Royalty is heading to Denver & Seattle for a Reunion of Sports Travelers in late August!

Here's the game plan:

The King & I are flying to Denver, Colorado on American Airlines. We leave New York LaGuardia Airport on Thursday, August 20th at 7:25AM Eastern Time, we have a layover in Chicago at O'Hare  where we'll meet up our pal Paul Nieuwland & his family who are coming from Toronto. Ironically they're going to be on the same flight as us from Chicago to Denver. We all leave the Windy City at 10AM Central Time & we're scheduled to land in Denver at 11:36AM Mountain Time. Upon arrival, we'll all be meeting up with another friend of ours, Chuck Booth who is in the midst of a season long MLB baseball odyssey. Chuck will be using one of his many free rental certificates he has accumulated from being such a frequent renter to get a car for one day from his favorite car rental company, National Rent A Car. As a result, he's going to drive us all around while we're there. In addition, the King & I will be staying over with our pal Scott Bultman who is currently living in Denver.

On Friday August 21st we're all flying out to Seattle, Washington for the rest of the epic weekend. Chuck will arrive around 2PM Pacific Time he said while the rest of us get in at 2:50PM Pacific Time. Upon arrival, Chuck will wait a short time so he can meet up with us. He will then do a similar maneuver as he's going to rent a car again from National Rent A Car for all of us as well as many others who will be joining us in the Emerald City. After the big bash finally ends the King & I will board a red eye flight back home to LaGuardia Airport Sunday night August 23rd at 11:50PM Pacific Time. We have a connecting flight in Dallas-Fort Worth that leaves there at 7:05AM Central Time before we're scheduled to arrive back in the Big Apple at 11:36AM Eastern Time Monday morning the 24th assuming all goes well.  

Thursday August 20th Nationals at Rockies 6:40PM Mountain Time

Friday August 21st White Sox at Mariners 7:10PM Pacific Time
                            
Saturday August 22nd 2nd Annual Ballpark Chasers Meet Up

                                     11AM BBQ at Ken Lee's House in Renton, Washington

                                     Tour of Safeco Field 3:30-4:30PM 

                                     White Sox at Mariners 6:10PM Pacific Time
                     
Sunday August 23rd White Sox at Mariners 1:10PM Pacific Time

                                  Memphis Redbirds at Tacoma Rainiers 5:05PM Pacific Time 

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

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 returns to Wrigley Field & Miller Park over last weekend of June!‏

On Saturday June 28th, after we saw Gio Gonzalez dominate the Cubs in game one of the day/night doubleheader, the King & I went to a place called Deuces & the Diamond Club in Wrigleyville with Tike & Dawn Narry. Tike went there the day before & he said they had great food. Once I heard that, I didn't question the choice. We weren't disappointed either. The King & I had burgers which were excellent. They came with sea salt fries too. We also enjoyed a few beers before headed back to Wrigley Field for game two of the doubleheader.

Tike arranged to get us a block of tickets together in aisle 524 which was just to the right of the press box. We had a nice view of the action despite a slight distraction from a pole that was blocking part of the view. That's the beauty of the old time ballparks from back in the day. We looked around the pole & we saw the game just fine.   

View from Aisle 524

As for the game we saw, the Nationals went on to beat the Cubs, 7-2. With the victory, Blake Treinen got his first major league win. In addition, we did get a visit from a fellow ballpark chaser who came to the game with some friends of his who drove from Toronto. I'm referring to Paul Nieuwland who I arranged to get Yankee & Met tickets for in NYC during the first week of July. It worked out well when he told me he was going to be at that game. As a result, we were able to make the exchange there. Shortly after he left us, the sky opened up & we had a 55 minute rain delay. Even though, we were undercover, we were forced to walk down to the walkway between the seats in the upper level since the rain was blowing so hard thanks to the gutsy winds. Luckily we were able to stay relatively dry. Once the rain cleared out, the game resumed. 

Tarp on the field during rain delay

After the game, we went back to the Flat in Wrigleyville where we spent the night. 

Sunday morning we got up, packed our bags & we all headed to Milwaukee‎ where we went to see the Brewers play the Rockies at Miller Park that afternoon. It should be noted that game was a personal milestone  for Tike. It was his 1,000th live baseball game. I'm glad that we were able to take part in his special occasion.

On the way there, we stopped off at The Point Pancake House for a royal breakfast. Tike & Dawn Narry drove their friends Josh & Stephanie Thurman along with  their son Brendan in a SUV that Tike rented for the day. They followed the King & I there. Scott Bultman who also stayed with us left earlier that morning. He went on his own to Milwaukee because he went to visit his family there before he went to the game. 

As for the breakfast we had, I got a skirt steak skillet which was delicious. It came with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon & cheese all mixed together along with a few pancakes. Speaking of pancakes, Dawn ordered them. She was raving how good they were. I was so happy to hear that. Everybody else was satisfied with their generous portions of food as well. Like Tike, I aim to please. 

Skirt Steak Skillet

After we finished eating, we got back into our cars ‎& we drove to Milwaukee. We wound up meeting them at the ballpark because Tike wanted to stop at the airport to see if he could check in their bags first. 

When we got to Miller Park, the lines to go in were out of control. It was Scooter Gennett Bobblehead day for all fans. With that being said, they had a sell out crowd. What a nightmare it was to get inside. Finally after waiting a little bit, we got in.

Tike ‎& Dawn & their friends had seats downstairs while Scott, the King & I decided to sit in the upper level. During the game, Tike came up to visit us. 

View from section 422

As for the game we saw, the Rockies built an early 5-0 lead as they cruised to a 10-4 win over the Brew Crew.

After the game, we were hoping to meet up with Tike again for dinner but we couldn't figure out exactly where the restaurant they were going for dinner was. We wound up near the airport so the King & I decided to eat near there. We saw a place called Beer Belly so we went there instead. It worked out well as I got a pound of crab legs for dinner. The King had a prime rib. After we finished eating, I returned the Chevy Spark I rented for the weekend to Alamo. I only drove 186 miles but it served its purpose as it got us where we wanted to go.

We then headed to the terminal to catch our flight home on Southwest Airlines. Since our flight was leaving around the same time as Tike & Dawn's, we did see them ‎& we said our goodbyes.

Stay tuned as I plan to do a special post that will highlight our adventures in July.

‎Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 8/5 in review

Monday after work I came home for a rare night of relaxation. After I made myself dinner, I took it easy because I was so tired from being out late the night before. I struggled through the day at work. It was tough for me. Old age is catching up to me.

Tuesday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's on my way to Citi Field where I saw the Mets open a three game series with the Colorado Rockies who were making their only visit to the area. I saw my pal Sam Citron when I entered through the Rotunda gate. I proceed to go out to the center field area where I showed my Citi credit card and I got a $10 gift card since it was another Citi Tuesday. When I was done, I walked back around to go up to the Royal Court which was in session in section 515. We had Martin Caamano, David Sack, Phil Butleman, Manny Morales & Pat Gorman on hand that night. Later on in the game, I got a special visit from Bob Kelly who returned from a business trip he took to Montreal on Monday. He decided to see another Met game when he got back to NYC. He actually had a seat downstairs near the Met dugout he said. He came up to pay respect to the King & I. I want to personally thank him for doing so. That was very nice of him.

As for the game we saw, the Mets took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Juan Lagares delivered a two out, two run triple to right center field. The Rockies got a run back in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Nolan Arenado to make it a 2-1 game. In the sixth inning, the Rockies got even when Charlie Blackmon hit a pinch hit home run to tied the game at two.
Thankfully Eric Young Jr. hustled around the bases on an infield single to second base by Juan Lagares as he slide in safely which turned out to be the difference in the game in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Mets beat the Rockies, 3-2.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway & Carvel for my pre game meal as I returned to Citi Field for more baseball. All-Star starter Matt Harvey was pitching so I knew I had a chance to see something special. When I got upstairs in section 515, I was joined by William Frank Guthrie, Michael Abrams, Steve Tepperman, Frank Anichiarico, Manny Bonilla & Rich Wolber. In addition, Phil Butleman, David Sack & Pat Gorman came back for more too. Furthermore, we had the Hooligan's who provided some added entertainment in section 513. It was a fun night to be at the ballpark.

As for the game we saw, Matt Harvey was as good as advertised on this night. He pitched his first complete game of his young career. He allowed four hits and he struck out six as he earned his ninth win of the season as the Mets beat the Rockies, 4-0 in a quick one for a change. The game lasted only two hours & twenty minutes. It should be noted that Mets' rookie Wilmer Flores got his first major league hit in the second inning. He also added a double in the eighth inning which cleared the bases to give Matt Harvey the insurance he needed to have an opportunity to finish what he started. It was a rare feeling indeed.

Thursday night after work I came home since the Mets & Rockies played an afternoon game to wrap up their three game set. It worked out well for me because I needed to do my laundry and I wanted to pack my bags in anticipation of my big week long trip to the West Coast. It turned out to be a very productive evening as I got everything done as I planned to.

Friday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a three game weekend series against the Detroit Tigers. Before I went inside Yankee Stadium, I decided to try a different place for dinner. I went to U.S. Fried Chicken where I had a few pieces of chicken and cole slaw. It was good. I'm glad I gave it a shot. As I like to say, it never hurts to try. You can't succeed if you don't. When I got done, I walked back over to the Stadium. It stopped raining after it started briefly when I got off the subway.

When I got upstairs to my seat in section 420B row 7, the tarp was on the field for no apparent reason. The Yankees notoriously like to hold their fans hostage even when it's not raining. By doing so, they delayed the start of the game by 47 minutes. Needless to say, the King & I weren't too happy especially since we had to catch an early flight in the morning.

Among us unhappy campers were our pals William Frank Guthrie & Steve Tepperman who can't understand it either.
 
As for the game we finally saw, the Yankees' starter Ivan Nova pitched well allowing just one run over seven innings. He left the game with a 3-1 lead. It stayed that way until the ninth inning when Mariano Rivera came on to try & close it out. Quite amazingly, he failed to do so. With two outs, and a man on second, Miguel Cabrera battled Mariano. He fought off a few foul balls that hit off his ankle. He could barely walk. He finally gathered himself & he proceeded to launch a ball over the center field fence that tied the game at three which stunned the crowd that was still left. After the Yankees failed to score in the bottom of the ninth inning, the game went into extra innings. I really wanted to leave since I needed to get some sleep. I decided to stick out an extra inning. Luckily with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning, Brett Gardner poked a ball through to left field which scored the winning run as the Yankees outlasted the Tigers, 4-3. He was the last batter I was going to see.

Stay tuned for the numerous special posts I plan to write that will recap the big West Coast trip that the King, our friend Frank Anichiarico & I took. Please bear with me as I try to find the time to go into detail about it.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees more Spring Training baseball in Goodyear, Arizona!

View from Goodyear Ballpark

After seeing four games in a day in Albuquerque, the King and I settled for a double dip of spring training baseball.

After we went to the Scottsdale area for our first game, we decided to pass up a chance to see a Phoenix Suns game which was 20 miles west in downtown Phoenix right off I-10. They were playing the Detroit Pistons at 7PM. Instead we drove another 20 miles further west to Goodyear, Arizona to see our second spring training baseball game of the day.

Goodyear Ballpark is the spring training home for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians.
For the actual ballpark experience, please check back because I'm going to be doing an official review for the website, Stadium Journey who recently hired me as a Special Correspondent when time allows.

As for the game we saw, the Reds took an early 4-0 lead. The Rockies fought back late to get on the scoreboard. Chad Tracy who came into the game later on as a pinch runner ended a rally by getting thrown out at home plate in the top of the eighth inning. Ironically in the top of the ninth inning the Rockies threatened to tie or take the lead, the King predicted that Chad Tracy would end the game getting thrown out at the plate again and he did as the Reds hung on to win the game, 4-3.

Thankfully he was right because we had a long 475 mile drive back to Albuquerque in order to attempt to see another array of sporting events on Saturday. More importantly, I arranged to meet up with a lady we know from Albuquerque for a late breakfast/early lunch. I wanted to do everything in my power to make it happen since I told her I would.

Please stay tuned for the next installment from our latest royal getaway to see how it turned out.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/20 in review

After having a night off Monday night after work, I went to Citi Field Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Tuesday night I got to say hello to Gio Gonzalez before the game and Wednesday night I got to see him pitch for the first time in person live at the major league level.

On Tuesday, the Athletics took total advantage of Mets pitcher Dillon Gee who suffered his first loss of the season. He couldn't find the strike zone as he walked 6 batters in four innings of work.

As a result, the Mets fell behind and they couldn't catch up. They went on to lose to the A's, 7-3.

On the bright side, our friends Phil Butleman, Manny Morales and Vincent Ascanio were in the house so by having them there it made for a fun and enjoyable evening despite the walk-a-thon the Mets pitching staff provided for us on the field.

Wednesday night after going to Taste of Dolly's for a pre game dinner, I went back to Citi Field. With mother nature threatening to spoil my evening, the Mets covered the field with the tarp because they heard there was rain in the area. It turned out to be a wise decision because shortly after I sat down under the overhang, the sky opened up.

Luckily the rain cleared out and the game got delayed by only an hour and three minutes.

It was worth the wait for the start being that Gio Gonzalez was starting the game. He was opposed by the Mets' R.A. Dickey.

Both pitchers pitched great in this pitchers' duel. As it turned out, neither got a decision.

The Mets did take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning but K-Rod blew it in the ninth.

As a result, the game went into extra innings which made for a very long night. Fortunately the first nine innings went fast after the rain delay.

The Mets outlasted the Athletics in 13 innings, 2-1 thanks to Justin Turner getting hit by a pitch. What a way to end a terrific well played ballgame.

The game itself took 4 hours exactly.

Thankfully I was going home after work Thursday night since the Mets and A's were wrapping up their three game series in the afternoon.

Friday night after work I went up to Yankee Stadium to see the Colorado Rockies return to the Big Apple. This time they played the Yankees.

As I was getting ready to go into the ballpark some people asked me to take their picture so I gladly did so. They happened to be Rockie fans from Denver.

After I took their picture, I saw how mobbed it was to get into the Stadium so I told them to follow me in. That way little did they know they were getting royal treatment. They were so grateful. It was a family of four. Husband, wife, son and daughter. They thanked me and we shook hands and parted ways. The son did say and I quote "Thank you, sir". It was a pleasure to make their visit more memorable. After all, that's what royalty is all about.

As for the game, the Rockies wound up beating the Yankees for the first time on the road, 4-2.

The fans gave former Yankee Jason Giambi a nice warm ovation when he came up to bat for the first time. He proceeded to hit a bomb into the right field bleachers. He finished the game 3 for 4 and a walk.

Saturday morning I rented a car from Avis for the day so I could go to Yankee Stadium then we had a carload as we went to Philadelphia too to see a modern day two ballpark doubleheader. We've been doing these for many years.

Besides the King and I, our friends Bryan Gilligan, Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Phil Butleman took a royal ride to the City of Brotherly Love. Unlike most out of towners, royalty always feels the Philly love.

As for the games we saw, the Yankees bounced back from their "rockie" road and they beat the Rockies, 8-3 behind a solid 8 inning performance from their ace pitcher CC Sabathia.

It should be noted we were joined by our friend Larry Peim who happened to be in attendance.

In Philadelphia, we saw another good one. This time the Athletics returned to Philadelphia and they beat the Phillies, 4-1. Their starter Trevor Cahill pitched into the eighth inning to put the A's in position to win.

Sunday morning I returned the car and I wound up staying home because I had things to take care of at home unfortunately.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Easter Sunday Night at Fenway Park

Winter is over and spring is upon us so is the official start of another baseball season.

Ironically 11 years ago to the day back on Easter Sunday April 4, 1999, Royalty opened the baseball season in similar fashion.

That was a historic night when Major League Baseball decided to open the season in another country.

Once Royalty got wind of it, we decided we'll be there as well.

The game was played in Monterrey, Mexico. The Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres were the teams involved. It was the first National game of the season.

The Padres were designated the home team. I went through the Padres to get tickets for this particular special event.

The late Darryl Kile pitched for the Rockies that night and he beat the Padres, 8-2!

The next day we flew back to Dallas in the morning so we could be at the Texas Rangers home opener against the Detroit Tigers at 1:05PM that afternoon in Arlington.

This was the first American game of the season as well.

The highlight was the very first pitch that Ranger's pitcher Rick Helling threw to Tiger's lead off hitter Juan Encarnacion who give it a long ride over the fence for a home run. It was an absolute "bomb" if you will.

With all that being said, the stage is now set for a similar scenario.

Royalty will be in the house this Sunday night when the defending World Champion New York Yankees play their arch rival, the Boston Red Sox in the first American League game of the season.

It will be a festive atomosphere. It always is when these two teams meet up.

The last time we were in Fenway Park was on New Year's Day for the Winter Classic hockey game.

Monday morning I'll be going to work for a half a day before I make my way out to Citi Field for the first National League game of the season.

The New York Mets open up against the Florida Marlins at 1:05PM.

Being a Met fan, I hope that the first pitch Johan Santana throws doesn't go over the fence.
But if it does, wow what a feeling that will be. Deja vu all over again as Yogi Berra would say.

Just another memorable few days in the making for Royalty.

I figured I would share this unique opportunity with you.

It's going to be a fun baseball season.

Check back often for updates on the whereabouts of royalty.

My goal is to give you reason to maximize your opportunities to
get the best out of life.

It works for me, why not make it work for you.

Nothing is better to tell somebody "I was there."

Happy Easter to all who celebrate.