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	Mayor Bloomberg with members of the Fire Dept team during the longball hitting contest See this year's schedule

Mayor Attends Stickball Kickoff

As has been the case in previous years, the kickoff ceremony featured a hitting contest matching the Bravest against the Finest; NYC Firefighters vs. NYC Cops, to see which group could hit the spalding the furthest. Curtis Sliwa, the "Commissioner of Stickball", the Master of Ceremonies, used the event to talk about the sport's great tradition and to insult the mayor, fire commissioner and police chief for their hitting styles. Although Fire Commissioner Scoppetta clearly had the most impressive swing, knocking several shots a distance of 200 feet plus, his team did not fare as well. For the first time in the last 4 years, the NYC police prevailed and took the City's long ball honors.

Curtis takes pleasure with any opportunity to publicly chide the NYC brass, but he seems to also enjoy commenting on the styling and profiling of the various hitters, particularly those looking sharp, but whose batting acumen leaves something to be desired. If you're going to come in looking good, you better be able to hit the ball when Curtis is rocking the mic.

Richie Mojica and kids from the Bronx YMCA stickball program joined in the festivities, showing a refreshingly youthful face to the old-time NY sport. Representing the other side of the spectrum, revived from their formaldehyde embalment, the Brooklyn Sym-phony band was at the event, doing they do best; playing their style of music which in essence simply tortures the bystanders and torments the kids. Still, they are a NY tradition and a unique attraction of the Stickball Classic. With the band playing, the balls flying through MetroTech and the Mayor wearing a Cyclones cap, Brooklyn was in its full glory..

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