Royalty is going to Pittsburgh & Cleveland to see baseball over Memorial Day weekend!

Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car on Friday May 22nd from Payless Car Rental for Memorial Day weekend.

The King  & I will be driving out to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania early Saturday morning then to Cleveland, Ohio before we return home late Sunday night/early Monday morning.

Saturday May 23rd Mets at Pirates 4:05PM

Sunday May 24th Reds at Indians 1:10PM

If you're interested in going on this exclusive getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join us.

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 goes to PNC Park in Pittsburgh over first weekend in June!‏

When the baseball schedule came out last September, I knew that the weekend of June 7th & 8th, the Mets & Yankees were both going to be away. With that being said, I needed to figure out a way to maximize my time off that weekend. Since the Pirates were slated to play a 4:05PM game that Saturday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park, I thought that would be a good building block. 

As it got closer, I arranged to get the King a car rental for a week a few days before that weekend started. He always needs to see as many games as humanly possible. Since there were a few minor league games within driving distance that he could get to, he told me to make him a reservation. ‎I checked out the rates online. I was able to get a really good deal from Dollar Rent A Car by LaGuardia Airport so I went ahead & booked it for him. He wound up getting a Ford Focus which sufficed. While I was working & home relaxing for a few nights, the King was driving around. He wound up going to Baltimore that Friday night to see the Orioles play the Athletics at Camden Yards. Since I was really busy that week at work, I couldn't take off that Friday to join him. He told me that he would be willing to drive back home to pick me up. As crazy as it sounds, he did indeed. 

I got up early Saturday morning & I got ready to hit the road. We wound up leaving the house around 8:30AM. ‎We drove 400 miles before we arrived in Pittsburgh just before 3PM that afternoon. We made a stop for gas & some made to order food at Sheetz in Brookville, Pennsylvania. We then continued on Route 28 for another 80 miles until we arrived at Cedar Avenue which is where that road ends in Pittsburgh. We went up a few blocks & we turned the car around & we parked on the street. We fed the pay by license plate multi space meter that they recently installed there which replaced the old meters they used to use.  We locked the car & we proceeded to take the short walk over to the ballpark. 

Collage of my latest PNC Park visit

When we got inside I told the King I'll meet behind home plate on the lower level around game time. By doing so, I was able to wander around. I went downstairs so I could take a picture then I went to the team store behind home plate so I could get my brand new 25 game MLB Pass-Port book stamped before it got too crowded. After that, I walked ‎out to the area on the concourse behind right field. As a result, I got to see former Pirate Manny Sanguillen who played for them back in the '70's. He has his own barbecue stand called Manny's BBQ. 

After a brief stop there, I made my way to the Pirate bullpen out in left field. I went there to see my pal Jason Grilli aka Grill Cheese who was still a Pirate at the time. A few weeks ago he got traded to the Angels. I told Jason I hope to see him pitch. Thanks to a lady I know, JeanAnn Harrison, I've gotten to meet Jason on a number of occasions. She's a business partner of his. Jason is a preserver. He has fought back from numerous injuries to get back to the major leagues. He loves the game. Despite his setbacks ‎& poor performances of late, I hope Jason continues to be successful. He has the motivation to overcome the adversity. Now that's he an Angel I hope things change for the better for him. He had a nice run when he was in Pittsburgh. In fact, in May his own book called Just My Game was released. It details his rocky road to success in the big leagues. 

When I got back to the area behind home plate in section 116, I saw the King standing back there. I decided when the usher walked down to escort some people to their seats that I would attempt to give myself a royal upgrade from the standing room tickets we had. I was successful. I wound up going down five rows or so & I sat down. Quite amazingly, I had two seats to myself. It was rather crowded but luck was on my side. As a result, I got to see the game from a great vantage point. 

As for the game we saw, the first batter of the game reached on three errors which set the tone for an odd day at the ballpark. The Brewers took an early 1-0 lead. The Pirates fought back to go ahead 2-1in the bottom of the third inning but they immediately gave it back as the Brewers went ahead, 4-2 with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Pirates got within a run at 4-3 in the sixth inning but they blew a golden opportunity to get more. As a result, they couldn't overcome the deficit as the Brewers scored four runs in the eighth inning & one more in the ninth inning to win going away, 9-3. Matt Garza of the Brewers got a quality start as he allowed three runs in six innings of work to earn the victory despite walking five in the process. By doing so, I wasn't able to see Jason Grilli pitch that day. Regardless I still had a good time. PNC Park is one of the best modern ballparks. With that being said, if you haven't been there yet, you should make some time to get there so you can see for yourself.

Stay tuned as I plan to write some more special posts that will recap this adventurous weekend.

Thank you for reading ‎& following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty salutes All-Star pitcher Jason Grilli of the Pittsburgh Pirates!

Back on May 26, 2011 I got to meet and greet Jason Grilli who was trying to make a comeback to the major leagues after he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the entire 2010 season. At the time, he was playing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies Triple A affiliate. A few months later due to a stipulation in his contract he became a free agent. He signed on with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 21st. He finished the season strong for the Pirates. He was rewarded with a one year contract for the 2012 season. He became the Pirates' set up man for their closer at the time, Joel Hanrahan. After having a solid season, he was once again a free agent. This time he was offered a two year contract to stay in Pittsburgh. After giving it some thought, he decided to stay in the Steel City. In the off season, the Pirates traded Joel Hanrahan to the Boston Red Sox. With that being said, Jason was asked to take over as the Pirates' closer. Jason being used to adversity was able to overcome his knee injury to get back to the big leagues. Now he was determined to adapt to his new role in the Pirates' bullpen. Based on his first half performance, he has passed the test with flying colors.

Jason Grilli at Wrigley Field 

Ironically I saw Jason again during batting practice when I was at Wrigley Field back on July 6th. He came over and he shook my hand and I wished him well. I told him to keep up the great work.
He was there with his father Steve who pitched with the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays in the late 1970's. I remember having his baseball card when I was a young lad. They were having a catch in the outfield. It was so cool to see this father & son combination in the friendly confines.

That Sunday night the All-Star selections were announced. Jason Grilli aka Grill Cheese was among those who had his name called. What an accomplishment it was for him. This is a great example that hard work truly does pay off.

Jason & Steve Grilli having a catch at Wrigley Field

The following Saturday I saw Jason again at PNC Park before the Pirates played the Mets. I officially congratulated him on being selected to the All-Star game. Later that night, Jason came in and he closed out the game as he notched his 29th save of the season.

I was so happy for him as he pumped his fist when he sealed the deal getting the Mets out 1,2,3.

Jason Grilli on the cover of SI  

Thanks to his business partner and friend of mine, JeanAnn Harrison who told me that Jason was on the cover of the July 22nd Sports Illustrated which did a feature story on Jason and the rest of the Pirates' bullpen which is referred to as the Shark Tank. Jason is living the dream nowadays and then some.

Hope he helps the Pirates finally finish over .500 for the first time since 1992. In addition, I hope they get to play some meaningful baseball in October this year.

Time will tell. With that being said, Let's Go Bucs, raise the Jolly Roger.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blair Long & I with our Passports stamped & validated

After we did so, we went to their seats in section 115 which was just to the right of home plate. They had a tremendous view of the field. Shortly thereafter, we said goodbye to each other.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with Jean Ann Harrison at Citi Field as the Pirates came to play the Mets!

Jean Ann & I at Citi Field

Thursday night May 9th the Mets opened a four game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. I was informed earlier in the week that our friend Jean Ann Harrison who happens to be a business partner and friend of Jason Grilli was coming back to NYC. When I heard that, I was all excited. Unfortunately I didn't get to see Jason this time around before any of the games. Jean Ann did though. She told him I said hello.
Jean Ann is a big Met fan. She was dressed in her Met gear. She didn't want to sympathize that Jason was playing against her team. On the other hand, I wanted to see Jason have success. I've met him on a few occasions thanks to her. He's a good guy. Jason has overcome a serious knee injury to get back to the Major Leagues. He's a preserver. I don't have the heart to see him fail even if it's against my team since I like the Mets too.

Jason is now the Pirates' closer. With that being said, he normally comes into a game only when the Pirates are ahead late. On Thursday night, he was summoned from the bullpen with the score tied at two going to the bottom of the ninth inning. He proceeded to give up an infield single to second base to Marlon Byrd who lead off for the Mets. He was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Andrew Brown. With one out, Mike Baxter pinch hit for center fielder Juan Lagares and he became an instant hero for the second time this week as he delivered the game winning hit which made a loser out of Jason Grilli. As a Met fan, Jean Ann was thrilled. As for me, it was bittersweet since I didn't want to see him fail in front of me.

Friday night Jason Grilli got some revenge on Jean Ann. The Mets trailed the Pirates, 7-1 going to the ninth inning. They called on former Yankee Jose Contreras to finish the game but he wound up giving up three hits and a walk while recording just two outs. As a result, he wound up creating a save opportunity. Jason was called on to get the last out with the tying run on deck which meant it was a save situation. He got shortstop Ruben Tejada to fly out to center field. By doing so, he recorded his 14th save of the season. After the game, he wrote JeanAnn a text message and he said and I quote "that was easy." It was a small payback for the night before.

Jean Ann wound up joining us as we went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.

Over the weekend, she joined us again as the Pirates played the Mets.

Stay tuned as I'll go into further detail about how those games played out.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/6 in review

Monday night after work I got to go home and relax for a change. There were no baseball games to attend in the area so I did the next best thing. In other words, I was able to catch up on my blog. I didn't want to fall further behind. As time goes on, I unexpectedly find new things and people to write about. So I need to use my free time wisely.

With that being said, I'm going to summarize the week I had then when I have some spare time I'm going to do some special posts about some people, new and old, I got to meet and greet along the way.
Tuesday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for dinner on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a two game series with the Chicago White Sox who quite amazingly were making their first ever visit to Queens to play the Mets.

Upon arrival, I got to see my pal Sam Citron who greeted me by the Rotunda entrance. He told me that a lady came in earlier with her son. He was describing Rebecca Herman who I met at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. She took a picture of him because I saw it on Twitter. Rebecca said and I quote "Sam is a very nice gentleman." That tweet made me feel real good. Shortly thereafter, I saw another tweet that another person that I follow thanks to other people I know was also at the game. I got all excited about the potential tweet and greet. For some reason, my phone decided to act up. As a result, I couldn't get in touch with Rebecca Herman aka The Baseball PHD. She told me she had seats in the Delta Suite with her son, Trevor who's afraid of heights. With that being said, I decided to go upstairs to section 516 so I could get ready for the game.

We had a nice gathering in the Royal Court if you will as the King and I were joined by the usual regulars, Bryan Gilligan and the Ascanios, Ralph & Vincent aka the Kid. In addition, we also had our friends Frank Anichiarico, Phil Butleman, Pat Gorman, Martin Caamano & Charlie Vitanza in attendance.

As for the game we saw, Matt Harvey was starting for the Mets. With that being said, we knew we had a chance to see a great game. He was opposed by Hector Santiago who started for the White Sox. As advertised, this match up turned out to be a beauty. Matt Harvey out pitched Hector Santiago but neither one got a decision as the game was decided in extra innings. Matt Harvey in fact was almost perfect for the first nine innings. He allowed an infield hit to shortstop Ruben Tejada who couldn't put enough on the throw to get Alex Rios who barely beat it out at first base with two outs in the seventh inning. He struck out twelve batters too. He was simply amazing. Unfortunately the Mets couldn't score a run off the White Sox pitching for the first nine innings either. Santiago pitched well for seven innings. Matt Lindstrom pitched the eighth. Then Nate Jones came on for ninth and he pitched into the tenth when the Mets finally broke through to ultimately win the game, 1-0 thanks to a game winning pinch hit by Mike Baxter to make a winner out of reliever Bobby Parnell who pitched a scoreless tenth for the Mets.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway and Carvel for dinner and dessert on my way to Citi Field.
On this night I was joined by Rich Wolber, Phil Butleman, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman and Charlie Vitanza as well as the usual regulars.

It should be noted that the Hooligan's were present & accounted for in section 513. They made their presence felt when they chanted "Where's the King?". He was talking on his cell phone at the time. As a result, they caught him off guard. It was quite a scene.

As for the game we saw, the White Sox finally got a run in Queens. Lead off batter Alejandro De Aza hit a home run to right field to make it 1-0 right off the bat. The Mets tied it in the second inning when Lucas Duda returned the favor hitting a homer to right. In the third inning, the White Sox got four straight hits after the first out which scored three more runs off Mets starter Jeremy Hefner. They tacked on another run in the seventh and the ninth innings while the Mets added one in the eighth and another in the ninth but they fell short as the White Sox won the game, 6-3 to earn a split in the two game set.

Thursday night after work I went to Checker's for my pre game meal on my way back to Citi Field to see the Mets open a four game weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

When I got upstairs I was joined by Phil Butleman, Manny Morales, Michael Abrams, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel and Martin Caamano.

As for the game we saw, the Mets and Pirates played a seesaw battle as both teams took turns scoring single runs. The game was tied at two going to the bottom of the ninth inning. The Pirates decided to bring in their new closer this year my pal Jason Grilli in a tie game. He gave up an infield single to Marlon Byrd to start the inning who was then bunted to second by Andrew Brown. With one out, Mike Baxter pinch hit for center fielder Juan Lagares who made a nice catch to end the top of the ninth. Baxter became a hero as he delivered the game winning hit to give the Mets a 3-2 victory. Since it came against Jason it was bittersweet for me because I want to see him to do well every time he pitches.

Friday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see game two of the series with the Pirates. I wasn't hungry so I decided to go straight to Citi Field in hopes of seeing Jason Grilli after batting practice ended. Unfortunately I heard Jason went in by the time I arrived. I was surprised but being in a new role this year, he has other responsibilities.

After I struck out, I went upstairs so I could get ready for the game. I had some company. The King, Bryan Gilligan, Vincent Ascanio as usual were already there. In addition, our pals Frank Anichiarico, Al Linderman, Pat Gorman and Alan Gimpel were there too.

As for the game we saw, the Pirates took a 6-0 lead midway through the game. Catcher Anthony Recker hit a solo homer to break the shutout to make it 6-1. The Pirates added another run in the ninth to go up, 7-1. In the bottom of the ninth inning, former Yankee Jose Contreras came in to finish the game. He couldn't get it done. Instead he wound up setting up a save for my pal Jason Grilli who got Ruben Tejada to fly out to center field to end the game as the Mets came up short as they lost, 7-3.

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

Stay tuned for the special posts I plan to write about the people I met along the way. In addition, I'm going to do another special post that we recap the weekend as well.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to PNC Park in Pittsburgh before the season comes to a close!

Jason Grilli signed the ball he threw me & my score book

While I had no games in the local area after work Thursday and Friday night, the King rented a car for four days so he could see more baseball before the regular season ended.

He went to Citizens Bank Park Thursday night to see the Phillies play the Nationals after he went to Citi Field for the last Met home game in the afternoon against the Pirates.

Friday night he went to Baltimore to see the Orioles play the Red Sox. He took our friends Ralph and Vincent Ascanio with him. He drove them back to Brooklyn where they live.

Saturday morning he woke up and he took me to Pittsburgh. We went to PNC Park to see the Pirates play the Cincinnati Reds at 7:05PM. We spent most of the day driving once we left Queens around 10:30AM. We arrived in Pittsburgh shortly after 6PM which worked out well since we park on the street where meters are in effect until 6PM so we didn't have to put any money in for the rest of the night.

On the way to Pittsburgh, I wrote our pal Manny Morales a text message because he was flying from New York to Pittsburgh. He was going to arrive in the early afternoon. I asked him if he could go to the box office and get the King and I a pair of tickets since we didn't have any yet. Manny said that wouldn't be a problem. Shortly after he wrote that, he wrote me again and he said he had two extra tickets because these people we know who he got tickets for got stuck in Columbus, Ohio. They couldn't get on a Greyhound bus like they planned to in order to get to Pittsburgh on time for the game. So with that being said, Manny said the King and I can use the extra sheets of paper he had for them. It was very nice of him. We were very grateful that everything worked out for us.

Once we parked the car, we got in contact with Manny and he met us outside the left field gate by the Willie Stargell statue. We exchanged pleasantries, he gave us the tickets if you will and we proceeded to go in. Our seats were located in section 310 near the top by first base. I told Manny and the King I'll meet them up at the seats.

In the meantime, I went out to the bullpen area which is located in left center field. I was planning to see Jason Grilli when he and the rest of the relief pitchers made their way out to the bullpen. Just before game time they all came out. I saw Jason leading the charge. I got his attention like I told him I would Tuesday night at Citi Field. I brought the ball he threw me during batting practice and he signed it for me. In addition, he signed my score book from the Tuesday game that he appeared in and threw a 1,2,3 scoreless eighth inning as the Pirates went on to beat the Mets, 10-6. I was very grateful that I had the opportunity to see Jason again. He had a great year for the Pirates in his set up role. I hope they reward him with a nice raise and contract that keeps him in Pittsburgh for a few more years. Regardless I don't see why he won't land on a major league roster in 2013. Wherever he goes, I'll be looking to track him down so we can catch up in the future.

After seeing Jason, I went up to see Manny and the King in section 310.

As for the game we saw, runs were few and far between. In fact, the game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Pirates finally broke through. After a lead off hit by Clint Barmes to left field, Chase d'Arnaud came in to pinch run. It paid off as Reds' relief pitcher Jose Arredondo threw the ball away as he tried to pick him off at first base while pinch hitter Brock Holt was batting for Kyle McPherson who pitched six shutout innings. Holt laid down a nice sacrifice bunt that catcher Dioner Navarro picked up and he threw him out at first base. As a result, Chase d'Arnaud advanced to third base with just one out. The lead off batter Alex Presley delivered a double to left center that gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead. After a walk to Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen flew out to center field to end the inning and the threat for more runs.
Jason Grilli came on to pitch the eighth inning in hopes of setting up a save for closer Joel Hanrahan.

Unfortunately Jason had a tough inning. He allowed a lead off double to Ryan Ludwick to start the inning. He moved to third on a bunt by Wilson Valdez with one out. Zack Cozart, the next batter struck out swinging for the second out. Joey Votto was intentionally walked. Didi Gregorious came in to pinch run for Votto. Scott Rolen got a big clutch two out hit to left center that tied the game at one. In all fairness to Jason Grilli, it seemed like he got squeezed a pitch before Rolen came through. Home plate umpire Chris Conroy called a pitch to Rolen a ball on a 2-1 count that made the count 3-1. In my eyes, it looked like a strike. If so, the count would have been 2-2. With that being said, Jason would have had a much chance of pitching out of the jam. After the Reds tied the score, Jason rebounded to struck out Jay Bruce to stop the bleeding. Jason came off the mound fired up in elation as he minimized the damage.

After closer Joel Hanrahan came into a tied game, he escaped a few walks in the top of the ninth inning to keep the game tied at one. In the bottom of the ninth, with one out Andrew McCutchen had a chance to redeem himself since he failed in the seventh to add an insurance run. He did so in dramatic fashion as he hit a game winning homer to right center field to win the game for the Pirates, 2-1 as they raised the Jolly Roger. With that, Manny, the King and I made our way out of the ballpark. The majority of the crowd stayed because they were having a post game concert as well as a spectacular fireworks show which we watched as we walked back to the car.

As a token of appreciation, we drove Manny back to his hotel in nearby Oakland, PA. He was grateful that we gave him a ride. He's been so good to us over the years. That's the least we could do for him. Manny was staying over for the game on Sunday as well.

As for the King and I, we drove to Somerset, PA where we spent the night.

Stay tuned for the next leg of this adventurous getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty does the Chicago/Milwaukee shuttle to start the Labor Day weekend Part 2!

Brewers win, 3-2 thanks to Corey Hart

After we spent the night sleeping at Super 8 by O'Hare Airport in Elk Grove Village, the King and I ate breakfast there too before we headed out to start our busy day. It worked out well as we got to choose from cereal, toast and waffles along with juice, milk, coffee and tea.

After we ate, we drove back to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs host the Giants in game two of their three game set.

We wound up parking the car on the street again in the neighborhood for free. On the way to Wrigley, we stopped off at Artemio's Bakery where bought a few cookies and they hit the spot.

Once we got to the ballpark, we had to look for tickets for the game since we only had tickets for Friday and Sunday's games. Originally this game was going to start at 3:05PM but Fox decided not to show this game because the Cubs were so bad. As a result, the game time was changed to 12:05PM. With that being said, the Brewers were home at 6:10PM so we decided to do the Chicago/Milwaukee shuttle again.

As for tickets, we wound up getting them outside. One cost us $10 and the other one we got the guy told me to go in with him so that was free. We split the cost so we each paid $5. I'm glad the Cubs have had a bad season. By doing so, we got tickets cheap and we got to go back to Milwaukee too. Another day and we got to see another doubleheader of baseball.

As for the game we saw, the Giants learned their lesson after they lost to the Cubs Friday afternoon. This time they jumped on the Cubs right off the bat as they scored four runs as catcher Hector Sanchez got hit by a pitch which drove in the first run. Then Xavier Nady followed with a bases clearing three run double. They added a run in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. The Cubs broke the shutout in the third inning as David DeJesus hit a two run homer off Giants' starter Tim Lincecum, who's had an off year, went six and a third innings to earn the victory as the Giants won, 5-2. Ironically the game took three hours and nine minutes which was the same exact time of Friday's game. Since the game started 15 minutes earlier than Friday we had a little more time to get to Milwaukee.

We went back to the car and we headed back to Milwaukee on US 41. Since we had more time, we decided to stop off fast at Brown's Chicken in Gurnee, Illinois which was right on the side of the road in a small shopping center that was connected with a Citgo gas station. We wound up taking out some food and we ate it in the car as we continued to make our way back to Miller Park. We wound up taking 25 minutes to do so. That was longer than we expected but at least our food was made to order and it tasted really good.

I wound up parking the car in the same area as I did Friday night on the street. This time I parked at 5:50PM. We walked over and we still needed tickets for the game. This time I got a ticket for $10 and the King wound up getting one for free. Once again we paid only $5 each. We ran inside and we even got up to the upper deck in time for the first pitch. Another on time arrival. This was the 20th game I've seen at Miller Park. I've been there at least every year since it opened its doors in April 2001.

As for the game we saw, the Pirates' A.J. Burnett, a former Yankee pitched well as he held the Brewers without a hit for five and two third innings. He did allow a run to score on a wild pitch though. The Brewers finally got a hit and they eventually tied the game at two after the Pirates took a brief lead at 2-1. Jason Grilli came on in the bottom of the eighth inning. He managed to keep the game tied despite having to work around an error and an intentional walk. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Corey Hart of the Brewers ended the game with a game winning home run off the second pitch he saw from Pirates' closer Joel Hanrahan who took the loss as the Brewers won, 3-2 in dramatic fashion.

After the game, we drove back to the Super 8 in Elk Grove Village to spend the night again. On the way back, the King said he was hungry so we decided to stop off at Steak N Shake which was located at Gurnee Mills. We went in and we had some steakburger sliders to go along with a shake. It turned out to be a great decision.

Once we were done we drove back to the hotel and we got a good night sleep.

Stay tuned for the next installment as I continue to recap the rest of the getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with Jason Grilli again in Pittsburgh at PNC Park!

                              Jason Grilli

Jason Grilli

Last year, I found out my friend Jean Ann Harrison, was conversing with Jason Grilli through Twitter. As a result, they wound up becoming business partners. Jean Ann was able to set up an opportunity for me to meet Jason in Lehigh Valley.

As for Jason, he was trying to overcome a setback that forced him to miss the entire 2010 baseball season. Jason being a perseverer never gave up on his dream to get back to the Major Leagues.

He was originally drafted in the first round back in 1997 out of Seton Hall University by the San Francisco Giants. Since then he has bounced around the Major Leagues playing with a number of different teams. Despite this latest injury he was determined to get back to the Show.

He wound up signing a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies before spring training started in 2011. He got sent to Lehigh Valley which was the Phillies' Triple A affiliate. While there he impressed the right people and due to a clause in his contract, he was set free and he was able to sign a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates last July 21st. By doing so, he got to be reunited with his former manager, Clint Hurdle who managed him with the Colorado Rockies back in 2008. Jason finished the 2011 season with the Pirates and he pitched well. As a result, they gave him a contract for 2012.

So far this season Jason has been used out of the bullpen primarily in the eighth inning to set up their closer Joel Hanrahan. He's done a fabulous job and he may even earn a spot on the National League All-Star team. If  Jason makes the All-Star team it will be a honor and privilege for him. With all the hard work he's put into his comeback, it would be a dream come true for him. Regardless he's an inspiration for those not to give up on your dream in life.

Since I was going to see the Pirates play I wanted to make sure I got to see Jason myself before the game. Saturday night there was no batting practice so I didn't get the opportunity to do so. Sunday before the game I decided to go by the bullpen area since I got in after batting practice was over. I got the attention of the Pirates' bullpen coach Euclides Rojas and he told me Jason will be out there just before the game starts. With that being said, I decided I'm going to wait so I can see him. Needless to say, I got my way.

The most amazing thing was when I came into the ballpark Saturday night I grabbed a bunch of programs that they give out when you come in. I didn't even look at the cover right away. Ironically when I finally decided to look it at I couldn't believe what I saw. Jason Grilli was on the cover and they had a great article about him inside. When I saw him on the cover, I really got excited. The Pirates recognized his hard work and dedication to the organization by putting him on the cover. What perfect timing since we were there that weekend.

When I got to meet him Sunday afternoon by the bullpen, he was kind enough to sign three of them for me as well as my scorecard. I told him Jean Ann said hello. He told me she's a great lady. I told him she certainly is. He's such a nice guy like Jean Ann told me he was.

To top off the day, since Joel Hanrahan pitched in three straight games he needed a day off so Jason was given the opportunity to close the game on Sunday. He yielded a soft single and a walk since he didn't get any help from home plate umpire Derryl Cousins after a sacrifice bunt. He proceeded to bear down and he overcame the apparent bad call and/or lack of strike zone to strikeout the next two batters one swinging and the other looking to end the game and he preserved the victory for starter A.J. Burnett who pitched well. Jason was all fired up on the mound as he notched his first save as a Pittsburgh Pirate and we were there to see it on the day the King saw his 7,000th baseball game. You couldn't write a more perfect script as Jason delivered the "Perfect Pitch" that enabled him to strike out the competition. Great job as always by Jason on and off the field. Hope he can continue to pitch well and earn a spot on the All-Star team.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty and company go to Pittsburgh and get a pleasant surprise upon arrival!

Steve Fekete with the King for Game #6,999 on 6.9.12

Saturday morning I got up early so I could go to Avis to pick up a car rental for the weekend. I wound up renting a Crown Victoria which worked out well since the King and I were being joined by our pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike.

I got in the car and I drove back to Astoria to pick up the King. We went to where he works because I told our friend Mike Carroll to meet us there since he was taking a Metro North train to Grand Central Station which was a few blocks away.

We picked him up around 10:40AM and off to Pittsburgh we went to see the Pirates play the Kansas City Royals at 7:15PM. It should be noted this was going to be Mike Carroll's first visit to PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After making a few stops along the way, we arrived within walking distance of the ballpark around 5:30PM. We put a few quarters in the meter which was in effect until 6PM and we were good for the night.

After doing so, we walked over to the ballpark and we went to the box office by the left field gate to get tickets for the game. I asked what the cheapest tickets they had available. They told me all the standing room tickets were sold out. The young man at the window said he had a single ticket for $18 in the upper level. I was a bit surprised by his answer. I walked away and told the King and Mike Carroll what he said. Mike decided he'll buy that ticket. We wanted to make sure he got in first since it was his first time there.
As for the King and I, we walked down the block and we went to the ticket window by the home plate gate. I went up to the window there and the lady at the window said she had a few standing room tickets available for the game. That was amazing because I was just told they were sold out by the left field gate. With that being said, the King and I lucked out. I gave the King his ticket so he could go in since he needed to go to the bathroom. I then decided to get us tickets for the Sunday game so we could just go in once we got there. I wound up getting $10 tickets. The lady at the window was very nice and helpful. She told me the same tickets are $12 the day of the game.

After I got myself together, I was going to go inside the ballpark. All of a sudden, I got an unexpected surprise. Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk was standing in front of me. I reacted by saying and I quote "what the eff are you doing here". He totally caught me off guard. I told him I thought you were going to be in Milwaukee to see your Padres play. He said he was last night. He wound up flying in to Pittsburgh to take part in this historic weekend for the King.

He spend $300 to do so. What a nice gesture and pleasant surprise it was to have him there with us. He proceeded to get himself a ticket for the game.

I told him he lucked that I wound up walking down to that home plate gate. I normally would have got my ticket by the left field gate. When the young man said the standing room tickets were sold out it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Steve got to find me outside the ballpark. After we spoke briefly we headed back down towards the left field gate and we went in.

After we got our tickets scanned, they gave out free programs. I decided to help myself to a bunch of them since they were there for the taking. The lady who was standing nearby decided to give me an attitude. She asked me why I needed so many. I told her I need them for friends. She looked at me like I was crazy. I thought she had some nerve since I was a paying customer. It's not the first time I've been treated like that when I've gone to Pittsburgh and I'm sure it won't be the last time either. That's just the way it is.

Shortly thereafter, I decided to actually look at the program and I noticed it had Jason Grilli on the cover, I couldn't believe it. I went back and I took some more from a different area. That was a highlight for me since I was hoping to see him during batting practice. Unfortunately there was no batting practice for some reason.
Steve and I proceeded to go to section 116 which is behind home plate. That's where the King said he would be. Steve then surprised him. It turned out to be quite a treat to have him with us.

Steve said he wanted to be part of the King's historic weekend and he was.

As for the game we saw, the Pirates beat the Royals in a very sloppy played game, 5-3. Both teams honored the Negro Leagues by wearing their uniforms. The Pirates wore ones from the Grays and the Royals wore ones from the Monarchs. Ironically a few years ago we were with Steve when we visited the Negro Leagues  Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

This was the 6,999th baseball game for the King.

Stay tuned for the special post that will recap his historic 7,000th game on Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

The King is planning to see his 7,000th Baseball Game Live in Pittsburgh at PNC Park!

Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car Saturday morning from Avis for the weekend.

We're driving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before we return to NYC late Sunday night.

Saturday, June 9th Royals at Pirates 7:05PM

Sunday,  June 10th Royals at Pirates 1:35PM

**If mother nature cooperates between now and then this will be the King's historic 7,000th baseball game he's seen live in person**

If you want to join us to take part in this special occasion let me know so I can arrange for you to be 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 is proud of Jason Grilli - he's living proof that hard work pays off!

Please see the link below.

Jason's is a hometown hero in his own way.

He's an inspiration to hard workers like myself.

http://mobile.syracuse.com/advsyra/pm_103258/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=theoVSou

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Jason Grilli is returning to the Big Show with the Pittsburgh Pirates!

The other day I found out the great news I was waiting to hear for almost two months. That is Jason Grilli is coming back to the Major Leagues where he belongs.

Thanks to a special clause in his contract and his great work with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies this season, he got the call he's been waiting for.

Jason has fought long and hard for this day to come. He overcame a knee injury which forced him out of action for the entire 2010 season. He was also slowed down by a minor injury back in May this year. Despite that minor setback, he's back.

He will be joining the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow when they open a series against their division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The irony of the situation is that Jason will be reunited with his old manager Clint Hurdle who managed the Colorado Rockies back in 2008 when Jason pitched for them.

In addition, the big royal road trip starts in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. With that being said, the timing for Jason in my eyes couldn't have come at a better time. I hope to be able to see him again during batting practice. If I don't, I hope I get to see his Pirates' debut in relief.

Regardless if I see him in person during batting practice and/or on the mound, I want to wish him only the very best in the future.

The lesson to be learned here is that perseverance pays off in the long run. Don't give up on your dreams. Keep plugging away and you'll eventually make them happen.

Jason did and now he will continue to strike out the competition on and off the field.

I'll be tracking his appearances every game he pitches as the Pirates continue their Cinderella season in Pittsburgh. Let's Go Bucs!

For more takes on Jason's return to the "Big Show". Please see below:

http://blogs.mcall.com/ironpigs/2011/07/ironpigs-about-to-lose-grilli-.html

http://www.whygavs.com/pittsburgh-pirates/july-2011/pirates-acquire-jason-grilli-says-jason-grilli.html

As always, thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/30 in review

Mets Season Ticket Holder of the Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Miller Park after enjoying the "Suite" life at Wrigley Field!

Miller Park

After you go to baseball heaven, things tend to spiral downward. In other words, when you start at the top, it's all downhill from there.

As for the King and I, we still try to make the best of the circumstances we're given.

With that being said, we attacked the Chicago rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon and we made our way to Miller Park in Milwaukee so we could see another baseball game.

I managed to do 24 miles in the first hour upon our departure from the streets of Wrigleyville at 4:47PM.

The second hour I managed to do another 59 miles. A few minutes later I wound up parking the car on the street within walking distance of Miller Park at 6:51PM for a 7:10PM first pitch as the Milwaukee Brewers were taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We survived the worse drive of the trip. We knew exactly what to expect since we've done this drive numerous times over the last 20 years.

As for Miller Park, it's located across the way from where Old County Stadium was. With that being said, it's a convenient location and more importantly it has a retractable roof so they can play the game regardless of the weather conditions.

In order to get to Miller Park from Chicago you have to eventually take I-94 West which goes through South Milwaukee where the airport is located at exit 318. You continue through downtown Milwaukee which is exit 312 I believe. Please be aware of the construction that's ongoing in this area. Once you get through that, you'll see Miller Park in the distance. As you approach the area, there are signs that guided you to Miller Park Way which is exit 308 and before you know it you have arrived.

You can park in their massive parking lots which surround the stadium. If you choose to do so, I strongly suggest you get there early if possible so you can take in the Wisconsin experience.

Whenever we've gone to a Brewer game in Milwaukee, it always seems like we're at a football game because everybody's outside their cars tailgating and having a great time before they decide to head into the ballpark.

Milwaukee is known for its beer and brats. In matter of fact, the Miller Brewery is located right nearby. You can even smell the alcohol as you walk over to the ballpark which makes for a fitting touch.

As for the brats, Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin has the best around. They serve a brand called Klement's. When you go to a Brewer game, treat yourself to one and see. Please make sure you eat it right by requesting sauerkraut and the famous secret sauce that they use to give it that unique taste.

By doing so, you may not be in baseball heaven like in Chicago but you'll be in Brat heaven instead.
As for the usual game experience, Miller Park like County Stadium provides for an unique family entertainment atmosphere.

At Miller Park, they're celebrating their 10th anniversary. The Brewer tradition has continued throughout the years. From the famous Sausage race to the 7th inning stretch when they "Roll out the Barrel" to Bernie Brewer going down his slide in left field when a Brewer hits a home run.

Furthermore, they even have one dollar tickets on the day of the game. They're known as the "Uecker" seats in honor of their radio announcer, the legendary Bob Uecker, who is notorious for saying and I quote "I must be in the front row". That's another reason to get to Miller Park early so you can get in for just a buck.

As for the game, we saw the Brewers beat up on their whipping boys, the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2.

The Brewers had beaten the Pirates 29 out of their last 31 games that were played here in Milwaukee.

Regardless of the outcome, it was fun to be in the building to take in all of the traditional festivities.

Stay tuned as the best is still yet to come from this incredible weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty enjoys the "Suite" life at Wrigley Field!

"Suite"

Once the King and I arrived in Chicago at O'Hare airport on Friday morning, life was good.

The weather at that time was gorgeous. As the day wore on, the temperature dropped considerably.

Fortunately for us we got hooked up with tickets to the Fox suite at Wrigley Field which was located right by third base. I just had to go to the Will Call window to pick them up.

I want to thank my former co-worker here at Fox in New York, Walter Augustin for making this possible for the King and I and our friend Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports fan who lives up the block from the friendly confines.

Walter now works at our Fox affiliate WFLD in Chicago. When he heard I was coming to town the day before he arranged to accomodate me and my friends. We had a great time in the suite thanks to our fine host Tim who made sure everything ran smoothly. We got to enjoy free food and the drinks were on the house too.

More importantly, the King and I met a lady named Rebecca Barr who was enjoying the game in the suite with us. She made a great situation even better. We got to talk baseball with her. She grew up near Peoria, Illinois in a very small town she said. Peoria is located between Chicago and St. Louis. She happens to be a Cardinal fan. I respect that. I did tell her this is baseball heaven though. Nothing beats seeing a baseball game at Wrigley Field. The setting here is so unique.

As for the game we saw, the Cubs were playing the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants.

The Cubs wound up putting their hitting shoes on as they proceeded to pound the World Champs, 11-4 on this Friday afternoon. With the Cubs getting the win, they raised the blue "W" and the home crowd walked out singing happily to their special song when they win. These days it's a "Way of Life" on the North side of the Windy City.

After the game, the King and I went up to Milwaukee to see the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park a mere 85 miles away. It's alot harder than it sounds because we had to battle the impossible Chicago rush hour traffic in order to get there in a timely fashion.

Please stay tuned as I go into detail about our second game of the day.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman