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 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 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 says goodbye to Chipper Jones at Citi Field!

Congratulations, Chipper! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 8/6 in review

Citi Field - Home of 2013 All-Star Game

Monday night after work I went home to rest up since there were no games in the area for me to go to. It was nice to come home and relax for a change.

Tuesday night after work I went to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Marlins. On my way there, I stopped off at Wendy's and I had a baconator combo meal. It was as good as advertised.

When I got done, I got back on the 7 train and I went to Citi Field. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Sam Citron, the security guard who is a big fan of the King and I. He told me he was being honored by the Mets for being employee of the month for July. I congratulated him for his much deserved honor. As he always says and I quote "it's always a pleasure."

I proceeded to go in and I went up to my seat in section 516 to watch the game. Shortly thereafter, I was greeted by my pal Manny Bonilla who was there. It was nice to see him again. We were joined by the King as well as Ralph and Vincent Ascanio.

In a pre game ceremony, the Mets unveiled the logo for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game which will be held on July 16th at Citi Field.

As for the game we saw, the Marlins jumped on the Mets as they scored four runs in the fourth inning after matching zeros for the first three innings. In the process, former Met Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 25 consecutive games with an infield single. The Mets fought back with a pair of runs in the fifth inning but that's the way it stayed as the Marlins held on to beat the Mets, 4-2.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway and Carvel for dinner on my way back to Citi Field for game two of the series between the Mets and the Marlins.

This time I didn't get to see Sam at the gate but I did get inside in time to see him honored on the field on the Citi vision screen. It was great to hear his name announced on the public address system as he was greeted by Mets' bench coach Bob Geren.

As for the game we saw, the Mets fell behind right off the bat as Jose Reyes hit a solo home run to extend his hitting streak to 26 games in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton followed a walk to Carlos Lee with a two run homer to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead. It turned out to be all they would need as they shutout the Mets but they tacked on more and then some as the game wore on. Stanton hit another two run homer as the Marlins pounded Chris Young and the Mets, 13-0.

Thursday night after work I went home since the Mets and Marlins wrapped up their three game series in the afternoon. In the process, Jose Reyes' hitting streak ended as the Mets won to salvage a game after dropping the first two. As for me, I went home to rest and catch up on things around the house.

Friday night after work I returned to Citi Field as the Atlanta Braves came to town to play the Mets.
I stopped off at Taste of Dolly's for my pre game meal this time.

After I ate, the Q48 bus was coming so I took it instead of hopping back on the 7 train for one stop. If I wanted to get some exercise, I could have walked over.

Upon entry to Citi Field, I saw Sam and we exchanged pleasantries. After doing so, I headed inside.
When I got up to my perch in Section 516, I was greeted by our pals Manny Morales, Marc Beck, David Sack, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan and Alan Gimpel. It was great to see them all again.

As for the game we saw, Mets rookie pitcher Matt Harvey was making his Citi Field debut after he made his major league debut in Phoenix. He then pitched in San Francisco and San Diego. I was anxious to see him pitch live. After a shaky start, he settled in and he pitched well all things considered. He allowed a two run homer to Jason Heyward in the first inning and that was it. He did struggle with his control as he walked five in the first three innings. He shut the Braves down over the last three innings as he pitched before he departed trailing 2-0 after 6 innings. Unfortunately Paul Maholm who started for the Braves was too dominant on this night as he shut out the Mets giving up just three hits. He went the distance as he beat the Mets, 4-0 spoiling Matt Harvey's home debut.

After the game, Bryan drove the King and I to Donovan's Pub in Woodside where we met up with our friend Frank Anichiarico who joined us for a post game meal.

Saturday during the day I was able to go shopping and I did my laundry before I headed back to Citi Field to see the Mets battle the Braves in game two of the three game set at night. I met up with my Cousin Andy who joined me for the game. I want to personally thank my pal Manny Morales for giving me a ticket for him. That was very kind of him. Needless to say, my Cousin Andy was very grateful for Manny's generosity.
Besides my Cousin Andy, we had more company as our pals Phil Butleman, David Sack, Frank Anichiarico, Ralph and Vincent Ascanio were present and accounted for. Their presence made for a fun night in the stands.

As for the game we saw on the field, that was another story. I was excited because Johan Santana was starting for the Mets. Unfortunately he wasn't long for the night. He gave up a few runs in the first inning then he couldn't finish the second inning as he left trailing 9-0. At that point, the game was already decided. The Mets managed to score some runs but they wound up losing this one, 9-3.

Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see my Cousin Andy again as well as the rest of the bunch.
Sunday I took it easy during the day as the Mets and the Braves were wrapping their three game series on ESPN Sunday night baseball.

I arranged to meet my pal Mike Carroll who I got a ticket for at Citi Field.

As for the game we saw, it looked like the Mets were going to salvage a game without breaking a sweat. After Mets starter Jonathon Niese pitched great for eight innings, Mets manager Terry Collins decided to take his chances with his bullpen to finish this one. The Mets lead, 6-1 at the time. The Met bullpen did their very best to scare us to death. They held on barely. It took three relievers to put this one away. The last batter Jason Heyward of the Braves struck out and the ball got away. He ran to first and he was called out by a footstep it was that close. That would have tied the game at six. The Mets won, 6-5 the hard way.

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty witnesses history as the Mets finally pitch a No-Hitter thanks to No-Han at Citi Field!

No-Han!

After work Friday night I went to Taste of Dolly's again to have dinner. While I was there, my pal Manny Bonilla called me. I told him I was there. He wanted to join me. I waited for him. We ate then we took the train to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Cardinals.

We went to the Rotunda entrance where we were greeted by Sam Citron which set the tone for a memorable night.

We proceeded up to the upper deck to our usual perch. On this night, our bunch decided to sit in section 517. I wound up sitting in row 14 seat 5. I never moved.

We had a nice gathering on hand. We had the King, Frank Anichiarico, Bryan Gilligan, Ralph & Vincent Ascanio. Phil Butleman, David Sack & Joe Klein were all back for more on this night. In addition, we had Danny Werba and Donald Cohen aka Fuzzy a New York institution as he's known by many over the years.
Little did we know, we were going to see history on this night.

After playing 8,020 games in their 50 plus year history, the Mets finally got a no-hitter as Mets' pitcher Johan Santana etched his name in the history book as he didn't allow a hit as he beat the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, 8-0 to become the first Mets' pitcher to finally throw a no-hitter.

Despite a blown call by third base umpire Adrian Johnson in the sixth inning, the no-hitter remained intact. In the seventh inning, Mets' outfielder Mike Baxter who's from nearby Whitestone, NY saved the day in his backyard as he reached out with his left arm to make a great catch before he ran into the wall. He managed to hold on to the ball. He wound up leaving the game with a shoulder injury though.

At 9:48PM, Santana got World Series MVP David Freese to swing at ball four to end the game which preserved his no-hitter with Yadier Molina left on deck. Santana finished the game allowing 5 walks and he struck out 8 while throwing 134 pitches to complete the game.

In unison, we all jumped for joy in stunned disbelief. Finally a Met pitcher has thrown a no-hitter.

It was the first no-hitter witnessed by many of the young fans who were amongst us.

It was my first National League no-hitter and my sixth overall that I've been fortunate enough to see.

Here's a list of the other ones I've seen.

1. May 14,1996 Dwight Gooden, a former Met, pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees as they beat the Seattle Mariners, 2-0 at Yankee Stadium. Gooden struck out 5 and he walked 6. Ironically he threw 134 pitches that was the same amount Johan Santana needed to secure his.

2. May 17, 1998 David Wells pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins as the Yankees won, 4-0. Wells struck out 11 that day at Yankee Stadium.

3. July 18, 1999 David Cone, another former Met, pitched a perfect game on Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees beat the Montreal Expos, 6-0. Cone fanned 10 batters in the process.

4. June 11, 2003 It took six pitchers to no-hit the Yankees as the Houston Astros accomplished the feat. Starter Roy Oswalt got hurt and he only lasted one inning. He was followed by Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner who all combined to not allow a hit as the Astros beat the Yankees, 8-0.

5. July 27, 2011 I saw my first no-hitter on the road in Cleveland at Progressive Field with Paul Derrick. The Angels' Ervin Santana allowed a run but not a hit as the Angels beat the Indians, 3-1. He walked one and struck out 10.

Stay tuned as the amazing weekend continued.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/28 in review

National Anthem on Memorial Day

Monday was Memorial Day so I was off from work so to speak. It was a day of remembrance as we saluted the fallen heroes who lost their lives fighting for our right to live free here in America. They may be gone but they're never forgotten.

As for the King and I we went to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Phillies in a holiday matinee game.
Our friend Frank Anichiarico joined us so did Vincent Ascanio. We also had our pal Frankie Centola who came up from Philadelphia for the game. We arranged to get him a ticket.

As for the game we saw, the Phillies scored first as former Met Ty Wigginton delivered a two run double in the third inning. The Mets tied it in the fifth inning as Vinny Rottino hit a laser beam over the fence in left field to tie the game at two. In the sixth inning, the Phillies regained the lead as John Mayberry Jr. hit a two run homer to make it 4-2 Phillies. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mets tied it up again as Scott Hairston hit a two run home run. In the seventh inning, Ty Wigginton got a run scoring single to give the Phillies' a 5-4 lead. He continued to haunt his former team as he hit a three run homer to put the game out of reach as the Phillies beat the Mets, 8-4. Ty Wigginton finished the game with three hits, a single, double and home run. He also walked twice and he drove in six runs. What a game he had. The Mets had a chance to win this game but their bullpen imploded.

After the game, since we had no other games to get to, we wound up going home.

Tuesday morning before I went back to work, I went to Avis to return the car I rented for the weekend. I safely drove 423 miles over the long holiday weekend. After work I went to Taste of Dolly's for dinner on my way to Citi Field.

I hopped back on the 7 train for one stop to get to Citi Field. On my way, I got a tweet from a fellow ballpark chaser, Bill Pritchard who said he's going to the game too.

We wound up hooking up for a little while. It was great to meet and greet him. He told me he was making a road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee in the middle of June. He said the furthest West he's ever been was Cleveland. I told him he was in for a treat. He's going to Wrigley Field to see his favorite team, the Red Sox play the Cubs. He's going to see the Cubs play the White Sox on the South side and he'll be heading up to Miller Park in Milwaukee too while he's out there. I suggested that he get some Ballpark E-Guides that way he can have some great helpful information to guarantee he has an absolute blast. We exchanged contact information so we can hook up again in the future.

We also got a visit from our pal Andy Weinstein who was at the game.

As for the game we saw, the Mets rebounded as they dodged the rain drops that delayed the game just over an hour in the bottom of the eighth inning as they beat the Phillies, 6-3.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Phillies in the rubber match of the three game series. I was joined by the King who got the crowd in our section going with his signature strikeout call. Some nights are better than others. This was one of the better ones. We also had some other company as our pal Phil Butleman was present and accounted for. He was joined by a nice young man, David Sack who he knows from going to see LIU basketball. We also had our buddy Mike Klein there who made a rare appearance. He was a regular at Shea back in the day. He had his nephew Joe Klein with him. It was great to see both of them. In addition, Ralph and Vincent Ascanio were on hand as they usually are.

As for the game we saw, it was close like Monday afternoon until the bullpen came in when Mets manger Terry Collins decided to pull starter Dillon Gee with two outs in the seventh inning. Bobby Parnell came in and he allowed the tying run to score. The game was tied at three. The Mets' bullpen sprung a leak and the game got further away as the Phillies' went on to win the game, 10-6. As a result, they won the series two games to one.

Thursday night after work I had a night off since they were no games in the area. It worked out because I was able to catch on things at home.

Stay tuned for some special posts I'm going to do that will recap the surprising amazing weekend I had.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/23 in review

Royal View from Section 420B Row 7 at Yankee Stadium

Since the Mets and Giants got rained out Sunday afternoon, they were forced to play a single admission old school doubleheader Monday starting at 4:10PM.

Since I had to work until 5:30PM, I couldn't get to Citi Field in time to see an official game so I caught the last few innings of the first game that the Mets lost, 6-1.

There was a very sparse gathering for the twin bill. With that being said, I still knew a number of people who were sitting in the area where the King and I sit. Our friends, Frank Anichiarico and Al Linderman were among them. They both like the Giants so they got to take advantage of the opportunity to see two games for the price of one like the good old days. Our pal Mike Jaffee was also in the building. He usually comes to the midweek afternoon games which I'm not able to attend because of work. With that being said, it was nice to see him again.

In addition, Vincent Ascanio and his father Ralph were present and accounted for.

It was a brutally cold night and the Mets play on the field made it feel even worse as they proceeded to lose the second game of the double dip by a score of 7-2. They fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and they couldn't catch up the rest of the night.

Tuesday night I went back to Citi Field as the Mets welcomed back former Met shortstop Jose Reyes who signed to play with the Miami Marlins as a free agent in the off season. The Marlins were visiting for the first time this season.

The Mets showed class as they gave him a video tribute before the game. The Met fans on the other hand, greeted him with a serenade of boos when he came up to lead off the game. The last game he played as a Met didn't sit well in the eyes of many Met fans and it showed. He got a hit and he left the game to preserve his batting title. Now he's playing for the enemy.

Reyes hit a long fly ball that center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis snagged at the wall for the first out of the game. He proceeded to go hit less the rest of the night in his four at bats which really pleased the crowd.

The Mets went on to beat the Marlins, 2-1 as Lucas Duda broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lost in the shuffle were the wasted pitching efforts by the Marlins' Josh Johnson who pitched well for six and two thirds innings as he walked one and struck out nine and Johan Santana of the Mets who matched him as he walked two and fanned eleven batters over his six and two thirds innings of work. The Mets failed to hold their 1-0 lead. As a result, Santana got a no decision as did Josh Johnson.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field for more. This time Jose Reyes after going hit less in three more at bats finally got a hit against his former team in his last at bat as he delivered a single. The Mets wound up getting the last laugh as they beat the Marlins again, 5-1.

Thursday night after work I went home to rest up and recharge the batteries.

Friday night after work I went up to the Bronx as the Detroit Tigers were making their only visit to the Stadium to play the Yankees. The last time the Tigers came to Yankee Stadium they ended the Yankees' season prematurely in early October.

With Justin Verlander starting for the Tigers, it looked like the Tigers would pick up where they left off. He left the game with a 6-5 lead after six innings but the Tiger bullpen sprung a leak as they blew the lead and the game in the eighth and ninth innings as the Yankees emerged victorious, 7-6.

Saturday afternoon I went back to the Bronx to see game two of the series.

The Tigers rebounded to even the series at a game a piece as rookie Drew Smyly pitched well for six plus innings as he picked up his first Major League win. He allowed a run on two hits as the Tigers beat the Yankees, 7-5. Freddy Garcia of the Yankees got hit hard as the Tigers knocked him out of the game in the second inning. The Yankees stormed back in the ninth inning against Tiger closer Jose Valverde who needed the work but they fell short as Eric Chavez flew out to the warning track in right field to end the game with the tying run on base.

After the game, the King and I were joined by our friend Frank Anichiarico as we went to Donovan's Pub for dinner. We all enjoyed our meals and drinks. As for me, I had a pair of pork chops that were to die for. It was a pleasant surprise that they were listed on the specials that night. I lucked out big time.

Sunday afternoon the King and I returned to Yankee Stadium for the rubber match between the Yankees and the Tigers.

CC Sabathia tamed the Tigers for eight innings as the Yankees won the series behind their ace by a score of 6-2. The Tigers hung around for six innings as they trailed by a run 3-2. The Yankees tacked on some insurance runs in the seventh inning and they added another one in the eighth which cost their closer Mariano Rivera a save opportunity. Instead David Robertson came on to pitch the ninth inning and he retired the Tigers 1, 2, 3 to preserve the win for the Yankees.

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

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

Royalty w/o 2/6 in review

Nets and Spurs on Hardwood Classics Night 

Another royal week of stadium travel is in the books.

 Here's how it turned out:

Monday night after work I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play the Utah Jazz with the King. There was some good news and some bad that came out of this game. As for the good, the Knicks rallied around the troops that they had on this night since they were shorthanded. With the aid of somebody named Jeremy Lin who made his first NBA start they found a way to win. They won, 99-88 as they beat the Jazz.

As for the bad news, they played without superstar Amar'e Stoudemire who tragically lost his older brother, Hazell who got killed in a car accident in Florida. To add insult to injury, Carmelo Anthony came up lame early in the game. He was diagnosed with a pulled groin. As a result, he was finished for the night and for the next few weeks as well.

Tuesday night after work, I stayed home so I could do my laundry.

Wednesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ with the King to see a rematch from the week before as the NJ Nets hosted the Detroit Pistons again. This time the Pistons emerged victorious, 99-92. By doing so, they avenged the loss from the week before.

Thursday night after work the King and I went back to Newark to see hockey as the Devils faced off with the St. Louis Blues who were making a rare visit to the area. As for the game we saw, it was a good seesaw battle as both teams exchanged goals during the game. The Blues got the equalizer with 5:50 left in regulation time to knot the game at three. After a scoreless overtime session, the game was decided in a shootout. The Blues' T.J. Oshie scored the first and only goal of the skills competition as the Blues came away with the 4-3 win.

Friday night after work the King and I went back to Madison Square Garden to see more basketball. It was a special night since Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were making their only local area appearance. With the Lakers in the building, the Garden was really rocking. There were a number of Laker fans as usual in attendance.

As for the game we saw, the Knicks were still without their big guns, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. Despite that, once again somebody named Jeremy Lin emerged as the hero on this night. He lead the way as the Knicks got passed Kobe and the Lakers, 92-85. Kobe shot awful early on in this game. He perked up in the second half but it was too little too late as his team fell short on the big stage.

Saturday afternoon the King and I went out to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the LA Kings. I want to personally thank our friend Larry Peim who was kind enough to pick us up and drive us out there. Royal treatment indeed.

As for the game we saw, the Kings and Islanders fought hard in a very physical affair. The game was tied at one after regulation time. Captain Mark Streit of the Islanders netted the game winner 1:36 into overtime to give the Islanders the 2-1 victory.

After the game, Larry dropped off the King and I back home on his way to Bridgeport, Connecticut where he was going to see the Sound Tigers, the Islanders farm team play. He would have gladly taken us with him but since the Nets were playing the Spurs, the King and I wanted to see them play.

In addition, I arranged to have my Cousin Andy join us as well. Our friends Frank Anichiarico, Ralph and his son Vincent Ascanio were also there. It made for a nice social gathering at the arena.

Furthermore, we got to see the San Antonio Spurs who have been a powerful team over the last decade with their silent assassin Tim Duncan and great play making point guard Tony Parker. They made it look easy as they cruised past the Nets, 103-89 on Hardwood Classics night as both teams turned back the clock and they wore old school uniforms which was an added treat. It was also my 1,200th NBA game that I've seen live in my life.

Sunday afternoon the King and I trekked back out to the Nassau Coliseum by public transportation to see the Islanders take on the Florida Panthers on Marvel Comic Book Day. It was a fun day for all the kids that were in attendance. They were able to meet and greet some of their favorite superheroes. The Incredible Hulk, Spiderman and Thor were on hand to keep the children amused during the game and between periods.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders drew first blood as they scored the game's first goal but it went down hill after that as they gave up the next four goals as the Panthers went to win easily, 4-1.

We did have company at the game as our friend Dennis Barbera was there. After the game, he drove the King and I home. More royal treatment. I would like to thank Dennis for taking us back. It was very nice and thoughtful of him.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to be do about somebody named Jeremy Lin.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/2 in review

Rangers Win, 3-2 in OT!

After starting the week at the Winter Classic on Monday, I got a much needed night off on Tuesday after work. Not really I came home and I did my wash in the freezing cold.

Wednesday after work, I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.

As for the game, it was an impressive performance by the Bruins as they overpowered the Devils, 6-1.
Thursday night after work, I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play the Florida Panthers. It was their first game after the Winter Classic.

The Rangers and the Panthers battled it out on the ice as they took turns scoring goals. After regulation time, the game was tied at two. In overtime, Marian Gaborik lit the lamp with 1:31 left to give the Rangers a 3-2 sudden death victory.

Friday night after work I went back to Newark, NJ to see the Devils host the Florida Panthers at the Prudential Center. Patrik Elias of the Devils played in his 1,000th NHL game on this night.

As for the game, the Devils beat the Panthers by a score of 5-2. The score is deceiving because the Devils scored two empty net goals in the last minute. One of them was while they were shorthanded. It was a good competitive game until that point.

Saturday night after resting up during the day and catching up on my necessities, the King and I went out to Newark, NJ again. This time to see the Nets play basketball against the Miami Heat. We had some company as our friends Ralph and Vincent Ascanio were there too. It was nice to see them again. We got to catch up and enjoy each other's company.

As for the game we saw, LeBron James aka LeFraud as I call him, was exciting to watch as he scored 22 points in the first quarter alone. He helped the Heat raced out to a early 10-0 lead. The Nets cut the lead to 2 at 12-10 then the Heat pulled away for good as they cruised to a 101-90 win. LeFraud finished with a game high 32 points. It should be noted that Dwayne Wade didn't play due to an injury.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do a special post about the first ever playoff game at MetLife Stadium that I saw that Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty witnesses a rare Major League Tripleheader in NYC!

Game 2 at Yankee Stadium

Saturday September 24th wasn't your typical day in the park. It was a day spent in two different parks if you will.

For once mother nature set up a unique opportunity for the King and I. We were joined by our friends Bryan Gilligan, Ralph and Vincent Ascanio and Rich Wolber who also decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

The King, Bryan and I stayed at Citi Field and we saw the whole Met game which they wound up winning 2-1 over the Phillies. The game ended at 3:39PM. We then hopped on the subway and we arrived at Yankee Stadium at 4:38PM in the bottom of the second inning with the game scoreless. The Yankees proceeded to score six runs in the bottom of the second. Derek Jeter capped off the scoring in the inning with a three run home run. They tacked on three more to build a 9-0 lead after six innings. The Red Sox scored a run in the seventh inning to break the shutout.

We decided to leave with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning at 6:42PM.

We got back to Citi Field at 7:41PM in the top of the second inning right after the Phillies took a 2-0 lead. They added another run in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead but the Mets stormed back and put up a five spot to take a 5-3 lead. They tacked on another run in the fourth inning as the score remained that way as the Mets beat the Phillies again, 6-3.

It was a unique day in more ways than one. It should be noted that all three games started as follows: 1:12PM, 4:12PM and 7:12PM. The other oddity was the fact that it took us 59 minutes to go from inside one ballpark to the inside of the other ballpark via subway both ways. What a coincidence that was.
Sunday I wound up settling for one game while the King, Bryan Gilligan, Ralph and Vincent Ascanio decided to do the doubleheader.

I went to see the Mets and Phillies at Citi Field then they all went to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play the Red Sox again.

In retrospect, I made the right decision. The Mets fell to the Phillies, 9-4. As for the Yankee game, the Yankees lost to the Red Sox in 14 innings, 7-4 in a game that lasted 5 hours and 11 minutes.

After all, I'm human. I had a very long and exhausting week. I needed to recharge the batteries.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 9/5 in review

View from Section 319

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/9 in review

After having a night off after work on Monday night, I was able to gear up for the busy week that lied ahead.
Tuesday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Kansas City Royals who were making their one and only visit to the Stadium this year.

One of their biggest fans was in the house for the three game set. I'm talking about Super Fan Chris Coats Coats. Stay tuned as I'll be doing another special post on him.

For those of you who can't wait to read about the latest installment of his meeting up with royalty here in NYC, please feel free to check out the previous post I did about him last July when we visited the renovated Kaufman Stadium. That will give you a feel for who he is and what he's about.

As for the game we saw, the Royals got only one run courtesy of the "Melk Man" aka Melky Cabrera as the former Yankee went deep as they fell to the Yankees, 3-1 to open the series in the Bronx.

Wednesday night the Royals fought hard and managed to pull out a 4-3 11 inning victory over the mighty Yankees which took a mere 4 hours and 31 minutes to play. On this night, Royals top prospect first baseman Eric Hosmer hit his first major league home run and for good measure he also drove in the game winning run with a sacrifice fly. What a night for the rookie who just got called up from the minor leagues.

Thursday night the Royals were trying to do something they hadn't done in the Bronx since 1999, that being winning a series from the Yankees. They finally did and here's how they did it.

They got off to a fast start by building an 8-0 lead after 5 innings. The Yankees proceeded to slice the deficit in half at 8-4. The Royals added additional runs to make it 11-4 before Alex Rodriguez aka A-Rod hit a meaningless home run to make the final score 11-5.

Once again the Royals were lead by the "Melk Man" who hit another home run and Eric Hosmer who followed up his memorable night by going 3 for 5 with another homer, a single and a double. The future may very well be brighter in KC in the near future.

It should be noted that royalty had some company in the stands as Ralph Ascanio and his son Vinny were present and accounted for on this night. It was great to have them there with us. In addition, they had the thrill of meeting Superfan Chris Coats in person. Vinny cherished the moment.

A reminder to stay tuned for the write up on Superfan Chris Coats who's been making a name for himself out in the heartland and other parts of the country these days.

In addition, I'll be doing a very special post on the epic weekend that the King and I spent in Chicago and Milwaukee.

It was a weekend for the ages to say the least. Over the years, the King and I have made some of the most amazing trips ever designed but this one was unique in its own way.

Please stay tuned to hear how it unfolded. It will definitely be worth the wait.

Please bear with me so I can relive it to the best of my ability since I do all my writing by memory and I'm always pressed to find the spare time I need to do so properly for your reading pleasure.

Remember this blog would be nothing without great people like you that take your precious time to read it.

As always thank you for reading and following along. I greatly appreciate all of your support.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty knows the Mets Season Ticket Holder of the Game!

Ralph Ascanio

On Friday night at Citi Field, the King's co-worker, Ralph Ascanio was selected as the Mets season ticket holder of the game. As a result, he got on the diamond vision saying the two words a baseball fan longs to hear before the game starts. Those words are "Play Ball."

It was great to see Ralph do the honors. He was with his son Vincent who's a big baseball fan as well. Nothing beats seeing a father and son who enjoy watching the National Pastime together.

Ralph referred to the King as his inspiration for going to so many games. He said he's planning to see all 81 games at Citi Field this season. In addition, he said he wants to go to 100 games overall. The King lit up when he heard that.

Ralph is just another example of how the royal way has influenced his way of living in a good way. He said his son Vincent loves going too. They're planning to do some road trips when they have family gatherings in different parts of the country this summer.

The King and I have taken Ralph and Vincent a few times in the past. After talking to him the other day, it appears we've created a monster. That's a good thing. It's great that he can take his son around the country with him to see ballgames. That's what life's all about.

They know if and when they need our assistance we're here for them. Needless to say, that saying goes for everybody I come in contact with.

The King and I are known for living the dream. Let me know when you're ready to get a sample of the life of royalty.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/18 in review

After spending Monday which was Patriot's Day in Massachusetts, the rest of the week I went to Citi Field to see the Mets play.

Here's how it played out:

Tuesday night the Houston Astros made their first and only visit to Citi Field this season.

The Astros got a stellar start from Wandy Rodriguez who allowed just one run over seven innings. The only run came when former Astro Carlos Beltran led off the seventh inning with a home run. The Astros went on to beat the Mets, 6-1.

Wednesday night the Astros beat the Mets again. This time the game was tied at three when Hunter Pence hit a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning to give the Astros the 4-3 victory.

Thursday night the Astros were looking for the sweep but they didn't get it as the Mets finally woke up and beat them, 9-1. It should be noted that Mets catcher Mike Nickleas hit his first major league home run.

More importantly, the King and I were able to meet up with one of his co-workers from the Post Office, Ralph Ascanio who was there with his wife and son Vincent. It was great to see them again. They were selected as the Uncle Jack's Steakhouse fans of the game too. They won a gift certificate to enjoy a dinner at Uncle Jack's.

Furthermore, I plan to do a special post about Ralph and his son Vincent. Stay tuned for that.

Friday night I passed up the opportunity to go to Madison Square Garden for game 3 of the best of seven series between the Knicks and the Boston Celtics.

Instead I decided to go to Citi Field again to see the Mets play.

As for the game I saw, the Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks who rattled their way to New York. The Mets got a fine pitching performance out of starter Mike Pelfrey who allowed one run over seven innings to pick up the victory. In addition, centerfielder Jason Pridie made his major league debut and he got his first major league hit as the Mets went on to win the game, 4-1.
Saturday afternoon I went back to Citi Field to see if the Mets could get back online. They were searching for their third straight "W". Despite a rain delay that delayed the start of the game, the Mets wound up winning again. They beat the Diamondbacks, 6-4. In the process, rookie Jason Pridie hit his first major league home run.

On a personal note, this game was my 4,000th baseball game that I've seen live in person.

More importantly, the King and I got to see a few baseball fans who we hadn't seen in a while but they go way back with us over the years. They were Fred Lack from Jersey City, NJ and his friend Jeff who lives in nearby College Point, NY. These guys are good people and big Met fans. It was great to see them again. Good people are find to find but we have a way of attracting them. Despite the rain delay it turned out to be a fun day thanks to them. We were able to chat and catch up on things.

I look forward to seeing them back at Citi Field in the near future.

Sunday was Easter and I decided to press my luck and I went back to Citi Field to see if the Mets could sweep the Diamondbacks and win their fourth game in a row.

The Mets did indeed beat the Diamondbacks by a score of 8-4.

By doing so, the Mets wrapped up a successful homestand by winning four out of six. They did it against lesser competition but a win is a win. Over the course of a full season, you have to beat whoever you play as often as possible to be successful. Hopefully this is a start to a new trend for them. Time will tell. It's a long season. At least for the time being, they've given their fanbase a glimmer of hope.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman