Talk about getting hosed!
FDNY firefighters doused the sandlot dreams of NYPD cops — and were named champions of the World Police and Fire Games baseball tournament — on Sept. 1, following a decisive 7-2 victory at MCU Park in Coney Island.
Sporting fire-red jerseys, smokeaters quickly took the lead at the Thursday afternoon game, gaining both the win and the respect of their flatfooted competitors.
“It was a storybook finish to face the FDNY in the gold medal game,” said Jose Vasquez, a retired police officer and manager of the NYPD baseball team. “Even though we didn’t win the gold, we had a very good tournament and I truly believe that New York has the best police and fire teams not only in this country, but the world.”
Vasquez isn’t lying: both the FDNY and the NYPD bested teams from across the US, Australia and Canada before meeting up with each other at MCU Park on Surf Avenue, where former Yankee outfielder-turned-musician Bernie Williams kicked everything off by playing the National Anthem on his guitar.
Every two years, the World Police and Fire Games hold Olympic-style games featuring more than 15,000 police officers and firefighters from 70 different countries. This year, players competed in more than 60 sporting events, in both women’s and men’s divisions, in 40 different venues across the five boroughs over a 10 day stretch.
Opening ceremonies for the games were held in Prospect Park on Aug. 26.
