Royalty goes to MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field!

The last time the Major League Baseball had its All-Star Game in Queens was back in 1964 at Shea Stadium. That was just before my time. A few years ago when plans were in the works to finally bring the All-Star Game back to Queens, I had every intention of going to the game.

On Tuesday night, July 16th, Citi Field, the Mets' new home was the site for the 84th Midsummer Classic. Since I have full season tickets for the Mets I was given the opportunity to purchase strips of tickets for the festivities which included the Futures Game which I missed because I went away over the weekend instead, the Fan Fest, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game.

The only other time I got to see an All-Star Game was back in 2008 when the Yankees hosted it at Old Yankee Stadium. That game was an epic 15 inning marathon that ended around 1:45AM.

This time I took the day off from work so I could relax and be ready for the special night. Unfortunately the weather was brutal that day & night which tried to put a damper on the occasion. As a result, I didn't get to the ballpark too early. Instead I got a text message from my pal Eddie Pelle who said he was also going to the game. He said he was coming from work. He asked me if I wanted to meet him for dinner first. I replied to him and I said absolutely. We wound up going to a place called the Burger Garage in Long Island City. He told me how good this place was. With that being said, this was a perfect opportunity to see what he was talking about. I wound up getting a Turkey burger and onion strings. All I can say is when I got done was I was a satisfied customer. I want to thank Eddie for the recommendation. Actually his friend Fredy Sanchez deserves the credit because he's the one who found this place.

After Eddie & I finished eating we got back on the 7 train and we went to Citi Field for the big game. On the way in, I got to say hello to my pal, Sam Citron at the Rotunda entrance.As for our seats, Eddie wound up getting a ticket on the lower level. I had my season seat in section 516 row 3. When we got to the field level, I said goodbye to Eddie and I told him to enjoy the game. I proceeded to go upstairs to the promenade level. When I got up there, I saw my pal Vincent Ascanio who was there with his father, Ralph. The King was missing in action. He decided to join our friend, Bryan Gilligan on a road trip to the Midwest instead. In his absence, his brother Henry Casiano who was visiting from Florida, wound up going to the game thanks to our buddy Alan Gimpel who had an extra ticket that he bought from him in section 509 row 12. Vincent & I went over to see them before we went to our seats to get ready for the game and pre game ceremonies. It was nice to see Henry again.

Me at the MLB All Star Game

When I got to my seat in section 516 row 3 I sat down and relaxed while I waited for my pal Andrew Van Cleve to show up since he had what would have been the King's seat next to me. While I waited for him, I got a visit from another ballpark chaser who was at the game that being Bill Pritchard who lucked out and won a contest that got him free tickets for the game in section 402 out in right field. He was very fortunate to be in the building. He stayed for a few innings before he returned to his seat. I want to personally thank Bill for stopping by.

Tribute to real heroes

As for the festivities, there was a special touching tribute to the real heroes, those who have and continue to protect our freedom here and abroad, after the players of both leagues were introduced to the crowd. The players were lined up between the bases in the middle of the infield. The Veterans were positioned along the base lines allowing the players to acknowledge them as we braced for the National Anthem which concluded with a fly over.

Live action from the All Star Game

As for the game we saw, Mike Trout hit the first pitch he saw from Matt Harvey, the Mets' All-Star starting pitcher down the right field line for a lead off double. The next batter was Robinson Cano of the Yankees. Harvey proceeded to hit him with a pitch putting runners on first and second. Cano was taken out of the game. Apparently he got hurt. Matt Harvey settled down as he retired the next three batters to end the inning. He went back out for the second inning and he retired the American League in order. In his two inning appearance, he struck out three. After a shaky start, he proved he was worthy of the starting nod. As the game went on, changes were frequent. In the fourth inning, the American League finally broke the scoreless tie as Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays' hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it a 1-0. In the fifth inning, the Orioles' J.J. Hardy grounded into a fielder's choice that drove in another run to make it 2-0. As for the National League, they got their first hit after the first ten batters made out. Former Met and now Cardinal Carlos Beltran did the honors. It turned out to be the first of just three hits that the National League had for the game. In the eighth inning, Jason Kipnis of the Indians doubled in another run to give the American League a 3-0 lead. After their half of the inning ended, the crowd was treated to a special live version of the song Sweet Caroline as Neil Diamond came onto the field to perform it. When he got done, Mariano Rivera was called in from the bullpen to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. He came in to the familiar tune by Metallica, Enter Sandman. Mariano was acknowledged by the record breaking crowd of 45,186 as there was a moving tribute to the greatest relief pitcher of the modern era. I beg to differ with Bud Selig's commentary that's he's the greatest of all time. The game has changed so much that it's not right to compare the different eras of baseball. Regardless Mariano is the best at his role as the game is played today. He proceeded to throw a scoreless 1,2,3 eighth inning. In the ninth inning, Jason Grilli of the Pirates was summoned from the bullpen to pitch the top of the ninth. Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about him. He's truly a great story. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning but he was forced to work out of a jam because Prince Fielder got a lead off single that was played into a triple by former Met Carlos Gomez. Grilli bared down and he got the next three batters out keeping it a 3-0 game. The National League managed to get a two out double off closer Joe Nathan of the Rangers but Paul Goldschmidt was stranded there as Pedro Alvarez popped out to second base to end the game. The American League won, 3-0 and they will now have the home field advantage in the 2013 World Series.

Shortly after the game ended, they announced the Most Valuable Player of the game. Since they're wasn't a clear cut choice, Mariano Rivera was given the award. By doing so, they sent him out in style since he's going to officially retire at the end of the season. I personally thought it was fitting since the game was played in New York City.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/24 in review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Patrick Smith, me & Reachelle Spieker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to NYC to see the Mets open up their season on April Fool's Day!

First & foremost, if you're a regular reader and/or follower of my blog you know I don't joke around too often on here. I'm a person who keeps it real every day of the year even on April Fool's Day.

With that being said, here's the way we spent our first day of April.

Since we had to get to George Bush Intercontinental Airport early to catch our flights back home to the NYC area, so we didn't have time to get a great night sleep. Of course that was part of the game plan in order to make this tight schedule work out. Thankfully we stayed close to the airport so we went to the car rental center and we returned the car we rented for the weekend from Alamo first. It wound up costing a mere $36.97 for the two days. A royal deal indeed. I couldn't believe it when I had booked it. Other companies wanted double or triple that price for the Easter weekend. I wound up driving 550 miles safely.

We proceeded to get on the shuttle bus that took us to the terminal so we could catch our flights back home. Since our pal Bryan Gilligan used frequent miles he had to fly back to Newark, NJ while the King and I flew to LaGuardia Airport. Bryan's flight left at 6:17AM and our's left at 7:25AM. As a result, Bryan who left his car in Newark by the airport got back first. By doing so, he said he arranged to come to LaGuardia Airport to pick us up. He got in early which worked to our advantage. He contacted us and he left us a voice mail so we knew when to expect him. Luckily the King & I also got in early thanks to United Airlines who made our lives less stressful on this day. As usual, we had no margin for error so we needed any break we could get. In addition, there was another twist to the story. Our pal Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk arranged to come back to NYC too. He flew back on his own on US Airways to LaGuardia Airport and he had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. His flight out of Houston left at 5:20AM local time. He was scheduled to land in LaGuardia at 11:51AM which was five minutes earlier than the King & I. Since US Airways is located at a separate terminal, we told Bryan to get him first. Bryan got to LaGuardia really fast and he rode around. He wound up picking us up first since we got in 15 minutes early. We then circled back around to get Steve. We wound up waiting a few more minutes. Shortly thereafter, the Padre Punk dressed up in his Padre jersey came towards us. Just before he got in the car he put his hand up to stop a local car service car so he could get into Bryan's car. Needless to say, the driver had something nasty to say to Steve. Steve gets in the car and says doesn't that guy know who I am. I'm the Padre Punk. It was hilarious.

Bryan proceeded to drive us over to Citi Field which is right nearby. We wound up parking the car on 114th Street just before Northern Blvd at 12:20PM. We walked over to the ballpark with plenty of time to make it there for first pitch at 1:10PM which wound up being at 1:13PM. We passed by the left field gate which was pretty empty. The King & I decided to keep walking to the Rotunda area which is behind home plate where we usually go when we get off the subway when we take the 7 train to the game.

Sam Citron

The main reason we did that was because we wanted to see our pal and avid reader and follower of my blog, Sam Citron. To be perfectly honest, that was the highlight of the day. The last time we saw him was at the end of September. He told us he had a rough winter. He had some health issues but thankfully he's back and ready to work all the games this year at Citi Field. We were so happy and elated to hear that. As usual, he greeted us in royal fashion. He said and I quote "it's always a pleasure." We told him the same. With that being said, baseball is now officially back at home for us.

My ticket to Mets Opening Day at Citi Field

We proceeded to walk inside at 12:30PM which gave us plenty of time to get upstairs to our season seats in section 516 row 3. We were greeted by some familiar faces as people who have had season tickets like us since Citi Field opened in 2009 were on hand. It's always nice to see people we recognize by face not necessarily by name.

Prince at Citi Field in time for Opening Day

In addition, we received visits from people we know. I'm referring to Ralph & Vincent Ascanio, Cory Zimmerman, Andy Weinstein who we met back in March 2000 when we were sitting next to him on our flight to Tokyo, Japan to see the Mets open their season there.

Speaking of openers, the King has been at every Met opener since 1977. As for me, I've been to every one since 1982. This time we really cut it close but thankfully it worked out for us. Andy Weinstein chimed in that this was his 40th consecutive one. We're all true die hard Met fans if you will.

Furthermore, we were also joined by our pals Eddie Pelle & Fredy Sanchez. They had offered to pick us at the airport before the game. Thanks to Bryan we didn't need to take them up on their generous offer.

Moreover, I saw our pal Alan Gimpel who also has season tickets for the Mets as well as the Jets, Knicks and Rangers. He helped me make it possible to get a Ranger ticket for another buddy of mine, David Curtin who's a firefighter and a big Met and Ranger fan. Thanks to Alan I was able to fulfill my promise of securing a Ranger ticket for their game that night against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden for David who got to see his favorite teams play and win the double dip. I wound up getting the ticket from Alan who held it just in case I had a problem getting back from Houston. Luckily everything worked out as it was scripted by me.

As for the game we saw, the Mets looked like World Champions. For whatever reason, they usually do on Opening Day. In matter of fact, they have the best record of any team since 1970. They rarely lose when they open the season home or away.

It should be noted since their inception in 1962, they had lost their first eight openers. In 1970, they finally won their first opener in Pittsburgh at Forbes Field.

This time they had their hitting shoes on as they beat up the visiting San Diego Padres, 11-2 much to the Padre Punk's chagrin.

The Mets were backed by a solid pitching performance by Jonathon Niese who went six and two thirds innings to pick up his first victory of the season. He was supported by plenty of timely clutch hitting as the Mets got five two out hits and newly acquired outfielder Collin Cowgill hit a grand slam to round out the scoring. As for the Padres, Yonder Alonso hit a solo home run.

Stay tuned for the next installment of that day as the King and I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 9/17 in review

Michael Abrams, Brian Cashman, Rich Zimmerman & I

Monday after work I went out to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. Since I had money remaining on a gift card I decided to eat at the ballpark. Upon arrival I was greeted by my pal and big fan of royalty, Sam Citron. We exchanged pleasantries and then I proceeded into the ballpark.

I decided to take a walk out to the center field area where the best food selection is. I saw the line for Shake Shack was extremely long as usual so I ruled that out. I went next door to Blue Smoke where nobody was on line. I got their Kansas City spare ribs and fries. It was a smart choice as those ribs are to die for. After I finished eating, I went up to my usual perch in section 516 where I met up with the King, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan and Charlie O'Reilly.

As for the game we saw, we had a marquee match up between Cliff Lee of the Phillies who's pitched well but his record doesn't indicate it and R.A. Dickey, possible Cy Young Award winner for the Mets.

The Phillies got a run early in the first inning off Dickey to lead 1-0. Jimmy Rollins lead off and strikeout but he got to first base on a passed ball. He went to second on a throwing error by Dickey who tried to pick him off. He went to third on a ground ball out and he scored on a sacrifice fly. That's a perfect example of playing the game of baseball the right way. The Phillies turned a negative into a positive by hustling and making things happen. As a result, it set the tone as Cliff Lee hurled eight beautiful innings allowing just one run. He walked one and he struck out ten as the Phillies got a few more runs off Dickey thanks to homers by Jimmy Rollins and Domonic Brown. The Phillies beat the Mets, 3-1.

Tuesday night after work I was going to go back to Citi Field to see the Mets even though the Yankees were also home. Thanks to mother nature, neither game was played. Instead I went home and I got an unexpected night of rest. It was nice to have some time to relax after another busy day at work.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Phillies. The Yankees were playing a day/night doubleheader to make up for the game that got rained out Tuesday night in the Bronx.
I got to see Sam again when I went in. Like he says it's always a pleasure. It certainly is. I went upstairs and I ate a few slices of pizza at Two Boots which is located on the food court near our seats on the Promenade level. It was really good and filling.

As for the game we saw, the Mets and Phillies battled it out again as Cole Hamels of the Phillies and rookie Matt Harvey who was making his last appearance of the season for the Mets hooked up. Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a homer to give the Phillies the early 1-0 lead. The Mets got even in the third as Daniel Murphy drove in the equalizer. The Mets took the lead in the sixth inning when David Wright hit a homer to make it 2-1. Cole Hamels was pulled after six innings allowing two runs while he walked one and struck out ten.

Matt Harvey pitched better as he went seven innings giving up just the lead off homer. He showed promise for 2013 and beyond. I hope he does indeed pan out for the Mets.

Since this is modern times, the game came down to the battle of the bullpens. The Phillies survived a scare in the eighth as the Mets loaded the bases with one out looking for some insurance. Andres Torres hit into a costly inning ending double play. The Mets got a scoreless eighth inning from Bobby Parnell. In the ninth, Josh Edgin was summoned to close out the game. He struck out the first two batters with no problem. He proceeded to walk Chase Utley in front of Ryan Howard. That was the beginning of the end for the Mets as the Phillies awoke from the dead as Ryan Howard blasted a home run to right field to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. The Mets got a single with one out but they couldn't get him in as the Phillies still had a pulse.

Thursday night after work I decided to stick to my original plan of going to the Yankee game after work. The Mets decided to make up the game that got rained out on Tuesday that night to spite the Phillies. The Phillies got the last laugh as they scored eight runs in the first inning on their way to a 16-1 whipping of the Mets. The King went there because he has a streak of not missing a game at Citi Field. He's only missed one since the ballpark opened back in 2009.

As for me, I'm always true to my word. I got an invitation from the Yankees the week before to take part in a pre game social that was for season ticket holders. I was able to choose Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night. So I told them I'll come Thursday night knowing the Mets weren't going to be home. I put the King is as my guest. He didn't make it. It was no big deal. But I felt obligated to show up since I committed myself already. That's just the way I am. I don't make promises I can't keep barring an unforeseen emergency.

I wound up going to the picnic area out by the left field gate where the social was taking place when I got off the subway. I wound up seeing a few friends, Michael Abrams and Richard Zimmerman who were taking part as well. We spoke and then we noticed Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman who was standing nearby. He was there talking to the fans who had questions they wanted to ask him. We approached him and he spoke to us. It was a really cool experience. When we were done he took a picture with all of us. With that being said, I'm glad I stuck with my decision.

When we were done, we had some hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream that were there for us to take. It turned out to be a nice social gathering for the Yankee season ticket holders.

Once we finished we all went up to our seats in section 420B and we were joined by our pal Larry Peim who at also at the game.

As for the game we saw, it started fast but it dragged on. The Yankees were playing the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays lead 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning when Ichiro Suzuki hit a homer to slice the lead in half at 2-1. Phil Hughes who started for the Yankees struck out nine batters in the first four innings. In the third inning, he hit a few batters including Moises Sierra that allowed a run to score. He benefited as the Yankees scored a touchdown if you will in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Swisher hit a grand slam to cap the scoring after Ichiro Suzuki hit a two run double and Derek Jeter delivered a run scoring single. Hughes made it through five innings after he gave up a two run homer to Moises Sierra who he previously hit. Apparently it was payback time. In the end, Phil Hughes got the win and the last laugh. The Yankees got those two runs back in their half of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 10-4. After a few innings of scoreless relief by Derek Lowe, Cory Wade came on and he got roughed up for three runs in the eighth inning. With that being said, a save situation was created. Rafael Soriano was too overworked to benefit so David Robertson got the chance to close it out instead. He did so by striking out the three batters he faced as he preserved the 10-7 victory for the Yankees. I might add it took a mere 3 hours and 41 minutes to play. In that regard, I wish I wasn't there. It's the nature of the game of baseball. You never know how long a game's going to go from one to the next. Some are better than others. Time wise this was a bad one.
Friday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Marlins. It was nice to see Sam again when I went in.

I went up to my perch and met up with the usual die hards that we know. We got a special visit from a follower of my blog, Fredy Sanchez who introduced me to his friend Ramiro. He said he enjoys reading about my adventures on my blog. I told him I greatly appreciate that..

As for the game we saw, the Mets fresh off their embarrassing loss to the Phillies the night before, had their hitting shoes on early on this night. They scored early and often as they got three runs in the first inning and two more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. They made it hold up as they went on to defeat the Marlins, 7-3.
After the game, the King, Bryan Gilligan and I went to celebrate at Donovan's Pub where we had a post game dinner and drinks. We wound up meeting our pal Frank Anichiarico there as well. It was a great way to start the weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, stay tuned for the recap of the memorable weekend I enjoyed. Please bear with me as I find time to write it. There will be a number of special posts.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/25 in review

Derek Jeter passed Cal Ripken   for 13th place on hits list 

Monday night after work I went up to the Bronx for the first time since June 8th when I saw the Mets play the Yankees in the first game of the Subway Series.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

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

Special Scoreboard Welcome at Coca Cola Field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After the game, we said our goodbyes.

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

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

Prince Outside Frontier Field 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty officially starts our 2012 baseball season at Citi Field on Opening Day!

Prince at Opening Day at Citi Field

As much as the King and I would loved to have been at the new Marlins Park to officially open the season, it wasn't meant to be. The King and I had personal streaks to keep intact. Since the Mets were opening the season at home, we didn't want to risk missing it by flying down to Miami and not getting back in time. Instead we're planning to go there in the middle of July.

As for me, I've seen every Met home opener since 1982 which includes the one in Tokyo, Japan back in 2000. As for the King, his streak dates back into the late '70's. In addition, he has a streak of over 220+ straight games at Citi Field since it opened in 2009. In matter of fact, he has missed only one game there in that time. In addition, he plans to see all 81 again this year he said.

Since I had to work a half a day, I barely got to the game on time. The MTA did their best to cost me some precious time on my way there on the 7 train. Luckily everything worked out for me.

Upon arrival, I got to say hello to my favorite security guard and big fan of royalty, Sam Citron. I hadn't seen him since the end of September but I know he's been following my whereabouts here on my blog. It was an absolute pleasure to see him again. Seeing his friendly and familiar face put me in the comfort zone before I headed inside to see the game.

Once I got in the building, I went up to my familiar surroundings in section 516 row 3 where the King and I have had our full season tickets since the ballpark opened. Our seating area is affectionately known as the "royal box" thanks to my pal Michael Longo who gave it that name.

In addition, we got to see many familiar faces where we sit. Despite low expectations, other people who sit by us still decided to renew their season tickets like we did. With that being said, there's always something to look forward to every game. We can't control what happens on the field but at least we know we'll be seeing some good people in the stands on a daily and nightly basis all spring and summer long.

Amongst them were our friends Ralph and Vincent Ascanio, who are back for another season of Mets baseball as the team celebrates their 50th Anniversary of playing here in New York.

In addition, I got to meet some new people. First of all, our buddy Eddie Pelle who I met thanks to my blog in December 2010 was on hand with his friend and co-worker Fredy Sanchez who he introduced to the King and I to. It was great to have them join us in the "royal box" for this Opening Day. We enjoyed their company immensely throughout the game.

Furthermore, I got to meet and greet another person I met online recently. Her name is Lori Martini. She's a lifelong Met fan who lives in Brooklyn. She happens to be a screenwriter and songwriter. She wrote the song, "Believe" that the Mets' Justin Turner came up to when he batted last summer. She recently wrote a short film called "Caught" as well. I look forward to seeing her more often at Citi Field this season.

As for the game we saw, Johan Santana who missed all of last season, started and he pitched five shutout innings. After struggling with his control in the fifth inning, manager Terry Collins decided to take him out in a scoreless game against division rival, the Atlanta Braves. The Mets proceeded to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when David Wright delivered a run scoring single. That proved to be the difference in the game as the new look Met bullpen shut down the Braves the rest of the afternoon. The Mets won the game, 1-0.

After the game, our friend Bryan Gilligan who also renewed his Met season ticket was present and accounted for as well, took the King, Vincent Ascanio and I down to Trenton, NJ to see the Trenton Thunder, the Double A affiliate of the Yankees play the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays' farm team on Opening night in the Eastern League.

As for that game we saw, the Thunder took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning but that lead disappeared as the Fisher Cats scored a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings to take the lead for good. They went on to win the game, 5-3.

It was a perfect way to start the new baseball season with a doubleheader. Thankfully mother nature cooperated with us.

Stay tuned as I will be writing some more special posts regarding my memorable weekend where I entertained some other very special people I just met for the very first time. It will show why the royal way is the way to go if and when you want to attend a live sporting event regardless of the sport.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman