasn't in the works as the Dodgers dodged the broom. They beat the Mets, 4-2.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman