New York Emperors Stickball League

Week 4 Preview

First of all, I want to wish all the wonderful women out there a belated Happy Mother�s Day. Thank you for the blessings you have brought into our lives.

Game of the Week
Bandits Vs Leland � Both teams have only one loss so far on the season and the last time they faced each other, the game ended in a 4-4 tie. The difference in the standings is due to Leland having two more wins than the Bandits. Bandits have shown much improvement and Leland has once again been consistent this season. May the best team win.

Other Matchups
Emperors Vs Ravens � Ravens made a push last week by winning both games. Emps are currently in first place after a strong week. Caban and Eric will try to keep the Emps in first place. Is Tim�s return to action enough to get the Ravens going?
Personal Vs Royals � Last time these two matched up, the Royals routed Personal. Both teams have played inconsistently so far this season. Personal will have to bring some hits with them if they plan on winning because Royals have the 2nd most runs in the league.
Saints Vs Bandits � Saints picked up two wins last week and would like to pick up another before this week is over. Bandits have played well and would like nothing more than to keep picking up wins. Former teammates going head to head might fuel this matchup.
Ravens Vs Gold � The Gold is the highest scoring team in the league and has the highest run differential (48). This is the Ravens second toughest game of the day, playing the league�s second ranked team.
Royals Vs Falcons � Winless so far on the season, the Falcons will be looking forward to playing this week. As mentioned before, the Royals do hit and score, a clear recipe for success against a team that is averaging less than two runs a game.
Gold Vs Saints � Last time these two teams faced, The Gold outscored the Saints by 10 runs. Will this game be any different? Saints sure hope so and will do all they can to change the results.
Stem Vs Emperors � Starting the season 0-5-1 hasn�t been pleasant for the Stem. Facing the #1 seeded team in the league doesn�t help their chances of obtaining a win, but on any given Sunday, anything can happen.
Leland Vs Personal � Leland has only one loss so far and doesn�t plan on obtaining another in this matchup. Personal will have to play solid in order to defeat one of the league�s best squads.
Ravens Vs Personal � Both teams would have faced two really tough teams before this game takes place. If there is anything left in the tanks, you can count that both teams will leave it all on the field.
Falcons Vs Stem � Both teams are hoping to pick up a win prior to this game. If they haven�t, this game can be a stepping stone to turning their season around.

See you on the Blvd!
-Ron

Week 3 Recap

Game of the Week

Saints 6 Vs Stem 1 � Saints get their first win of the season and leave Stem winless thus far. Pete Jr powered his Saints with a HR and 3 RBIs while going 2 for 4. Alex added 2 RBIs himself to break the winless streak. Anthony drove in the only run for the Stem and Dave was the only one with a multi-hit game (2).

Other Games
Falcons 3 Vs Bandits 3 � Bandits remain undefeated but did not obtain a win vs the Falcons. Both teams battled in this game to earn a point each. For the Bandits, Pito went 3-4, Lenny and Pena each collected 2 hits and a RBI. The veteran Falcons players, Al Sr and John Each drove in a run and each had a multi-hit game.
Royals 9 Vs Saints 2 �Royals found their MOJO and bounced back after a rough week two. Only one Royals batter did not have a hit and six had a multi-hit game. Ralphy and Ruben collected 3 hits and 2 RBIs apiece. For the Saints, Mike hit a solo HR and Pete Jr had the second RBI.
Emperors 9 Vs Personal 0 � The Emperors hit well, played excellent defense and managed to hold Personal to 4 hits and without a run. Tito led the barrage for the Emps with 3 RBIs. Vido collected 3 hits and Caban drove in 2 runs in the victory. Lionel was the only Personal player to collect a multi-hit game with 2.
Gold 13 Vs Falcons 0 � As indicated in the weekly preview, this game was lop-sided. Gold collected a total of 15 hits and held the Falcons without a hit in this game. Watts had 4 RBIs and Carlito had 3 RBIs including two triples.
Emperors 9 Vs Bandits 3 � Emps hand the Bandits their first loss of the season. For the Emps, Eric had a perfect 4 hit day and drove in a run. Ant-Live collected 2 hits and drove in 2 runs during the victory. Bambino was the only bright spot for the Bandits, hitting a 3 run HR in the loss.
Ravens 9 Vs Royals 7 � This game was just as good as advertised. Ravens earn a good win in a close game. Dax had 2 hits, including a HR and drove in 3 runs. Brunson had 2 hits and had 2 RBIs of his own for the Ravens. For the Royals - Eric, Petey and Frankie (3 RBIs) each collected 3 hits.
Gold 9 Vs Personal 0 � Personal is held without a run again for the 2nd time this week. Watts was 3-4 for the Gold, including a HR and 3 RBIs. Also for Gold, Chuchi had a perfect 4 hit day with 2 RBIs. For Personal, Jay and Freddy each had 2 hits in the loss.
Leland 10 Vs Stem 0 � Leland was on fire this game driving in 10 runs and handing Stem a mercy rule loss. Six Leland players had a multi-hit game. Dave drove in 3 runs and Jay drove in 2 runs in this lop-sided victory.
Ravens 3 Vs Leland 2 � This was a tight game in which Ravens just edged out Leland. Nelson�s HR and 2 RBIs powered the Ravens in this victory. Jay and Russell were the only Leland players with a multi-hit game, both collecting 2 hits each.
Royals 6 Vs Gold 6 � Games don�t get tighter than this. Gold did not suffer a loss in the three games they played this week. Each Royals player had a hit, Eric and Frankie drove in 2 runs each. Chuchi drove in 3 runs and Q drove in 2 runs for the Gold.
Saints 10 and Falcons 2 � The Saints made sure they did not end up at the bottom of the standings by beating the Falcons. For the Saints, Ralph and Mike had a HR and 2 RBIs each. Six other Saints players chipped in with an RBI. Al Sr had 2 hits and Benny had an RBI in the losing effort.

See you on the Blvd!
-Ron

2012 Memorial Day Tournament

Week 3 Preview
Game of the Week

Stem Vs Saints � Both teams are winless thus far. Yes, it�s early in the season but both teams are under pressure to fill that win column. Both teams are evenly matched according to the stats. Saints have scored 4 runs in 4 games and the Stem has scored 5 in the same amount of games. It�s easy to think the team that hits this game will be the winner.

Other Games
Falcons Vs Bandits � Bandits are one of two teams without a loss so far and the Falcons are winless. The Bandits have received good production from their hitters, especially Lenny and Pena. Anthony has been the Falcons best hitter so far. More players will have to have good games for the Falcons if they want to blemish the Bandits record.
Saints Vs Royals � Last week the Royals gave up 23 runs in 2 games. They will have to tighten up their defense this week. Chris and Darnell have gotten off to hot starts. Saints need to get going to avoid the bottom of the standings. The pressure will be on Mike and Pete Jr to rally the squad.
Personal Vs Emperors � Last week, Personal went 2-0. Ty, Joey and Martin are leading the team in RBIs and will have to keep last week�s momentum to overcome this week�s challenges. Emps arethe 2nd highest scoring team in the league so far and will look to put up another crooked number in this game. Caban, Chungo, Eric and Vido have gotten off to good starts.
Gold Vs Falcons � What happens when you matchup the league�s top offense vs a winless team? We can all expect the Gold to win here but, the truth is we play the games for a reason. Hey, you never know.
Emperors Vs Bandits � Many have been buzzing around the league, wondering if the Bandits are for real. Well, here is a good way to find out, especially on Mercado field. This will be the Bandits first game on this field and this is the Emps 2nd visit here this season (5-4 victory last time).
Royals Vs Ravens � Tied in the standings, this game has some early season meaning for both teams. The Ravens have scored via the long ball. They have hit a total of 7 HR�s and lead the league in that category. Miguel�s 5 RBIs, lead the team. Chris will try to set the table for his Royals.
Gold Vs Personal � Gold has a run differential of 26 while Personal has -11. It�s easy to see what needs to be done to beat the Gold. Gold has been lead by Dusty�s hits (9) and his father�s RBIs (7). Throw in a good defense and Personal has their work cut out for them.
Stem Vs Leland � In the land of trees, only the team that hits can come out victorious. Hitting is what Eddie�s team loves to do. Edwin leads the team with 10 hits. He is tied with Ferdi and Dave for the team leader in RBIs (6). Coree and Anthony are tied for the Stem lead in hits (5). They will need a better contribution from all to beat Leland.
Ravens Vs Leland � Leland has the edge in this one as they have the better defense. But both teams can surely hit the crap out of the ball. This should be a good game to watch, especially if the sun is a factor on Calderon field.
Royals Vs Gold � This is always a good game to see as both teams are known to get on one another with the trash talking. Neither team will back down, no matter what the score is. The respect is there but the will to win is even stronger.
Saints and Falcons � Neither team wants to be in last place and both will try their hardest to make sure it doesn�t happen at the end of this week. This will be the 3rd game of the day for both, so they will give this game everything and anything that�s left in their tanks by the time this one is over.

See you on the Blvd!
-Ron

Week 2 Recap
Game of the Week
Emperors 10 Vs Royals 1 - I guess there won�t be a debate over the pre-season rankings any longer. The Emps clearly justified their rank with their beating of the Royals. Caban and Eric powered the onslaught with 3 hits and 3 RBIs each. Vido and Ant Live also chipped in with 3 hits apiece. Chris� solo HR was the lone bright spot for the Royals.

Other Matchups
Personal 7 Vs Saints 2 - Personal gets their first win of the season and did it by finally scoring more than a run in a game. A 5 run 1st inning helped to set the tone. Andy went 4-4, Martin had a 4 hit perfect day and also had 2 RBIs. Darrenson was 3 for 3 for the Jersey Saints.
Leland 8 Vs Gold 1 - Gold�s fire was cooled off by a surging Leland team. I expected a battle for all 7 rounds but that was not the case. Leland�s Ferdi had 3 RBIs and Dave had 2 himself. Watts and Dusty were the only Gold players with a multi-hit game. 3 and 2 respectively.
Bandits 13 Vs Royals 11 - So let�s just call it like it is, these are NOT your father�s Bandits! 13 runs against a top 5 team in the league will catch some attention. Several guys had monster days from both teams, so here�s a brief summary. Lenny, Chris and Pena each hit a HR for the Bandits. Pena had 4 RBIs, Chris had 3. For the Royals, Petey, Chris (4 RBIs) and Frankie each hit a HR.
Personal 4 Vs Stem 1 - This game was tight the entire way until Personal pulled ahead in the 6th with a 3 run, 2 out rally. Ty, Jay and Lou each had an RBI in that 6th inning. Coree made some key plays for the Stem in the outfield. Dave had the team�s lone RBI.
Leland 6 Vs Falcons 0 -Leland took a lead early and were never threatened. Doug, Dave and Eddie F. each had 2 hits for Leland. Eddie F. led the team with 2 RBIs. The Falcon�s sole hit came from Anthony.
Bandits 7 Vs Ravens 4 - Bandits win by a total team effort as each batter had a hit. Bambino had 3 RBIs and Lenny ac*****ulated 3 hits. Nelson and Brunson had 2 hits each and Tim M. had a solo HR in the loss.
Emperors 5 Vs Saints 0 - The Emperors shut out the struggling Saints. Caban powered the Emps with 3 RBIs and Vido had another 3 hit game, his 2nd of the day. Pete Jr was the only Saints batter with a multi hit (2) game.
Gold 12 Vs Stem 1 - Gold was back to their normal self and pounded the Stem. Pito started off his team right with a 4 hit game. Carlito had 3 hits and 3 RBIs and Albie also had 3 RBIs. Stevie and Chuchi also collected 3 hits each in the win. Sean drove in the Stem�s only run.
Ravens 9 Vs Falcons 5 - John couldn�t defeat his former team, but the Falcons did put up a good fight for him. Ravens put this game away by hitting 6 HR�s! Nel lead the barge with 2 HR�s and 3 RBIs. Al Jr, Dave, Gil and Miguel (3 RBIs)all had a HR. Anthony had 4 hits and Al Sr and John each had 2 RBIs in the losing effort.
Leland 6 Vs Emperors 4 - As advertised, this was a close game with timely hits, good defense and arguments. Well, one big argument about an overthrow but nothing worth expanding on. Edwin led Leland by collecting 3 hits, a HR and 3 RBIs. Dave chipped in with 2 RBIs. The Emps did not have an extra base hit and no one had a multi-hit game.
See you on the Blvd!
-Ron

Week 2 Preview
After last week�s washout, we move forward with the schedule as published by calendar date.

Game of the Week
Emperors Vs Royals - Why this game over the Leland Vs Gold game? Whenever these two teams play, the trash talk and the will to defeat each other makes this, in my opinion, one of the better rivalries in the league. Throw in that the Royals eliminated the Emps in the MDT and CDT and that Ruben was �insulted a team we completely owned last year is ahead of us (in the rankings),� and you have enough fuel to make a bonfire. Should be a good one!

Other Matchups
Personal Vs Saints - Neither team recorded a point in the first week, so winning this game will be really important. Both teams have shown an anemic offense to start the season and must hit better to move out of the standings cellar.
Leland Vs Gold - Gold has been on fire and Leland escaped their first defeat of the season when they ended up tying the Bandits. Playing on field 3 should mean a high scoring game in this one.
Royals Vs Bandits - Bandits come into this week without a loss. Royals haven�t suffered a loss either and will want to stay that way before their GOTW. This game is scheduled prior to their matchup Vs the Emps.
Stem Vs Personal - This is usually an evenly matchup up game. Stem is an all around solid team and Personal has allot to prove this week. The winner of this game will most likely be the team that plays better defense.
Falcons Vs Leland - Falcons have a tie and a loss already and are looking for their first win. They have their work cut out for them as they are playing against one of the top ranked teams in the league. Leland will try to gain some momentum before their third and final game of the day.
Bandits Vs Ravens - This is a matchup of two teams that had a serious makeover before this season started. Ravens were battling several injuries in week one. A week off should�ve assisted with the needed healing time. Bandits are eager to play again after showing improvement two weeks ago.
Saints Vs Emperors - Saints are out to prove that they are still a contending team. Emps are out to prove that there is a reason they were ranked 3rd coming into this season.
Gold Vs Stem - Can Stem find away to beat Gold on �the field of trees�? They will have to consistently put the ball in play and make the plays on defense. Reigning MVP, Pito, will try to jumpstart his team again as he seems to do consistently each week.
Ravens Vs Falcons - John, will try to lead his new team to a victory over his former team, the Ravens. My prediction, the birds win. Okay, a bit corny, but I couldn�t resist.
Leland Vs Emperors - This is the three peat game of the day and might be one of the most important matchups as well. I ranked both teams in the top 3 prior to this season and I would expect this one to come down to a timely hit.
See you on the Blvd!
-Ron

Street Games 2012!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Park
114th Street & First Avenue, Manhattan

FREE EVENT
On Saturday, April 28, 2012, NYC Parks and the Walt Disney Company will host the 5th Annual Street Games at Thomas Jefferson Park in Harlem.
Street Games brings back the classic street games from the �60s and �70s and introduces them to a new generation with a modern twist! Pogo sticks, double-dutch, hula hoops, and yo-yos are just some of the activities that you and your family can try out at this popular annual event. With new activities being added each year, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Get moving with popular venues such as:
Stickball - Hosted by the New York Emperors Stickball League
Pogo sticks
Hula Hoops
Double-Dutch
Hippity Hop
Yo-Yos
Skateboarding clinics
Knicks Groove Truck
Learn To Ride Your Bike (must bring your own bike)
Street hockey

Street Games 2012 is also more than just the games! KISS FM will be spinning music and emceeing from the main stage and the Dance Theater of Harlem will perform twice throughout the day!

For more information click Here
Rain or shine
In the event of rain, Street Games will be moved indoors to the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center located in the park.

No games today
Games today 4/22 are cancelled due to rain.

The Dance Is Going On Tonight!
Call Richie Marrero @ 917-992-6655 for tickets and information.

But, hurry... tickets are going fast!!

Week 1 Recaps
Royals 12 Vs Personal 1 - There goes an interesting matchup as I stated last week, cause this one was all Royals. Seemed like the Royals� players took their preseason ranking �personal�. Ruben led his team with 3 hits, 1 HR and 2 RBIs. Rade and Darnell each chipped in with 3 RBIs of their own. Joey drove in the only Personal run.
Bandits 3 Vs Saints 1 - A new rivalry might have been started on Sunday with this matchup. Lenny led the charge against his former team with 3 hits and Padilla, Bambino and Pena each had an RBI for the Bandits. Alex was 3-3 for the Saints and Carlos had a solo HR in the loss.
Emperors 5 Vs Ravens 4 - This was as close as expected. Eric drove in the winning run for the Emps as they celebrated the walk-off victory. Anthony Caban chipped in as well for the victory with a 2 run HR. Miguel and Tim each had 3 hits for the Ravens.
Royals 3 Vs Falcons 1 - Royals welcomed the Falcons into the league by handing them their first loss. Four Royals players had a multi-hit game. Darnell drove in 2 runs in the victory. There were only 5 hits for the Falcons, two of them were by Anthony. He also drove in the only run for his team.
Leland 4 Vs Bandits 4 - These aren�t your father�s Bandits, these Bandits are here to compete. They certainly proved that by tying one of the top ranked teams in the league. The Bandits had a chance for a victory with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs in the final inning, but could not drive in the runner as each batted ball landed foul. Edwin collected 4 hits for Leland. Chris had 2 hits, including a solo HR for the Bandits.
Gold 16 Vs Ravens 3 - The Gold began their 2012 campaign with a lop-sided victory. Six Gold players collected 3 hits a piece! Angel Sr. led the charge with 6 RBIs. Gary and Al Jr had 2 hits each for the Ravens in this blowout.
Emperors 7 Vs Stem 2 - Chungo led the Emps with 4 hits. Tito, Vido, Eric and Anthony each had more than 1 hit in this game that totaled 14 hits for the Emps. Stem scattered 6 hits. Veterans Wayne and Dave had 2 each in the loss.
Leland 6 Vs Personal 0 - Leland left no doubt that they can play by shutting out Nothing Personal. Only 1 Leland player did not have a hit. Izzy led the team with 2 RBIs. Personal scattered 6 hits, 3 of which were provided by Ron.
Gold 11 Vs Saints 1 - Gold looks ready to defend their championship as they score double digits for the 2nd time in as many games. Chuchi hit a HR and drove in 3 during the win. Seven Gold players had a RBI in this game. Saints only run was driven in by Lee.
Stem 1 Vs Falcons 1 - Falcons managed to get their first point of the season by tying Stem. Paul�s sacrifice provided the only run for the Falcons. Coree and Anthony collected 3 hits each for Stem. Anthony also drove in Stem�s sole run.
Ravens 2 Vs Personal 0 - Personal continued their offensive struggles and failed to score a run for the 2nd time. An opportunity to score was literally snatched away by Brunson on a screamer up the middle. The catch was certainly worthy of being called a web gem. Miguel and Al Jr drove in a run each for the Ravens.

See you on the Blvd!
-Ron