Royalty w/o 7/8 in review

Monday morning before I went to work I returned the car I rented from Dollar despite getting only a few hours sleep.

After work, tired and all I still went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a four game series with the Kansas City Royals. Before I went into the Stadium, I stopped off at Burger King for a pre game meal.
When I finally got up to my seat in section 420B, I was greeted by some familiar faces. I'm referring to William Frank Guthrie, Steve Tepperman and Larry Peim who were also there.

As for the game we saw, the Royals got a well pitched game from their starter Jeremy Guthrie who allowed a run over six and two thirds innings to emerge victorious as the Royals beat the Yankees, 5-1. It should be noted there was a 59 minute rain delay during the game too. That just made my night out even longer.

Tuesday night after work I returned to the Bronx for game two of the series. More importantly, I met up with my Cousin Andy when I got off the train. It was his special day so I arranged to spend the night with him. I took him to the Court Deli Restaurant for dinner then we went into the Stadium. It was great to see him again. We did the same two years ago when Derek Jeter got his 3,000th career hit. What a day that was.
When we got upstairs, we were joined by my pals Al Linderman & William Frank Guthrie who came back for more.

As for the game we saw, the Royals once again beat the Yankees. This time they won, 3-1. The Yankees scored the first run of the game in the first inning but that's all they managed to get. CC Sabathia gave up a few solo homers to David Lough & Billy Butler. He also gave up a run scoring double to Eric Hosmer which accounted for the Royals' offense. CC did go the distance in the losing effort.

Wednesday night after work I went back for more as I saw game three of the series. This time I stopped off at the New Sunflower Chinese restaurant for my pre game meal. I had fried scallops and fries. When I finished I walked over to Yankee Stadium.

This time I was joined by my pals Rich Wolber and Frank Anichiarico.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees got a solid pitching performance from Ivan Nova who went eight strong innings to back the much needed offense that they gave him as Robinson Cano hit a three run homer in the third inning & Lyle Overbay added an opposite field grand slam to left field as the Yankees beat up the Royals, 8-1.

Thursday night after work I went home and I did my laundry as I got ready for the big weekend getaway I had to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore & Aberdeen, Maryland.

Stay tuned for a number of different special posts I'm going to do that will recap it.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 7/1 in review

Monday morning I was able to leave the car I rented from Dollar for the week on the street near the house thanks to Bryan Gilligan because he left his car there on the right side of the street so I didn't have to worry about moving it because of alternate side parking. With that being said, I took his spot. I got some sleep then I woke up & I went to work with peace of mind.

After work I went to Taste of Dolly's for pizza on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a four game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I was exhausted but I still followed my game plan. Upon arrival to the Rotunda when I got off the 7 train, I was greeted by my pal, Sam Citron. It's always a pleasure to see him.

Upon entry, I went upstairs to the promenade level where I was joined by David Sack, Manny Morales, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel & Martin Caamano in section 515. It should be noted the usual regulars were there as well. I'm referring to Ralph & Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan & the King. These guys live at Citi Field so it seems.

As for the game we saw, it was another long one. The Mets wound up winning this one, 5-4 in 13 innings as Josh Satin delivered the game winning hit. I decided to leave after 11 innings because I needed to get some sleep. I'm glad I did. It took them almost an hour to play the last two innings. I got home in time to see the end of the game it was that bad.

Tuesday night after work I went to Checker's for dinner before I returned to Citi Field for more punishment.
This time I sat in section 516 with Phil Butleman, David Sack, Manny Bonilla, Frank Anichiarico, Al Linderman and Pat Gorman as well as the usual fixtures.

As for the game we saw, the Mets wound up winning, 8-1. In the process, they handed Diamondbacks' starter Patrick Corbin his first loss of the season. He was 9-0 coming in. This game was actually a fast one it went only 2 hours and 24 minutes. The only problem was there was an hour and 41 minute rain delay that kept us in the ballpark for just over four hours. Another night I lost sleep. I'm glad I stuck it out this time even though I really wanted to leave. The Mets broke a 1-1 tie with seven runs in the seventh inning after the delay to enable them to put the game away.

Wednesday I went to work. I thought I would be getting out early but I didn't know for sure until I got back from lunch at 1PM when I was told we were leaving at 3PM. I was relieved to hear that. As a result, I went home for a while. I got to lay down for an hour or so. I got up and I made myself dinner. I decided to drive the car I rented to Citi Field so I didn't have to be at the mercy of the MTA.

When I got in the car I noticed it said there was a light saying low tire pressure. I decided to stop off at Dollar so I could get that checked out. I had a long weekend trip planned and the last thing I needed was to get stuck. With that being said, I wisely got the problem fixed. It cost me 15 minutes. When I was done, I proceeded to park the car on the street within walking distance from Citi Field on 114th street just before Northern Blvd at 6:55PM. I raced over to the ballpark hoping to see the first pitch around 7:10PM. I did arrive in time in a huff and a puff only to see the tarp was on the field because there was a threat of rain in the area. With that being said, another long night awaited us.

Matt Harvey was starting for the Mets and it was fireworks night after the game. As a result, there was a huge crowd on hand.

We were able to sit in section 516. Amongst those who were there that night were Steve Tepperman, David Sack, Manny Bonilla who was with his sister Vicky and his nephew Gio. It should be noted they were seeing their first baseball game. It was nice to be a part of it with them. We also had additional in house entertainment as the Hooligan's and the 7 Line were present & accounted for in section 513. It was great to hear them when a Diamondback struck out because they love to join the King in his signature strikeout call.

As for the game we saw, It finally started at 9:01PM. A one hour & 51 minute rain delay this time. Matt Harvey didn't pitch great on this night. He shutout the Diamondbacks for the first five innings. Thanks to solo home runs by David Wright and Josh Satin who hit his first major league home run the Mets lead, 2-0. In the sixth inning, Cody Ross hit a three run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead. Matt Harvey gave up a lead off walk which was followed by a single & a double to start the seventh inning. That was the end of the night for him. The Met bullpen allowed the two of the three inherited runners to score so Matt Harvey's line looked a lot worse than it appeared. He did walk three & he fanned nine. He wound up taking the loss as the Mets fell to the Diamondbacks, 5-3. The game ended at 12:18AM.

Thursday afternoon the King & I spent our Independence Day back at Citi Field. Upon entry to the ballpark, we got an All-Star gnome.

We went upstairs to section 515 and where we were joined by fellow roadtripper Charlie O'Reilly who was there too. It was great to see him again. We also had our pals William Frank Guthrie, Pat Gorman & David Sack there as well.

As for the game we saw, the Mets & Diamondbacks played another marathon. This time without a rain delay. The game wound up going 15 innings. It lasted five hours and 46 minutes. It finally ended at 6:57PM. The Mets finally succumbed to the snakes, 5-4, as Cliff Pennington delivered the game winning single as the Mets settled for a split of the four game set after they won the first two. They miraculously tied the game not once but twice in the 13th and 14th innings after the Diamondbacks pushed across the go ahead run thanks to Anthony Recker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, two unlikely sources who both hit solo home runs to prolong the agony for the Mets.

Stay tuned for some special posts that will recap the adventurous holiday weekend the King & I enjoyed.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/29 in review

Monday night after work I went up to the Bronx. I stopped off at Burger King for a pre game meal before I went into Yankee Stadium to see the Houston Astros make their first appearance at the New Stadium. This was their first ever American League game against the Yankees since they just changed leagues this year.
Back on June 11, 2003, we saw them play at the Old Stadium in an interleague match up. They wound up using six pitchers to no hit the Yankees. An injury to starter Roy Oswalt forced him to leave after pitching just one inning. Technically it was a historical night. This was another one.

The King and I were joined by a few regulars, Bryan Gilligan & Vincent Ascanio aka the Kid. We also had our pal Steve Tepperman aka Princeton Steve who made an appearance. He comes to a game every so often. It was nice to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Astros had their hitting shoes on this night like they did when we saw them play in Houston on Opening Night when they beat the Rangers, 8-2. This time they beat up Yankee starter and former Astro Andy Pettitte who got lit up for eight runs in four and a third innings of work. Catcher Carlos Corporan was 4 for 5 with two singles, a double and a home run. He also reached on an error and he drove in four runs to carry the Astros to a 9-1 victory. With that being said, the Astros look like world beaters in our presence. We should see them more often.

Tuesday night after work we did just that. After work, I went back for more. Like any addict, you can't get enough of a good thing. I went to the Court Deli Restaurant and I picked up sandwiches for the King & I for dinner. I walked over to Yankee Stadium and I went inside. I met up with the King in our seats in section 420B row 7 where we enjoyed our meals. This time we were joined by our buddies Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich & Larry Peim who were present & accounted for.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees scored early & often as they gave starter Hiroki Kuroda the run support he needed as he threw seven shutout innings as the Yankees held off the Astros, 7-4. Our Astro luck finally ran out. We knew it was a matter of time.

Wednesday night after work I went back to see the rubber match of this three game series. Before I did so, I went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner. I wound up having fried scallops and fries. It was really good. When I was done I went to the Stadium. I did my usual routine. When I got upstairs to our seats, I saw our pals Frank Anichiarico and Manny Morales who both made rare appearances in the Bronx.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees jumped on the Astros early again. They scored four runs in the first three innings. In the third inning, Robinson Cano & Ben Francisco who the King & I met on a one day cruise while we were in Alaska on a real vacation if you will back in July 2001 and again in Hawaii in February 2002 when he played his college baseball at UCLA. The Bruins of UCLA were playing the University of Hawaii while we were there so we got to see him play this time. On this night, Ben delivered a solo homer to make it a 4-0 Yankees. The Astros fought back as they tied the game at four after four innings as they roughed up Yankee starter David Phelps after the Yankees did the same to Astros' starter Erik Bedard. The Yankees scored the go ahead and eventual winning run in the sixth inning as Ichiro Suzuki hit into an inning ending double play but the run scored before the third out was recorded. That was the difference as the Yankees won the game, 5-4. By doing so, they also won the series taking two out of the three games.

Thursday night after work I went home since it was a night off for the local teams. As a result, I was able to come home and make dinner. After I ate, I went around the block and I did my laundry.

Friday night after work I returned to the Bronx as the Yankees were opening a three game series with the Oakland Athletics. I stopped off at Burger King so I could have a light meal to hold me over.
The King and I met up with Bryan Gilligan inside the Stadium.

As for the game we saw, CC Sabathia started for the Yankees. His very first pitch was hit over the fence by Adam Rosales, the Athletics lead off hitter. It gave the Athletics a 1-0 lead. They added another run in the sixth inning to make it 2-0. Starting pitcher A.J. Griffin threw seven shutout innings. He left after giving up a bunt single to Brett Gardner in the bottom of the eighth inning. Reliever Sean Doolittle got the next five outs and closer Grant Balfour recorded the last one as the Athletics blanked the Yankees, 2-0.

After the game, Bryan drove the King and I to Donovan's Pub in Woodside, Queens for our post game meal. Our friend Frank Anichiarico met us there for the festivities.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do that will recap how we spent our weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/28 in review

Monday night after work I went to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets play the Orlando Magic.

Before the game I walked over to the Atlantic Center Mall which is across the street. I wound up going to McDonald's for my pre game meal.

After I finished eating, I walked back over to the Barclays Center and I went inside. I was able to go to the area where the radio broadcasters do the game by section 109. On this night, I got to say hello to Dennis Neumann, the radio voice of the Magic. I also got to say hello to the Nets radio team of Tim Capstraw and Chris Carrino. These guys are always very fan friendly when they have some spare time.

When I was done, I went up to section 230 row 13 where I met up with the King. We wound up seeing our pal Steve Tepperman who was also at the game.

As for the game we saw, the Nets made fast work of the Magic who lost center Dwight Howard in the off season. The Magic are having a miserable season thus far. As a result, the Nets made sure they took advantage. They built an early ten point lead, 30-20 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, they out scored the Magic by six to lead 56-40 at the break. In the third quarter, the Magic made a comeback attempt as they out scored the Nets by nine to pull within seven, 70-63 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Nets turned it on again. They put the Magic away as they went on to win, 97-77 before a crowd of 16,480 which was just short of a sellout.

Tuesday night after work I got to come home and I caught up on things around the house after I made myself dinner. It was really nice to have a night off so I could play catch up.

Wednesday night after work instead of going to see the Knicks or the Nets play, the King and I went out to a special trophy awards dinner. During the spring and summer, the King and I play softball on Sunday mornings. Our team, the Fuzz Cougs, wound up winning the Championship back in late August. On this night, we got to see our teammates as we got rewarded for our hard work. It was a nice get together which was well worth missing a sporting event for.

Thursday night after work, I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Islanders at the Prudential Center.

I met up with the King and our pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike who joined us. I wound up getting pizza for dinner at the arena.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead early in the second period before the Devils came back to tie the game at two. Both teams spent the rest of the game trading goals as the game was tied again at three and four. The game wound up being decided in overtime as the Islanders got the game winning goal from right winger Brad Boyes who scored with 2:59 left in the extra session to send the sellout crowd which included a number of Islander fans home with mixed emotions as the Islanders came away with an entertaining 5-4 victory.

Friday night after work I went back to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets host the Chicago Bulls. Before the game, I arranged to meet my Cousin Andy at AppleBee's at the Atlantic Center Mall for dinner then we went to the game together. He told me he wanted to see the Barclays Center so I told him I'll make it happen and I did.

After we ate dinner, we walked over to the arena. We went inside and I showed him around the building before we met up with the King. We all watched the game together. Andy was very grateful that I got him the ticket and he enjoyed our company.

As for the game we saw, the Nets got off to a fast start as they led the Bulls, 24-14 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Bulls came back and they led, 42-41 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Bulls extended their lead to four, 67-63. In the fourth quarter, the Nets staged a comeback as they went on to beat the Bulls who played without a few of their key players, 93-89 much to the delight of the sellout crowd.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do a few special posts that will recap my busy weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 12/26 in review

Opening Kickoff at Pinstripe Bowl

Since Christmas Day came out on a Sunday this year, I didn't have to go to work on Monday so the King and I decided to take a train ride on Metro-North up to Bridgeport, Connecticut to see the Sound Tigers, the NY Islanders AHL affiliate, take on the Connecticut Whale, the NY Rangers farm team at Webster Bank Arena. Ironically the parent teams were playing each other at the Garden at the same time. We decided to take the more cost effective way out. In addition, a change of scenery is always a good thing.

As for the game we saw the Sound Tigers beat the Whale, 3-2 after they trailed 2-1 after two periods. The game appeared headed for overtime when the Sound Tigers Tomas Marcinko lit the lamp to avoid the extra session with 4:26 left in regulation time. Since the King and I had some time before our train was leaving we were rooting for bonus hockey. Unfortunately we didn't get that break on this night. That's just the way it is sometimes.

Tuesday I went back to work. After work, I went out to the Prudential Center to see the NJ Nets home opener as they play their last season in New Jersey. Next season they move into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. They played the Atlanta Hawks, a team on the rise. On this night, the Hawks rose up early as they blew away the Nets, 106-70. The Hawks had a well balanced attack as they cruised to the easy victory in front of a sellout crowd.

Wednesday night after work, I repeated the drill to Newark. This time the Devils were home against the Buffalo Sabres. I was pulling for the Sabres because of our friends Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell aka USRT who are from Buffalo and they're big fans of the Sabres but to no avail.

The Devils raced out to a 3-0 lead and they held on to win the game, 3-1 as Thomas Vanek of the Sabres scored in the third period to break the shutout bid by Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Thursday night I went home to catch up on some needed rest.

Friday I got out of work early at 2PM which gave me enough time to go up to Yankee Stadium for the second annual Pinstripe Bowl. This time the game featured the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University from nearby New Brunswick, NJ and the Cyclones from Iowa State University which is located in Ames, Iowa 30 miles north of Des Moines.

I had some company as my friend Steve Tepperman aka Princeton Steve was there as well. We enjoyed each other's company during the game.

As for the experience, the crowd was mainly Rutgers' fans who had a short ride to the game. There were a number of Cyclone fans who came in from the cornfields of Iowa to see their team play. In addition, they got to visit New York City too.

As for the game, Iowa State took an early 6-0 lead on two field goals. They were running well but they couldn't get the ball into the end zone. As a result, Rutgers finally got going as they build a comfortable lead. The Cyclones got within a touchdown in the fourth quarter at 20-13 but Rutgers connected on a 86 yard bomb to freshman wide receiver Brandon Coleman for a touchdown that sealed the deal for them as they won the game by a score of 27-13. Redshirt freshman Jawan Jamison sparked the Scarlet Knights' ground game with 134 rushing.

After the game, I met up with the King who wound up going to Brooklyn to see LIU play basketball. By doing so, he saw his 400th sporting event of the calendar year.

Afterwards we met up at Donovan's Pub with our pal Bryan Gilligan who was watching a few high school basketball games. We had a nice dinner together. We got to catch up on our recent whereabouts.

Saturday afternoon the King and I went out to the Nassau Coliseum to see the NY Islanders play the Edmonton Oilers.

It was Ken Morrow #6 Islander Hall of Fame Day as the Islanders enshrined their defenseman who played back in the 1980's in the Islanders' Hall of Fame. Ken Morrow played for the US Olympic Team that won the Gold Medal against Russia in 1980. He joined the Islanders in March that year. He arrived just in time as the Islanders went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. They made it five straight years to the Finals as they won their four straight Stanley Cups in the process. Morrow wasn't known to be a prolific goal scorer since he was a defenseman. He did know how to score at the right time though as he had 11 playoff goals including a game winner that eliminated their arch rival, the NY Rangers along the way.

As for the game, the Islanders scored the first goal of the game. The Oilers quickly answered with one of their own to tie the game at one. The Islanders proceeded to score the next three and that's how it ended as the Islanders' won, 4-1.

After the game the King and I hitched a ride to Brooklyn where we closed out the 2011 calendar year the way we started it with a surprise. We saw another game unexpectedly.

This time we saw the Brooklyn Aviators play the Cape Cod Bluefins in a Federal Hockey League (FHL) game. They play at the Aviator Sports and Events Center at Floyd Bennett Field by Marine Park in Brooklyn.

As for the game we saw, the Aviators scored early and often as they lead, 6-1 after the first period. Things settled down on the scoreboard the rest of the way as the Aviators won the game, 7-3. Andrew Oswiak scored a hat trick as he scored three times in the first period.

Stay tuned as I'm going to write a special post about how I started 2012 on New Year's Day.

In addition, I'm going to do my 2011 year in review when I get a chance as well.

As always, thank you for reading and following along.

Happy New Year!

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/7 in review

After enjoying a memorable weekend in Annapolis and Washington DC, I went back to work Monday. I left early so I could go back to the car I rented. I met the King and we drove down to Philadelphia to see the Eagles play the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.

We met up with our friend Frankie Centola in Philly who arranged to get us tickets for the game.

As for the game we saw, it was a good one. The Eagles and Bears battled it out but when it was all said and done, the Bears escaped the City of Brotherly Love with a big win, 30-24.

As a result, our friends from Chicago, the Van Cleves were thrilled and relieved that their Bears' rose to the occasion on enemy territory. Nicole, Andrew and Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Wife, Fan and Baby were there with us in spirit.

After the game, I drove the King to the Post Office at Grand Central Station here in NYC where he started work at 2AM. I then took myself home. I got some sleep then I had to go to Avis and return the car before it was my turn to go back to work.

Tuesday night after work tired and all I went to the Prudential Center in Newark to see the Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes. We wound up seeing a decent game as the Devils came out on top as rookie Adam Henrique scored the game winning goal with 3:19 left in third period to give the Devils the 3-2 decision in regulation time.

Wednesday and Thursday after work, I got to catch up on rest which was much needed after the busy weekend and start to the week I had.

Friday night after work I arranged to meet my Cousin Andy who joined me, the King and our friend Bryan Gilligan for the Devil game against the Washington Capitals. It was great to see him again. He always enjoys our company and the royal treatment we provide.

As for the game we saw, the Devils broke through first as they scored the first goal of the game when rookie Adam Larsson scored his first NHL goal to give them the early lead. The Devils were shut out the rest of the night as the Capitals turned it up a notch. They scored the equalizer late in the second period when their superstar Alex Ovechkin put the biscuit in the basket to tie the game at one.

In the third period, the Capitals' got a shorthanded goal early from Jason Chimera to take the lead for good. They added an insurance goal as they won the first game of the home and home weekend series, 3-1.

Saturday morning I woke up early and I went back to Avis to rent another car for the weekend.

I drove back and I picked up the King and we drove to Princeton, NJ for a college football game as the Yale Bulldogs were visiting the Princeton Tigers.

The King and I had company as we got to see some of the many sports fans we know. I'm talking about Steve Tepperman aka Princeton Steve as we call him. In addition, we also had our pal Pat Gorman there as well as Richie Iannotta who happened to be present too. Last but not least we got to see a guy from Philadelphia we know as Sleepy Bob, who we haven't seen in a very long time. We all enjoyed each other's company.

As for the game we saw, the Yale Bulldogs held on this time as they beat the Princeton Tigers, 33-24 unlike when we saw them lose to Penn last month. The one bright spot for the Tigers was that we got to see history as their true freshman running back Chuck Dibilio ran for 178 yards on the ground and he scored three touchdowns. By doing so, he got himself into the history book as he became the first true freshman player in the history of the Ivy League to rush for over 1,000 yards.

After the game, the King and I drove down to Washington DC so we could the back end of the Devils and Capitals home and home series at the Verizon Center where tickets these days are hard to come by.

Thankfully our good friend Peter Agnew who has Capital season tickets was able to accomodate us. Since he was going to see Notre Dame play Maryland in a college football game at FedEx Field that night, his club seats were available. With that being said, the King and I decided to buy them from him.

It was our first time seeing a game there on the club level. It was a treat as we had a great view of the action. This time the Devils fell behind early 2-0 in the first period. They came back and tied the game at two after two periods. They played a scoreless third period and overtime.
The game was decided by a shootout which lasted four rounds before the Devils outlasted the Capitals, 3-2 to split the weekend series.

After the game, we drove to Aberdeen, Maryland where we spent the night.

Sunday morning we stopped off at the Waffle House for breakfast before we went to Philadelphia to see the Eagles try to keep their season alive. After losing to the Bears Monday night, the Eagles couldn't afford to lose again. This time they were hosting the Arizona Cardinals who I saw a few weeks prior in Baltimore where they blew a 21 point lead as they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

This time the Cardinals fell behind by a touchdown early. They fought hard all game long despite their place kicker Jay Feely missing a few field goals. They persevered and when it was all said and done, the Cardinals delivered the knockout punch as they beat the Eagles, 21-17.

After the game, the King and I drove back up to MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands to see the Sunday night game between the Jets and their division rival, the New England Patriots.

The Jets' place kicker Nick Folk followed former Jet Jay Feely's lead as he missed a field goal on the Jets' first drive of the game after they went down the field like it was nothing. That miss set the tone for the evening as it turned out. The Patriots came into the game looking like they were beatable but the Jets couldn't find a way to beat them.

The Jets' hung tough in the first half. The second half proved to be a different story as the Patriots' made the necessary adjustments as they exploited the Jets on their way to a 37-16 triumph over their nemesis who knocked them out of the playoffs back in the middle of January. As a result, it appears the Jets hopes of winning the AFC East are a long shot now at best.

With that another royal week is in the books for the King and I.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/13 in review

Monday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees wrap their four game series with the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees were looking for the sweep but they couldn't even score a run as they lost, 1-0 to the Tribe who managed to salvage a game after losing the first three over the weekend.

The Yankees lost more than a game on this night though. Their Captain, Derek Jeter who lead off the game with a hit, wound up injuring his calf after he batted in the fifth inning. Our friend Bryan Gilligan noticed Jeter coming up lame.

As a result, the road to 3K has been temporary derailed for a few weeks as Jeter was placed on the 15 day disabled list.

During the game, newcomer and big fan of royalty, Michael Longo stopped by the "royal" box as he calls it to say hello. It was great to see him again.

Tuesday night I was back at Yankee Stadium to see the return of the Texas Rangers to the Bronx which was delayed by rain at the start.

On paper it looked like a great pitching matchup with CC Sabathia going against rookie sensation Alexi Ogando who had a record of 7-0 coming in.

Back on April 17th, the Yankees roughed up Ogando for five runs in six and a third innings but he didn't get a decision in that game.

This time the Yankees lit him up for six in one and two thirds innings as they handed him his first major league loss. They went on to beat up the Rangers, 12-4. It should be noted the Yankees hit three homers after going a few games without hitting any.

Our friend Steve Tepperman was in the house as he stopped by to say hello. We also had my friend Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich with us as well.

Wednesday night I went back more for batting practice as it turned out in the Bronx. The Yankees used the long ball to fuel the fire again on this night. They hit five more home runs. Mark Teixeira hit two of the them. Eduardo Nunez celebrated his birthday by hitting one in the absence of the Captain. Ramiro Pena who was recalled from the minors added his first of the season and Robbie Cano finished the barrage with a three run blast as the Yankees cruised to another 12-4 victory.

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

Friday night I went out to Citi Field after work as interleague play returned as the Angels came to Citi Field for the first time to play the Mets. The game was delayed at the outset thanks to mother nature again.

As for the game, the Angels had a 4-2 lead after they broke a 2-2 tie late in this one. The Mets chipped away to cut the lead to 4-3 as they headed to the bottom of the ninth inning when the Halos called on their closer Jordan Walden to come in to seal the deal. He allowed the first two batters he faced to get on base by giving up a walk and a hit. He proceeded to strike out the next three batters he faced using his nasty slider as the Angels came away with the win.

As a result, he preserved the victory for starter Joel Pineiro who picked up his 100th win of his major league career.

Royalty had company as our pal, Vincent Ascanio was present and accounted for.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub to indulge in a post game meal.

Saturday night I went back for more Mets torchure. Thanks to Mike Pelfrey it turned out to be rare treat. He went the distance as the Mets cruised to an easy victory, 6-1.

More importantly, royalty had plenty of love in the stands as Vincent Ascanio also came back for more, his friend Rich Warnock and his father were in the house too. We also had our boys Manny Bonilla and Arjun Lal there with us. Last but definitely not least, our pal Manny Morales stopped by to say hello.

It wound up being a great night out. After the Met win, we went back to Donovan's Pub to celebrate this time.

Sunday afternoon I spent Father's Day at the old ballyard. Unfortunately my Dad couldn't make the game but we went out for dinner afterwards instead.

As for the game, the Mets reverted back to their losing ways. They fell behind 7-0 and they woke up too little too late as they added three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lose to the Angels, 7-3 in the rubber match of the three game set.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/6 in review

After a night off after work Monday night I braced myself for the return of the Red Sox to Yankee Stadium.
In addition, we had company from the West Coast as our friend Steve Fekete aka The Padre Punk came to NYC to see the new Yankee Stadium for the first time.

Apparently he packed his broom as the Red Sox proceeded to sweep the Yankees. He happens to like the Red Sox too so he definitely picked the right time to visit.

The Red Sox built big leads early to beat the Yankees Tuesday and Wednesday night.

On Wednesday night, we had another royal treat as our friend Vincent Ascanio got shown the royal way of entry into Yankee Stadium. He met his Michael Longo inside and he introduced to him. He told me that Michael was a big fan of my blog. It was a pleasure to meet this young man who refers to where we sit as the "royal box".

As for Thursday night, the game didn't start until 10:32PM thanks to mother nature. I was forced to leave after 5 innings at 12:11AM. I needed to get home to get some sleep so I could function for work in the morning. The Yankees were winning, 2-0 when I left. The Red Sox woke up and whipped the Yankees, 8-3.

Steve left town as he continued his baseball road trip by going to Chicago for the weekend to see the White Sox play.

The surprising Cleveland Indians came to visit the Yankees for a wraparound weekend series.

Steve left NYC and our friend Don Steiger and his daughter Angie came to visit from St. Louis. Stay tuned as I'm going to do a special post on them.

Friday night the Yankees woke up as the Tribe came to town for the first time this season. They looked like the same old Indians as the Yankees tossed them a drawn out beating, 11-7.

The highlight of the night was after the game when we went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.

Saturday afternoon I went back to the Bronx for more. Surprisingly the weather was miserable. Luckily they managed to get the game in. The Yankees won again, 4-0.

Royalty entertained more company as we had our friends Phil Butleman and Steve Tepperman in the house. In addition, our pal Vincent Ascanio was back this time he brought another friend with him, Rich Warnock who was looking forward to meeting me.

He's another young man who's looking to fulfill his dream. He said he's going to Chicago next month with his aunt to see Wrigley Field. I told him that the Twins are home in Minnesota too that weekend. I'm hoping to arrange for them to take a ride to the Twin Cities so they can pick up another ballpark.

Sunday I was originally planning to go back to Yankee Stadium but I had to take care of things at home so I decided to pass it up. I'm sorry if I let my fan club down but I have bigger fish to fry down the road.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 10/25 in review

After catching up on rest Monday and Tuesday night after work, I was ready for basketball to start.

Wednesday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play their first game at their new temporary home, the Prudential Center. It was the 56th NBA arena that I've seen a game in.

As for the game, the Detroit Pistons were playing the Nets on Opening Night.

This was a closely contested game throughout. In the end, Anthony Morrow hit the winning shot as the Nets came from behind to get into the win column first with a 101-98 win.

Last season the Nets didn't win their first game for a few months.

Brook Lopez led all scorers with 25 points and Devin Harris added 22. For the Pistons, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva each had 14 points in the loss.

After another night off Thursday, I returned to the Prudential Center Friday night after work.

The Sacramento Kings were in town to play the Nets. This game was similar to Wednesday night.

The Net hung tough and came back to win again. This time they won 106-100.

Brook Lopez had 29 points and Devin Harris poured in 21 to lead the way. For the Kings, Francisco Garcia and Tyreke Evans added 18 points each in the losing effort.

Stop the season, the Nets are 2-0!

Saturday I drove up to New Haven, Connecticut to see the Columbia Lions play the Yale Bulldogs at the Yale Bowl with the King.

It was a perfect opportunity for us to see the Yale Bowl for the first time.

We've previously seen games in the Ivy League at Princeton and Penn.

Speaking of Princeton, when we arrived in the seating area we heard a few people get our attention. We weren't alone.

We saw a few members of our crew in the house, they were Steve Tepperman aka "Princeton Steve" and Pat Gorman.

They were sitting near midfield so we went up and joined them.

As for the game, Yale raced out to a 31-7 lead at halftime. In the second half, Columbia came roaring back to cut the lead to 3, 31-28. Unfortunately for them, that's the way it remained as the Bulldogs hung on for the narrow victory.

Saturday night we drove back to NYC to see the new look New York Knicks play the Portland Trailblazers in their home opener at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks with a revamped roster which included newcomers Amaure Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and Landry Fields still weren't able to hold an eight point lead with 5 minutes to go.

They wound up losing the opener 100-95 in front of a sellout crowd.

The fan base seemed to be back at least on this night.

Brandon Roy lead the way for the Trailblazers with 29 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and Andre Miller chipped with 19 to blaze the trail to victory.

For the Knicks, Wilson Chandler scored 22 points off the bench. Amaure Stoudemire had 18 points in his home debut.

Sunday I went to the New Meadowlands Stadium looking a treat on Halloween. I would had been better off staying home. I could have knocked on some doors and looked for candy instead.

The Jets thought it was Easter as they laid an egg. After having an off week, the Jets should have came out ready to play but they didn't.

The weather conditions were brutal. The wind was gusting and whipping up throughout the game. The Jets game plan left a lot to be desired in this one. They should have been running the ball more especially against the Packers defense who's not good against stopping the run.

The Jets wound up throwing the ball a lot more than expected. Mark Sanchez didn't have a good game. The Jet defense played well but the offense got shut out by the Packers who won the game, 9-0!

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman