Streetplay.com: 2002 Stickball Classic

The 2002 Stickball Classic

• 2002 Classic Home
• Finals
• Final Competition Photos
• Queens Competition
• Queens Competition Photos
• Bronx Competition
• Bronx Competition Photos

Full Classic Coverage
• Stickball Classic 2004
• Stickball Classic 2003
• Stickball Classic 2002
• Stickball Classic 2001
• Stickball Classic 2000
• Stickball Classic 1999

• Stickball discussion area

• Stickball home
• Introduction to stickball
• Tourneys / Competitions
• Schedule / Contacts
• Equipment
• Celebrities
• Poetry
• Other online resources
• Stickball discussion

More on Streetplay
• Stickball Hall of Fame
• Tribute: Steve Mercado, FDNY
• Beating the Big Kids
• Ouch, That Buick Hurts!
• Angel Quinones, Sr. and Jr.

Emperors to Represent Queens

	Click for bigger picture
	No, Curtis is not taking up astronomy. The Commish was inspecting Wayne Lippold's PVC bat to see if it was "legal."

One of the great things about the NY Stickball Classic is that it gives guys who to haven't picked up the stickball bat in years an opportunity to put together a rag-tag team and have some fun playing the game. Another great thing is that the competition is also fairly serious. Top players and great teams participate with real prizes for the winners as well as for bragging rights of being the "best team"in the city. There is always a bit of tension between these two somewhat contradictory themes particularly when the road meets the rubber and a great team is matched against a crew of friends who play only once a year.

This was exactly the situation last Saturday during the Queens classic. In the opening game, The Gold, New York's hottest stickball team faced-off against the Frantics, a team of friends to get together regularly but not for stickball competitions. In the second game, the New York Emperors, winners of the 2000 Stickball Classic, were paired against the Old-Timers, a collection of retired players; and we mean retired as in collecting social security and longer working, not simply retired from playing stickball.

In each of these two opening games real teams easily outmatched their competition. The Gold emerged with a lopsided 18 - 6 victory over the Frantics and the Emperors defeated the Old Timers 13 - 5. Both of the victorious teams used the relatively wide field and tree-lined street to their advantage, by hitting a number of shots into the canopy and making it extremely difficult for opposing fielders.

However just as the initial games were hitting feasts the final competition between the gold and members was a defensive struggle. Jennifer Lippold, the solitary female player in the competition, was the only runner who scored in the final game, hustling home from first base on an outfield single hit by Richie Mojica and leading Emperors to 1-0 victory over The Gold. The Emperors, who found Queens to be their lucky borough in 2000 by winning that competition and staying on track right through the finals, hope to repeat in 2002.

Eddie Rodriquez of the Emperors took the Longball competition with a 290 foot blast.

Click for bigger picture

A special thanks to the Daily News
for its continued support of this legendary NYC street game.