It was a day for Brooklyn heroes on and off the field.
The fifth annual First Responders Picnic and Softball Competition was held at Taylor Field in Fort Hamilton Army Base on July 24, and the competition stayed friendly and fun.
“It went really well because of the camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the respect between all involved,” said Bruce Hill, the media relations officer at Fort Hamilton.
According to Hill, the event is held each year to “express appreciation and recognize Fort Hamilton and New York City first responders who protect and assist us every day and further the camaraderie between the two communities.”
The tournament is broken down into a double elimination bracket, which requires two losses to be eliminated, rather than just one.
The bracket consisted of six teams — three military teams representing the Army, Navy, and Marines; and three local teams, two for both the 62nd and 68th Precinct officers, and one for the Flatbush Engine 281, Ladder 147 firefighters.
The Navy team went on to win it all for the second year in a row, but beating the firefighters in back-to-back games, the cops still had a blast.
“It was fun and entertaining,” said Officer Phillip Green of the 62nd Precinct. “It was definitely a good time.”
And the dedication that Fort Hamilton personnel puts in to make sure the event goes off without a hitch didn’t go unnoticed, either.
“It is overwhelming the effort that they put in — everybody treats us like gold,” said firefighter Timmy Mattison.
After all the runs had been counted, players and family alike partook in the picnic portion of the day and got to snack on barbeque classics like burgers and franks.
“It was a great day,” said Mattison. “I hope they invite us back.”
