Royalty sees the Giants play the Vikings on MNF at MetLife Stadium!

After work on Monday night October 21st I went to New York Penn Station where I met up with my pal Eddie Pelle for dinner at Subway. He told me just before I left work that his brother got him a ticket for the Giant game. I told him I was going so we arranged to meet up.

After we ate, we took NJ Transit out to MetLife Stadium as the Giants were hosting the Minnesota Vikings in search of their first win of the season as they started off 0-6. We wound up meeting the King & my pal Sean MacDonald who Eddie met up with when he was on the road a few weeks prior to that game. We all needed tickets except for Eddie who was waiting to meet his brother to get his.

Sean decided to get one for $40 outside shortly after we all met up because he wanted to get in early so he could take pictures & notes for his NFL Stadium Journey  blog as he continues his quest to see all the different gridiron across the country.

As for the King & I, we wound up getting tickets for $20 each just before kick off. Since we've been to MetLife Stadium numerous times, we weren't in a rush to spend more money if we didn't have to. Thankfully we came across a few people who were willing to meet our demands price wise. We wound up staying downstairs on the lower level in section 146 row 48 which is the last row in corner of the end zone.

As for the game we saw, the Giants found a team that was worse than them on this night. They finally got in the win column as they defeated the Vikings, 23-7 in a sloppy played game.

After the game, I took the bus back to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. I got home at 1:14AM. That wasn't bad all things considered. 

Stay tuned as I try my best to continue to play catch up.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 8/26 in review

Monday night after work I went to Taste of Italy's No.2 for pizza where I wound up meeting up with Vinny Ascanio, Frank Anichiarico and David Sack on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a four game series with their division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. When I got to the Rotunda entrance I was greeted by my pal Sam Citron.

Since it was close to game time, I went straight upstairs to section 515 where the rest of the Royal Court was sitting on this night. Besides Vinny, Frank & David, we also had Phil Butleman, Pat Gorman & Alan Gimpel amongst us.

We had a good pitching match up that night as the Phillies had Cliff Lee on the mound while the Mets countered with rookie prospect Zack Wheeler. It turned out to be a good one for a change. The Phillies got a two run triple from Cody Asche in the fourth inning that was the difference in the game as the Phillies got by the Mets, 2-1.

Tuesday night after work I returned to Citi Field for game two of the four game set. Since it was another Citi Tuesday I decided to eat at the ballpark with the $10 gift card I received just for showing my Citi card at the booth out in center field. I was considering going to Shake Shack but as usual the line was forever so I decided to go next door to Blue Smoke for some ribs instead. When I got done I walked back around the ballpark on the field level then I went upstairs behind home plate in section 515 where I caught up with the King, David Sack, Alan Gimpel, Al Linderman & Pat Gorman who were also present & accounted on this night.

Eric Schwartzman & I at Citi Field

It should be noted a few innings into the game I got a special visit from a fellow ballpark chaser who lives in Astoria. I'm referring to Eric Schwartzman. He kept me company for a while and we exchanged stories as we watched the game. Ironically he said he went to college with Bob Deal, another ballpark chaser who I happened to see a few days before. I told him that. What a small world it really is. I want to personally thank Eric for spending some of his precious time with me that night. Hopefully we'll catch up again soon.
As for the game we saw, it was a rare fast one. It took only two hours and 19 minutes as Mets' starter Jonathon Niese went the distance throwing a three hit shutout as the Mets beat the Phillies, 5-0.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway & Carvel for my pre game meal & dessert as I returned to Citi Field for game three against the Phillies.

When I got up to section 515 on this night, I was joined by a regular crowd as David Sack, Phil Butleman, Pat Gorman & Alan Gimpel also came back for more. In addition, Martin Caamano showed up as well. Furthermore, we had some added entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were in the house.
As for the game we saw, unlike the night before it was a long one. It took three hours & 32 minutes to play mainly because of Dice K who started for the Mets & to be perfectly honest, he was absolutely awful. The Phillies roughed him up as they went on to beat the Mets, 6-2.

Thursday night after work I came home because I needed to do my laundry. The Mets wrapped up their series with the Phillies in the afternoon. They wound up winning to splitting it two games a piece.

Friday I got out of work early at 3PM thanks to the holiday weekend. As a result, I was able to go home first & I had a bite to eat. Then I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open up a weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. It happened to be Yogi Berra Bobblehead Doll night for the first 18,000 fans so I was fortunate I was able to get there early enough to get one.

Yogi Berra Bobblehead Doll 

Before the game started, they carted Yogi around the warning track and he waved to the fans.

When I got up to my seat in section 420B row 7, my pals Steve Tepperman, Larry Peim & William Frank Guthrie were all sitting nearby. Shortly after the game started, fellow roadtripper Sean MacDonald showed up. He just moved to NYC after spending 15 years in Japan & another year in Singapore. It was great to see him again. I expect to see him more often but not in the near future because he's taking a four month trip to see all 32 NFL stadiums by car. I told him to contact me if and when he needs any of my sound advice along the way.

As for the game we saw, it was fast & scoreless for the first three innings. After that, the rest of the game was dragged on. The Orioles got on the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead which was short lived as the Yankees answered when Alfonso Soriano hit a two run homer to make it 2-1. The Orioles responded in the top of the fifth inning when they got a long two run homer from Danny Valencia who hit the ball to the back of the Oriole bullpen in left center field. They also got a clutch two out hit from Manny Machado to take a 4-2 lead. In the fifth inning, the Yankees batted around as they score five runs to take the lead for good. They wound up holding off the Orioles by a score of 8-5.

After the game we went to Donovan's Pub for a post game meal.

Saturday afternoon the King & I returned to Yankee Stadium for game two of the series between the Yankees & the Orioles. We had William Frank Guthrie, Al Linderman & Michael Abrams there with us.
As for the game we saw, the Yankees got a stellar complete game performance as starter Ivan Nova threw a three hit shutout as the Yankees beat the Orioles, 2-0.

After the game, the King & I took the subway to Coney Island where we saw the Brooklyn Cyclones host the Aberdeen Ironbirds at MCU Park. Ironically as we were walking to the ballpark, a guy asked us if we needed tickets. We said we did & he handed them to us. I shook his hand and thanked him.

When we got inside the park, we had some friends there as Domish, William Frank Guthrie & his wife Beth showed up as did Al Linderman & Michael Abrams.

As for the game we saw, the Ironbirds got seven shutout innings from their starter Sebastian Vader who earned the victory as the Ironbirds won, 7-0. Earlier in the season, we saw Vader throw eight shutout innings. That night he left winning 4-0. The Ironbirds' bullpen blew the game as they wound up winning 5-4 in ten innings.

Sunday afternoon the King & I returned for the finale in the Bronx. Depending on how the game was going I was considering going to Brooklyn again to see the Cyclones play the Ironbirds at 5PM. I hate to leave games early unless I deem it necessary.

As for the game we saw, Andy Pettitte started and he pitched well for six innings. He gave up two hits in the seventh inning & Joe Girardi decided to take him out unnecessarily. He left with a 3-0 lead. The move turned out to back fire on the Yankees as the Orioles wound up exploding for seven runs as they batted around. The King & I were feed up in the middle of the inning. After J.J. Hardy hit a three run homer to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead, we decided to leave so we could get to the Cyclone game on time.

The Yankees wound up losing the game, 7-3. Adam Jones hit a three run homer that we missed. The game took three & a half hours to play. We didn't regret leaving. We hate to be held prisoner.

We wound up taking the subway back to Coney Island and we arrived at MCU Park just in time for the first pitch at 5:01PM.

As for the game we saw, it was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Cyclones got a run to go up 1-0. The Ironbirds tied it up in the top of the eighth inning when left fielder Connor Bierfeldt hit a solo homer. In the ninth inning, the Ironbirds scored four runs including a three run double by Mike Yastrzemski, the grandson of former Red Sox great, Carl Yastrzemski. The Cyclones made a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning but they fell short as they lost the game, 5-4.

Stay tuned for my w/o 9/2, w/o 9/9 & w/o 9/16 week in reviews. I'm trying to catch up slowly but surely. Please bear with me.

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 w/o 7/22 in review

Monday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for a few slices of pizza on my way to Citi Field as the Mets opened a four game series with their division rival, the Atlanta Braves. When I arrived at the ballpark, I entered through the Rotunda gate and I was greeted by my pal Sam Citron. As always, it was a pleasure to see him.

When I got upstairs to section 516, I was joined by the King, Vincent Ascanio and Bryan Gilligan. In addition, we also had our pals Phil Butleman, Manny Morales, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel & Al Linderman on hand. Furthermore, in section 513 the Hooligan's were present and accounted for. It's always fun when they show up.

As for the game we saw, the Mets got a great start from starter Dillon Gee who threw seven shutout innings. He left the game with a 1-0 lead. The Met bullpen did its job in the eighth inning but in the ninth it sprung a leak as closer Bobby Parnell was unable to seal the deal. He allowed three hits and two runs to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. The Mets tried their best to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. With runners on first & second & two men out, Justin Turner pinch hit and he drove a ball to the gap that appeared to be good for at least one run if not two. Thanks to Jason Heyward of the Braves it was good for none. He made a great game saving catch to end the game as the Braves hung on to win, 2-1.

Tuesday night after work I went to Checker's for dinner before I returned to Citi Field for game two of the series with the Braves on Citi Tuesday. Every Tuesday night home game, the Mets offer their Citibank cardholders special discounts and a $10 gift card just for showing their card. Since the King & I have Citibank credit cards we get to take advantage of this unique perk.

After we went out to the booth near the Apple in center field, we went up to our perch in section 516 behind home plate to watch the game. This time we were joined by Manny Bonilla, David Sack, Phil Butleman & Frank Anichiarico.

As for the game we saw, it didn't start off well as Braves' shortstop Andrelton Simmons lead off the game with a home run to give the Braves a 1-0 lead off Mets' starter Carlos Torres. Luckily Torres settled in nicely as he proceeded to shutout the Braves for six innings. He even helped his own cause by getting a hit in the third inning that tied the game at one. The Mets added three more runs in the sixth inning which made a winner out of Torres as the Mets beat the Braves, 4-1 to even the series at a game a piece.

Wednesday night after work I stopped off at Subway & Carvel by Junction Blvd on my way back to Citi Field for game three. After I had a quality meal and a royal dessert, I got back on the 7 train and I went to the ballpark.

After saying hello to Sam again, I made my way up to the Promenade level in section 516 where I met up with the rest of the crew that were in attendance that night. I'm referring to David Sack, Manny Morales, Rich Wolber, Martin Caamano, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman & Michael Abrams.

As for the game we saw, the Braves overpowered the Mets who were wearing orange jerseys with "Los Mets" on them in honor of Hispanic Heritage night. The Braves built a 6-0 thanks to the long ball. They got a solo homer from Evan Gattis in the second inning, a three run homer from Dan Uggla and a two run blast from Andrelton Simmons in the fifth inning which propelled them to an easy 8-2 victory over the Mets. Unfortunately for the Braves it turned out to be a painful night for them because they lost starting pitcher Tim Hudson who dominated the Mets for seven & two thirds innings. Hudson got spiked accidentally by the Mets' Eric Young Jr. on a play at first base.

Thursday night after work I went home to get a much needed night of relaxation. I made myself dinner and I watched some TV.

Friday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees play the red hot Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Before I went into the ballpark, I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant and I picked up a corned beef sandwich.

It should be noted that night marked the return to the Bronx for Alfonso Soriano who got traded back to the Yankees earlier in the day from the Chicago Cubs. He was in the starting line up.

When I got up to my seat in section 420B row 7, I was greeted by a fellow ballpark chaser, Ben Fallon who was there with his son Declan. Ben came up from the Washington DC area to visit his family who live on the Jersey Shore. It was nice of him to stop by to say hi. I met him last September for the first time when I went to Nationals Park. Speaking of Nats Town, stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do that will recap the weekend I spent down there. It worked out well that I got to see Ben here because he wasn't going to be there.

As for the game we saw, the Yankees got beat up. CC Sabathia started and he got bombed. He gave up six runs in the second inning as the Rays batted around. He wound up giving up seven runs in five innings of work. The Yankees trailed, 10-1 after seven innings before they staged a late comeback attempt that fell short in the ninth inning as the Rays used four relief pitchers to finish off the Yankees, 10-6. The game took 3 hours and 44 minutes. It was painful to watch for any baseball fan. As for Alfonso Soriano, he was a non factor as he went hit less in five at bats.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 6/10 in review

Monday night after work I came home and I made myself dinner and I relaxed since there were no games in the area that I could get to.

Tuesday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a three game series with the St. Louis Cardinals who were making their only appearance this season. Upon arrival, I saw my pal Sam Citron when I entered the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. As always it was a pleasure to see him again. It was a Citi Tuesday so I went out to the booth behind the Apple in center field. By doing so, I got a free $10 gift card by showing my Citi Mastercard before I headed upstairs to the Royal court which was in session in section 516 on this night. I was joined by David Sack, Frank Anichiarico, Al Linderman, Alan Gimpel & Domish who told me he's been to 140 hockey games this season. That's impressive considering the NHL locked out for a big chunk of the season. He loves his hockey. It was nice to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Mets got off to a fast start as Omar Quintanilla hit a solo home run and Marlon Byrd added a sacrifice fly off of Cardinals' rookie pitcher Michael Wacha in the first inning to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead. The Cardinals sliced the Met lead in half as they scored a run in the fourth inning on a double play grounder by first baseman Matt Adams to make it a 2-1. They broke the game open in the fifth inning when Daniel Murphy of the Mets made an error at first base to start the inning. The Cardinals took advantage by getting timely hits which included a three run homer by Allen Craig that highlighted a five run inning to give the Cardinals a 6-2 lead off Mets' starter Jeremy Hefner. The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning and one more in the ninth to beat the Mets, 9-2. As a result, Michael Wacha picked up his first major league win.

Wednesday night after work I returned to Citi Field after I stopped off at Subway to have my pre game meal. I was planning to have some Carvel Ice Cream too but the machine wasn't working due to the heat they said.

When I got to Citi Field I saw Sam again. It should be noted this night was another milestone for me. It was my 4,000th Major League game I've seen in person. It turned out to be a festive occasion when I got upstairs. This time we wound up sitting in section 514 which is right behind home plate. We had many regulars on hand and a special guest too. As for the regulars, they were Manny Morales, Rich Wolber, Frank Anichiarico, Phil Butleman, Martin Caamano, Vincent Ascanio, Bryan Gilligan, Steve Tepperman and of course the King. In addition, we had musical entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were present & accounted for.

Me & Megabus Matt at Citi Field

More importantly, we did have a visitor. I'm referring to Matthew Weil aka Megabus Matt who was in the midst of a 25 day 25 ballpark journey. The amazing thing about it was that he was doing it all for $700. He was riding Megabus all over the country. He said he got $1.00 rides to all his destinations. He's originally from Philadelphia but he now lives in Berkeley, California. He told me he likes to do budget traveling. He told me he went from Los Angeles to New Zealand for $399.00 in the past. He knows how to get great deals. When I told him about all the different places the King & I have been, he was dazed and amazed. He said and I quote "that's crazy." Some of the things he's done had me wondering the same thing about him. Everybody looks at things differently. Let's face reality, in order to enjoy life properly, you have to be crazy and daring. If not, you're wasting your precious time. Matt told me that he was heading down South for the weekend. He was going to Atlanta, Tampa & Miami. It sounded like a grueling ride. I told him I could relate from my early days of traveling with the King on Greyhound buses to different parts of the country. He said he was returning to NYC to see the Yankees play the Dodgers. I told him we'll see you again there.

As for the game we saw, it looked like a preview of home run derby. We saw four home runs in the game. Most games we're lucky if we see one or two. The Mets managed to hit three of them. Lucas Duda hit the first one in the fourth inning, David Wright hit one in the sixth inning and Marlon Byrd added one in the seventh inning to back the great pitching of starter Dillon Gee who went six and two thirds innings allowing just one run which was a home run by Allen Craig of the Cardinals in the sixth. The Mets defeated the Redbirds, 5-1 despite striking out ten times against Cardinal starter Shelby Miller in six innings.

Thursday night after work I came home and I made dinner then I braved the elements as I did my laundry in the rain. I thought the rain stopped. I got ready and when I was going to walk out of the house I heard the rain coming down. I was caught off guard but I improvised and I got the job done.

Friday night after work I went back to Taste of Dolly's for pizza on my way to Citi Field to see the Mets open a three game series over Father's Day weekend with the Chicago Cubs.

On this night, we wound up sitting in section 515. Amongst us were David Sack and his friend Andrew, Alan Gimpel, Martin Caamano and Michael Carson. In addition, we had a surprise visit by our pal Manny Bonilla. It was really nice to see him again. He's been busy with school. As for the game we saw, the Cubs raced out to a 5-0 lead after two innings off Met starter Shaun Marcum which set the tone for the game as the Mets lost, 6-3.

After the game, the Mets had a special concert starring Foreigner. When I heard about it a few months ago, I was all excited. I love their music. Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about their appearance.
Saturday afternoon the King & I went back to Citi Field for game two of the three game set with the Cubs.
This time we sat in section 516. We were joined by Manny Morales, Marc Beck, Michael Abrams, Phil Butleman, David Sack, William Frank Guthrie, Vincent Ascanio, Frank Anichiarico, Bryan Gilligan and Rich Wolber.

In addition, we also had Pat Gorman who just returned from his trip to the Midwest. He went on his annual baseball road trip. This time he took a shortened version. He only made stops in Milwaukee and Chicago. He got to see the Brewers at Miller Park, Cubs play at Wrigley Field and the White Sox at the "Cell" if you will. It was great to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Mets fell to the Cubs again, 5-2. The Mets couldn't overcome all the walks their pitching staff issued. In addition, Cubs' starter Scott Feldman held them to just two hits over the first seven innings. The Cubs put the game away in the top of the eighth inning. They tried to make a comeback but it fell short.

After the game, Bryan drove the King & I and Rich Wolber to Allentown, Pennsylvania. We went to Coca Cola Park again to see the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. They were playing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees Triple A affiliate.

As for the game we saw, it was over early as the RailRiders built a 4-0 lead after two innings. They added some runs late to beat the IronPigs, 7-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 10,100.

Sunday was Father's Day. We returned to Citi Field to see the finale of the Mets and the Cubs.
This time we were joined in section 516 by Phil Butleman, David Sack, Pat Gorman, Alan Gimpel, Al Linderman and Michael Carson.

As for the game we saw, the Cubs scored a run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. They extended their to 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a comedy of errors by the Mets which allowed two unearned runs to score. It appeared that the Mets were on the verge of getting swept. Suddenly in the bottom of the ninth inning, they awoke from the dead. Marlon Byrd led off with a solo home run to make it 3-1. Lucas Duda followed with a walk and John Buck got a single. Omar Quintanilla proceeded to bunt them over to second and third base with just one out. Kirk Nieuwenhuis came up and ended the game in dramatic fashion as he hit a game winning three run homer to right field to give the Mets an improbable come from behind win as they beat the Cubs, 4-3.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/6 in review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/22 in review

Taste of Italy No. 2

Monday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner and then went out & I did my laundry.

Tuesday night after work I stopped off at a restaurant called Taste of Italy No. 2 which is located at 40-05 Junction Blvd in Corona, Queens. It's right off the 7 train which makes it nice & convenient to go to. I want to thank my pal Vincent Ascanio for the royal recommendation. I wound up getting chicken parm and spaghetti which came with three garlic knots for $5.95. They have waitress service too so you can sit down, relax and enjoy your meal. I certainly did. When I got done, I hopped back on the 7 express train one stop to Citi Field where I went to see the Mets open a three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicken Parm and Spaghetti

When I got off the train, I went to see my pal Sam Citron who greeted me with a handshake. As always, it was a pleasure to see him again. I went upstairs to section 515 because that's where the rest of the people I know were sitting on this cold, windy night. Amongst us regulars were our friends Steve Tepperman, Pat Gorman and Martin Caamano who were present and accounted for as well.

In addition, we had some musical entertainment in section 513 as the Hooligan's were at the game too. They always make the game experience more amusing. In fact, they chanted out during the game, Where's the King? He was near me. He said and I quote "they're asking for me." I told him, yes they are. They're also big fans of his signature strikeout call which they join him on. Regardless of the lousy weather, it turned out to be a great night out.

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers got a three run homer from Mark Ellis in the seventh inning which broke a 2-2 tie to make it 5-2. In the eighth inning, they added a few more runs thanks to a two run double by A.J. Ellis. The Mets wound up losing the game, 7-2. The one bright spot for the Mets was that former Brooklyn Cyclone Juan Lagares who was called up from the minor leagues got his first major league hit, a single in the seventh inning.

Wednesday night after work I went to Subway and Carvel for my pre game meal before I went to Citi Field for game two of the three game series between the Mets and Dodgers. This time we sat in our usual section 516 up near the top. We had a nice gathering on this night which was also cold & nasty. Thankfully Matt Harvey was starting for the Mets so we had a chance to see a good game.

As for the people who joined us, we had Manny Morales, Charlie Vitanza, Phil Butleman, David Sack, Rich Wolber, Alan Gimpel and Martin Caamano. In addition, we had some special guests who used to show up more often. I'm referring to my good friend James Gabriele who was there with his son Andrew and our pal Mike Klein who came out as well.

As for the game we saw, Matt Harvey pitched well. He went six innings. He allowed three runs & four hits while he walked just one and he struck out seven. He left the game down 3-2. The Mets rallied to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to a clutch two out hit by David Wright which got Matt Harvey off the hook for the loss. The game was decided in the tenth inning as the Mets got a game winning grand slam from Jordany Valdespin which gave them a 7-3 win.

Thursday night after work I went up to the Bronx. I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant. I got a roast beef sandwich for dinner. I took it into Yankee Stadium and I ate it. I was joined by the King.

The Yankees were opening a four game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Thanks to the horrible scheduling the Mets were home over the weekend too at the same time Friday and Sunday.

As for the game we saw, the Blue Jays took an early 3-0 lead thanks to Edwin Encarnacion who hit a two run homer in the first inning and Brett Lawrie who hit a solo shot in the second inning. The Yankees answered back in their half of the second inning as former Blue Jay Vernon Wells hit a solo homer to make it a 3-1 game. In the third inning, Robinson Cano hit a three run homer with two outs to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. They added another run in the fourth inning when Francisco Cervelli hit a rare homer as home run derby continued. The Yankees and Blue Jays didn't score the rest of the way as the Yankees won the game, 5-3.

Friday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for a pre game meal on my to Citi Field as the Mets opened a three game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since the Yankees were also home, we had a smaller than usual crew amongst us on this night. Those who were present & accounted for were Pat Gorman, Frank Anichiarico, Alan Gimpel, Martin Caamano and Michael Carson. In addition, the Hooligan's were in the house again too which is also a welcome addition.

As for the game we saw, the Mets and Phillies were scoreless until the sixth inning when the Phillies finally broke through. They roughed up Mets starter Dillon Gee who gave up four straight hits which resulted in four runs before he recorded an out. Michael Young got a run scoring single and Ryan Howard cleared the bases when he hit a home run to center field to give the Phillies all the offensive support they needed as starter Kyle Kendrick pitched a gem. He went the distance as he shutout the Mets on just three hits. He walked one and struck out five as the Phillies took the opener, 4-0.

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

Stay tuned for a special post that will recap the way we made the most of our weekend in NYC.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty welcomes Roadtrippers to NYC for Opening Week at Citi Field & Yankee Stadium!

Scott Bultman, Steve Fekete, Tike Narry, Vincent Ascanio, Me King & Bryan Gilligan 

Tuesday night after work I came home. I made myself dinner then I went out & I did my laundry. While I was doing that the King was entertaining fellow roadtripper Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk who was in town to see his Padres play the Mets. Since the Mets and Padres had the day off, they took public transportation out to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the Winnipeg Jets.

Wednesday night after work I arranged to meet up with Scott Bultman, another ballpark chaser who now lives in the Twin Cities. He flew in from Minneapolis to LaGuardia Airport earlier in the day and Steve Fekete who was staying in New Jersey. They wound up meeting me by my office in Midtown Manhattan at 5:30PM. We greeted each other and we proceeded to walk over to the subway so we could go to Citi Field. Quite amazingly, the plan didn't go as expected. Due to a stalled train at Queensboro Plaza, we had to take an alternate route which wound up costing us 10 minutes. As a result, instead of going to Taste of Dolly's for dinner, we decided to go to Subway instead. It should be noted that's Steve's restaurant of choice no matter what part of the country he's in. In that regard, things worked out well. Scott is also a fan of Subway on a lesser scale he said. The same can be said for me. Luckily I was ready for the alternate plan as I dug out some Subway coupons which came in handy as we all benefited as we were able to save some money. It was part of the royal treatment they expected and deserved. In addition, we got to meet up with my pal Vincent Ascanio who was on the same train as us. He joined us for dinner. After we ate, we all got back on the 7 train at Junction Blvd. and we took it one more express stop to Citi Field.

We got off the train and we proceeded to head into the ballpark. We did so in royal fashion as we saw my pal, Sam Citron who greeted us at the gate. Sam was so happy to see me. I introduced him to Scott & Steve. As for Vincent, he's a regular so Sam knows him well.

We proceeded to go up to our seats after I contacted another roadtripper who was at the game with his wife and son. I'm referring to the Narry family that is Tike, Dawn and their seven year old son Patrick who came in from the Bay area. They have San Francisco Giants season tickets. They wound up getting great seats way downstairs. They did so because they were all seeing Citi Field for the first time. More importantly they all were seeing their last current ballpark together. Tike told me he would come upstairs to where we were sitting in section 516 after a few innings. Since it was just before 7PM, we got on the elevator and we went up to see the rest of the royal court who were present & accounted for. We had the King, Bryan Gilligan, Pat Gorman & David Sack on hand on a cold windy night. We also got a quick hello from another person we know as JeanAnn Harrison came up to see us. She was also seeing Citi Field for the first time. She happens to like multiple teams. Two of them are the Mets & the Padres. With that being said, regardless of the outcome she couldn't lose. It was nice to see her again.

A few innings later Tike and his son Patrick came up to join us for part of the game. We all congratulated them on their personal milestone. It was great to be part of their special occasion. We all enjoyed each other's company. We all hope to meet again at a ballpark somewhere in the country in the future.

As for the game we saw, the Mets got seven shutout innings from their starter Matt Harvey who left the game with an 8-0 lead thanks to two run homers by Lucas Duda, John Buck and Ike Davis. The Met bullpen did their best to make it interesting in the late innings as they gave up four runs but they managed to prevent the Padres from coming all the way back as the Mets won, 8-4.

Thursday while I was at work I asked the King to take care of my Cousin Andy who was off from work. My Cousin asked me if the Mets or Yankees were playing. I told him they both were. The Mets had an afternoon game and the Yankees had a night game. Since I was working during the day, I arranged for him to meet up with the King. I told him I would see him at Yankee Stadium for their game after work.
In addition, Scott Bultman and Steve Fekete also did the doubleheader. This time it was Scott's turn to get closer to a personal milestone as he was seeing new Yankee Stadium for the first time. It was his 29th current ballpark leaving him with just Arizona which he plans to get to sometime in May so he can finish seeing all the current stadiums. I was happy to join him for the game.

As for the games that day, the Mets dropped their first game of the season, 2-1. As for the Yankees, they beat the Red Sox, 4-2 to earn their first win of the season after they got beat the first two games. Andy Pettitte allowed just one run over eight innings to earn his 246th lifetime win.

Friday night after work I wound up meeting Scott Bultman by surprise because he originally planned to go to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks who were hosting the Bucks. He contacted me during the day and he said he changed his plans. As a result, we arranged to meet up at my office again at 5:30PM. Scott spend the day sightseeing. We wound up taking the train to Citi Field without a problem this time. We stopped off at Taste of Dolly's and we each had a few slices of pizza.

We found out on our way to Citi Field that Steve Fekete who was suppose to go back home to Anaheim, California decided to stay in NYC another day because his flight got delayed. As a result, he wound up going back to Citi Field too as the Miami Marlins were in town to play the Mets.

After Scott & I finished eating, we took the Q48 bus that was coming. It dropped us off right across the street from Citi Field. We got off and we walked over to the Rotunda area where we saw Sam Citron again. We proceeded to go in & we went upstairs where we met up with the King and the rest of the royal court which consisted of Bryan Gilligan, Vincent Ascanio, Frank Anichiarico, Pat Gorman and Michael Abrams aka the Yankee emperor who has seen 909 consecutive Yankee home games.

As for the game we saw, the Marlins built a 6-0 lead as the Mets bullpen imploded after starter Jeremy Hefner only allowed a run over the first six innings. The Mets made a comeback as they cut the lead in half, 6-3 after seven innings. After a scoreless eighth inning, the Marlins tacked on a run in the ninth. The Mets responded with two more as they threatened but they fell short as they lost, 7-5.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub in Woodside for a post game meal. Scott decided not to join us since he had an early flight back home to the Mini Apple Saturday morning. Steve decided to join the King, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico and I. We got to have a nice meal together despite the Met loss it turned out to be a fun night out.

Stay tuned as I finish recapping the weekend as our visiting roadtrippers departed NYC.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/7 in review

Prince at Rose Hill Gym

Monday morning I went to Avis to return the car I rented for the weekend then I went to work.

After work I went to Charley's Subs for my pre game meal at Penn Station. After I ate, I went upstairs to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks take on their division rival, the Boston Celtics who were playing without All-Star Rajan Rondo who was serving a one game suspension.

As for the game I saw, it was tightly contested right through out. The Celtics led by one, 22-21 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Knicks out scored the Celtics by four to take a three point lead, 56-53 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Celtics regained the lead as they out scored the Knicks by seven to lead 76-72 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, things got interesting. With 9 minutes to go in the game, things got feisty between the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Celtics' Kevin Garnett. They exchanged words & they were both called for technical fouls. Apparently Carmelo Anthony had too much to say and he wound up getting suspended for a game as a result. After the game, he allegedly went to look for Garnett by the team bus. As for the rest of the game, cooler heads prevailed for the Celtics as they wound up beating the Knicks, 102-96. Paul Pierce led the way as he scored a team high 23 points which included a few clutch shots down the stretch to help preserve the victory for the Celtics. As for the Knicks, J.R. Smith added a game high 24 points in the losing effort much to the chagrin of the sellout crowd at the Garden.

Tuesday night after work I came home made dinner and then I did my laundry.

Wednesday night after work I took a ride up to the Bronx to see some college basketball at Fordham, that's where my pal Greg Venuto went to school.

Before I walked over to the campus, I stopped off at Pronto Pizza which is right across the street from the Metro North station and the campus & I had some pizza for dinner.

Shortly after I walked into historic Rose Hill gym which is the oldest in Division 1, I ran into my pal, former Knicks radio announcer and Fordham alum John Andariese who was also in attendance. John graduated from Fordham back in the day. It was nice to see him again. I used to see him all the time when I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play. John recently retired from doing the Knicks. With that being said, it hasn't been the same when I go to see the Knicks play.

When I finally went to my seat behind the basket I was joined by the King. It should be noted our friends Manny Morales and Pat Gorman were among the faithful on hand to watch the Fordham Rams host the Duquesne Dukes too. They were part of an announced crowd of 1,232. When the game began the gym was empty but it gradually filled in. I don't think they had more than a thousand people there though. As for the game we saw, the Rams beat the Dukes, 82-75 in their first conference game of the season.

After the game, the King and I joined Manny Morales who was hungry at Checkers for a post game meal before we headed to subway to go home.

Thursday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see college basketball at the Wellness Center aka the WRAC which is the home of the Long Island University Blackbirds.

Before the game I went to McDonald's for my pre game meal.

After I ate, I walked over to the WRAC. Upon arrival, I was greeted by many familiar faces we had the King, Frank Anichiarico, Phil Butleman, Larry Peim, an LIU alum I might add, Michael Abrams and David Sack amongst us.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds were playing the Wagner Seahawks. It turned out to be a historic night as the Blackbirds had their 31 game on campus home winning streak snapped as the Seahawks shot them down, 86-75 before an announced attendance of 1,129. With the loss, the Blackbirds fell to 0-3 in the Northeast Conference and 5-10 overall while the Seahawks improved their record to 9-5 and 3-0 in the conference.

Friday night after work I went back to downtown Brooklyn but this time I went to the Barclays Center to see the Nets battle the Phoenix Suns.

Before the game I went to Subway for dinner at the Atlantic Center Mall across the street.

After I ate, I went into the arena. I went up to my seat and I met up with the King.

As for the game we saw, the Nets fell behind after the first quarter, 25-21. They continued to trail at halftime, 53-46. In the second half, the Nets woke up as they out scored the Suns, 53-26 to blow them out of the building, 99-79.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do that will recap another memorable weekend I had. Please bear with me as I try to find the time to write about it. Trust me it will be worth the wait.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/12 in review

View from Section 230 at Barclays Center

Monday morning I went to Avis to return the Lincoln Town car I rented for the weekend before I went to work. I drove 455 miles safely.

After work I came home to rest and recharge the batteries and I watched Monday Night Football as the Steelers squeaked past the lowly Chiefs, 16-13 in overtime.

Tuesday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see the Nets take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays Center. Before I went inside I went to the Atlantic Center Mall across the street to have dinner at McDonald's.

After I ate, I went into the Barclays Center. I wound up meeting up with the King and our pals Vincent Ascanio and Al Linderman who were there. We enjoyed each others company.

As for the game we saw, the Nets and the Cavaliers kept it close early. The Cavaliers lead, 30-29 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Nets turned it up a notch as they pulled away from the Cavaliers. The Nets lead, 64-42 at halftime. After the third quarter, the Cavaliers sliced the Nets lead down to ten, 85-75. In the fourth quarter, the Nets maintained their double digit lead as they went on to beat the Cavaliers, 114-101.

The big three of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez accounted for 74 points to pace the Nets to victory.

As for the Cavaliers, they got production from two players, Anderson Varejao who finished with 35 points and he grabbed 18 rebounds and Kyrie Irving, the second year guard, poured in 34 points and he handed out 8 assists in the losing effort.

Wednesday night I came after work and I relaxed. I needed to prepare for my big weekend getaway.
Thursday night after work I went back to the Barclays Center to see the Nets host the Boston Celtics. I stopped off at Subway for dinner in the Atlantic Center Mall first. I met up with the King and our friend Phil Butleman at the game.

As for the game we saw, the Celtics played without their star guard Rajon Rondo who got hurt the night before. The Nets took a 31-26 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, they extended their lead to nine at halftime, 59-50. In the third quarter, the Celtics outplayed the Nets badly as they went ahead after three, 79-74. In the fourth quarter, the Nets came back and they beat the Celtics, 102-97 much to the delight of the sold out crowd at the Barclays Center.

Once again the big three lead the way. This time Deron Williams scored 24 points and he dished out 8 assists. Brook Lopez had 24 points and Joe Johnson added 19 points and he pulled down 8 rebounds. In addition, Kris Humphries had 10 points and he ripped down 13 rebounds to help the cause.

As for the Celtics, they were led by Paul Pierce who scored 22 points while Kevin Garnett was limited to only 14 points in the losing performance.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do some special posts that will recap my latest getaway to Memphis, Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri over the weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/5 in review

Prince in Section 230 at Barclays Center

Monday morning I woke up early so I could return the Crown Victoria I rented from Avis for the weekend. I wound up driving 1,134 miles safely over the two days I had the car.

I went to work afterwards tired and all. I survived the day and after work I took the subway to downtown Brooklyn where the new Barclays Center is located. It's the home of the Brooklyn Nets who moved from New Jersey. On this night, the Nets were hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. It should be noted that they were missing two of their key players, Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio who were inactive due to injuries.

Even though I saw the Barclays Center during the preseason, this was my first official visit if you will. It was my 58th NBA arena which includes all the current ones.

Before I went inside I stopped off a Subway restaurant for my pre game dinner. It was conveniently located in the Atlantic Center Mall which is right across the street from the arena. When I finished I proceeded to go into the building to see some NBA basketball.

When I got to my seat in section 230, I met up with the King and our pal Vincent Ascanio who was also there.

As for the game we saw, it started well for the new team in town. The Nets got off to a fast start as they lead by four, 31-27 after the first quarter. They extended their lead to 15 at halftime, 62-47. They lead by as much as 22 along the way. After three quarters, they lead, 86-75. In the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves finally awoke. Did they ever, they stormed back and they blew past the Nets as they dominated down the stretch making one shot after another. The Timberwolves outscored the Nets, 32-10 over the last twelve minutes to come away with an improbable 107-96 victory.

The Timberwolves rallied without their two star players. They got a game high 21 points from center Nikola Pekovic. In addition, forward Chase Budinger came off the bench and he added 16 many of which came during their late surge as they stunned the Nets. In the losing effort, Deron Williams had 18 points to go along with 13 assists.

Tuesday night after work I went out for dinner with my Aunt Joan and Uncle Mort who were in Manhattan for the day. We went to Ben's Deli. We had some good food and we got to catch up at the same time. It was really nice to see them again. I want to personally thank them for meeting me.

Wednesday night after work I went home to relax as it was snowing believe it or not. If Hurricane Sandy didn't do enough damage, we got a Noreaster on top of it which produced some wet and slushy snow.
Thursday night after work the snow disappeared thanks to some warmer weather. As a result, I was able to do my laundry when I got home.

Friday night after work I went to Charley's Subs for dinner in Penn Station. When I was done, I went upstairs to Madison Square Garden. I saw the undefeated Knicks take on the visiting Dallas Mavericks who were playing without their superstars Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion.

As for the game I saw at the Transformed Garden, the Knicks and Mavericks battled it out. The Knicks lead by two after the first quarter, 25-23. In the second quarter, the Mavericks went ahead as they lead at halftime, 57-55. In the third quarter, the Knicks started to take over the game as they took the lead at 84-78 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks maintained their lead as they beat the Mavericks, 104-94 to stay unbeaten at 4-0 on the young season. Once again, Carmelo Anthony led the way for the Knicks as he scored a game high 31 points while teammate J.R. Smith added 22. For the Mavericks, O.J. Mayo paced them with 23 points.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do that will recap my latest getaway weekend from NYC.

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 w/o 6/18 in review

MCU Park - Home of the Brooklyn Cyclones

Monday night after work I met up with the King at Queensboro Plaza which is an express stop during rush hour on the 7 train. We went down to the street to have dinner at Checker's which opened up recently a few blocks from the train station. Our friend Manny Morales told us about it. It's fast food but it was really good. It's nice to know we have another option to eat along the 7 line as we make our way to Citi Field to see the Mets play.

Speaking of the Mets, we saw them open a three game series with the Baltimore Orioles who were visiting Citi Field for the very first time. After getting swept away over the weekend by the Reds, the Mets needed to get back on the winning track. We got to see Vincent Ascanio who's become a regular amongst us at the ballpark.

As for the game we saw, R.A. Dickey was pitching for the Mets. He gave the Mets the jolt they needed. He continued his amazing dominance this season as he dazzled the Orioles with his knuckleball. He allowed just one hit for the second game in a row. In the process, he struck out a career high 13 Orioles as he went the distance as the Mets won the game, 5-0. Mind you the game remained scoreless until the sixth inning when Ike Davis hit a grand slam to put the game away for R.A. and the Mets. It was a great team effort.

With all the excitement, the King nearly lost his voice doing his signature strikeout call much to the delight of the people who were sitting by us in section 516. The Hooligan's were there too. They've moved to section 513 this year. They were echoing the King's strikeout call from three sections away. It was really awesome just like R.A. Dickey's pitching performance was that night.

Tuesday night after work I went to Taste of Dolly's for my pre game meal on my way to Citi Field for game two of the series.

On this night, they gave out t-shirts commemorating Johan Santana's no hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 1st to the first 25,000 fans who walked through the gates. Amongst them was our friend Mike Klein who came with his nephew Joe Klein. As always, it was great to see them. Back in the day, Mike was a regular with us. Nowadays he shows up once in a long while so it was a rare treat to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Mets continued to win as they beat the Orioles again by the same score of 5-0. This time Johan Santana threw six shutout innings to pace the Mets to the victory. He got help from Lucas Duda who hit a two run home run in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-0 and in the seventh inning, Jordany Valdespin added some insurance for the bullpen as he delivered a two run single to put the game out of reach.

Wednesday after work I went to Subway and Carvel to eat as I made my way to Citi Field. I got off the 7 train at Junction Blvd which is an express stop so I could have my meal. After I ate, I got back on the train and I went to the game.

This time we were joined by our pals Phil Butleman and David Sack. It's always nice to see different familiar faces from night to night.

As for the game we saw, it was scorching hot weather wise as the temperature at game time was 94 degrees. It was brutal to say the least. Dillon Gee started for the Mets this time. He pitched well allowing two runs in seven and a third innings of work. He left the game with the Mets ahead 4-2. He earned the win but it wasn't without a scare from Frank Francisco who allowed a run to score and before he finally got the last out with the bases loaded. The Mets luckily escaped as they swept the series from the Orioles, 4-3.

Thursday night after work I went to Coney Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones host the Staten Island Yankees in the Battle of New York on a minor league level. I would like to thank our pal Vincent Ascanio who got the King and I free tickets for the game.

As for the game we saw, it was a sloppy one. The Staten Island Yankees broke the game open as they scored six runs in the seventh inning to beat the Cyclones, 8-1. They capitalized on mistakes which included a botched up a sacrifice bunt and they took advantage of three walks in that inning to go along with three doubles they hit.

Stay tuned for a special post that will recap the latest installment of the Subway Series that took place at Citi Field.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/14 in review

Monday night after work I went to Citi Field to see the Mets play the Milwaukee Brewers as they returned home for a short four game homestand.

On my way there I stopped off at one of my favorite places, Taste of Dolly's. I got a few slices of pizza and a 20 ounce bottle of soda for $5.50. At Citi Field, I can't even get a hot dog for that price.

At the game I was joined by the King, our pal Vincent Ascanio and our friend Frank Anichiarico. As for Frank, he came at the last minute because our buddy Manny Morales had an extra ticket because he was going to the Ranger game instead. He contacted me during the day and he asked me for Frank's phone number because he wanted to give him the ticket. I gave him his number and Frank arranged to meet him at his office to get the ticket. It was very nice of Manny to hook him up.

As for the game we saw, the Mets had a 3-0 lead going into the ninth inning as Miguel Batista pitched well. Frank Francisco came in to pitch and he allowed a run which broke the shutout but the Mets hung on to win, 3-1.

Tuesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the second game of this brief two game series. It was the Brewers' only visit to New York this year.

On the way there, I went to Wendy's for dinner.

After I ate, I hopped back on the train and went to the game. This time I was joined by the King and Vincent Ascanio who were at the Phillie game against the Astros in the afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
Since the King was on vacation this week, I arranged to get him a car for three days so he could drive himself to see some more games.

As for the Met game, the Brewers roughed up Mets' starter Dillon Gee for seven runs as they went on to beat the Mets by a score of 8-0. Zack Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings to pick up the win. Travis Ishikawa hit two home runs and Rickie Weeks added another one to carry the Brew Crew to the easy victory.

Wednesday night after work I went back to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Cincinnati Reds in the first of their two game series.

On my way I went to the game, I went to Subway and Carvel for dinner as well as dessert.

As for the King, he went to Reading, Pennsylvania to see a minor league game first. He drove back and he joined me at Citi Field.

As for the game we saw, the Mets behind a solid pitching performance by Johan Santana lead 3-2 after six innings. The Mets' bullpen proceeded to blow the game as the Mets fell to the Reds, 6-3. Todd Frazier of the Reds delivered the big blows as he homered twice. Once in the seventh inning to tie the game and again in the eighth inning to win it as Mets' reliever Jon Rauch imploded.

Thursday I went home after work since the Mets played an afternoon game. The King went there then he drove to Allentown, Pennsylvania to see the Lehigh Valley IronPigs play.

As for me, I went home and I did my laundry and I rested up for my big weekend road trip.

Stay tuned for the different special posts I'm going to do about this epic getaway. Please check back it will be worth your while to do so.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 5/7 in review

Andy Pettiitte's Back 

Monday night after work I went home made dinner and I did my laundry. I relaxed briefly after I was done.

Tuesday night after work I went up to the Bronx to see the Yankees open a three game series with the first place Tampa Bay Rays.

I went to the 7 Fish Market for dinner with the King. I also went next door to see my pal Jin Kim at the KJY Fruit Market which is always a must since I can get a cold bottle of water for a dollar plus they have plenty of other snacks to choose from.

After we finished eating, the King and I made our royal entry into the Stadium. There's nothing like seeing familiar faces along the way. While everybody's lined up somewhere else to go in, we get to go in nice and quick because we know all the tricks of the trade. Being a friendly person has its advantages when you see other friendly people who are willing to listen.

We continued through the Great Hall and up the elevator as we went to our seats in the royal box if you will in section 420B row 7 which is right behind home plate. We were greeted by our pal Vincent Ascanio who was there.

We got settled in and we observed the game. With James Shields pitching for the Rays, we had high expectations. He came into the game with a 5-0 record. He was facing Ivan Nova who had a 3-1 record for the Yankees.

James Shields didn't pitch his best like he did in Boston on Patriot's Day when he worked into the ninth inning and shut down the Red Sox as the Rays won that day, 1-0. This time he was ordinary allowing three runs in six innings which still qualifies as a quality start which is a big deal these days. He left the game trailing, 3-1. The Rays chipped away at the Yankees lead but they fell short as they left the bases loaded against David Robertson who picked up his first save filling in for Mariano Rivera. Despite pitching awful he managed to prevent the Rays from scoring as the Yankees held on to win, 5-3.

Wednesday night I returned to the Bronx. This time I met up with the King and Vincent Ascanio at Burger King for dinner.

After we ate, we entered the Stadium in our usual way. We proceeded to go to the royal box and we saw game two of the three game set between the Yankees and the Rays.

This time the Rays beat the Yankees, 4-1. The Yankees scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a run scoring single by Robinson Cano.

The Rays didn't score until the ninth inning when the Yankees put David Robertson back in to get another save. This time he loaded the bases and the Rays unloaded them as B.J. Upton hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one and Matt Joyce hit a three run homer to lift the Rays to a 4-1 victory as the Yankees' failed to score in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Thursday night I went to the Court Deli Restaurant for dinner. I had a Corned Beef sandwich and the King asked me to get him a Roast Beef sandwich. So I took it out and I proceeded to see Jin Kim at the KJY Fruit Market for some refreshments and snacks.

After I rounded up all the food, I went into the Stadium for the rubber match of the series. With CC Sabathia starting against David Price of the Rays', I hoped to see a pretty good game.

With that being said, I didn't get what I hoped for. Well CC held up his end of the bargain as he pitched eight solid innings allowing two unearned runs while striking out ten Rays. David Price on the other hand, got lit up for five runs and eleven hits over seven innings.

With David Robertson pitching the last two nights, the Yankees decided to give former Ray closer Rafael Soriano the ball in the ninth inning to seal the deal this time. He gave up an infield hit then he slammed the door shut to preserve the victory for CC as the Yankees won, 5-3.

Friday night after work I went back up to the Bronx to see the Yankees take on the Seattle Mariners. Ironically, the Mariners were the only team I didn't see play in person in 2011. When they came to Yankee Stadium last year I was on a road trip with Paul Derrick from Houston.

Before the game I stopped off at Subway for dinner. After I ate, I proceeded to go into Yankee Stadium. I went up to the royal box and I watched the game.

As for the game I saw, the Yankees fell behind 1-0 as Dustin Ackley lead off the game with a home run off of starter Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankees responded with a run scoring double by Robinson Cano to tie the game at one off of Felix Hernandez, the Mariners' ace. Former Yankee Jesus Montero broke the tie in the top of the sixth when he hit a solo home run. The Yankees came back again thanks to Raul Ibanez who hit a three run home run to make it 4-2 in the bottom half of the sixth. Andruw Jones added a pinch hit two run blast to round out the scoring in the eighth as the Yankees beat the Mariners, 6-2.

Saturday afternoon the King and I took a Chinese bus from Chinatown to Philadelphia.

Stay tuned for the special posts I'm going to do about how we spent our memorable Saturday.

Sunday I went back to the Bronx to see the Yankees play the Mariners again. It was a special day indeed not only because it was Mother's Day, it also marked the return of Andy Pettitte to the Major Leagues. After retiring after the 2010 season, Andy decided to return to baseball.

He shined bright early on but he got roughed up for a few two run home runs, one by Justin Smoak and the other by Casper Wells who hit the ball halfway up the right field foul pole to spoil Andy's return. He did pitch into the seventh inning getting an out before departing to a nice ovation from the Yankee faithful.
The Yankees wound up losing the game, 6-2.

After the game I met up with my family as we all got together to have dinner to celebrate Mother's Day. It was great to see them again.

With that another week is in the books.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman