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The 2001 Classic Begins
The Mayoral election intersected with NY's classic game today as candidates attended the opening round of the Daily News Stickball Classic. After the politicians demonstrated their stickball skills (see story), the traditional competition between NY's Bravest and NY's Finest ensued.
Fire fighters and cops traded shots, 6 per player, to see who could hit the ball the longest. Each player's longest shot was added to the team's total, with 8 members to each side. There were plenty of mighty whacks and plenty of mighty whiffs, but in the end, the fire department's longball hitters knocked out 1915 feet to the cops 1592. Steve Mercado (a firefighter and president of the NY Emperors Stickball League) hit a towering 315 foot shot to win the individual honors. Jim Rabb provided the cop's best shot with a 307 foot blast.
The event went forward despite the thermometer hitting the high 90s. Spectators were also entertained by the "musical sounds" of the Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-Phony band, who have not improved despite their years of practice. NYC's commissioner of Stickball Curtis Sliwa's humorous quips provided some relief from the heat and the band's performance.
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