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Bronx finals & Curtis Sliwa's stickball analysis
"This was a classic game right from the beginning," Sliwa said. "The captains requested that we play by the neighborhood rules of 1 strike per at bat, and we agreed. The teams were composed of players, highly regarded by their peers, and their abilities were clearly demonstrated in the exceptional level of play. "As you watched the players, you'd notice that most were not hitting for the fences but were actually swinging with a even or slightly downward motion. Batters were looking to place their shots within the field. Some of the players would bounce the ball, fake the first stride and not swing, so they could see the defensive alignments. "Today's game also a generational battle. The Latinos were composed of young players, with real speed. Their energy was hyped up and their game included some of the trash talk, relective of this generation. The Bronx Knights were older, cooler, calmer, and more "professional." I'm sure they'd engage in trash talk when younger but now, they were focused on the game at hand. It was close, but at least today, energy and youth reined victorious over maturity." During the game, a major argument broke out, when the Latinos were deprived a run because a player had tagged up too early. During the height of the debate, Sliwa commented that "this was the way NY stickball should be played." We asked him to elaborate on this point.
"This was a tough game," Sliwa said, "and passions were high, but this was
nothing compared to some of the knock down drag out fights I've seen. The
real problem was when the betting started and big money was on the line. You
might have bookies taking bets and giving different odds throughout the game.
While the players might be playing for the love of the game, a call could be
worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That's when it could get really
nasty. The arguments we had today were just good clean fun."
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