h. nazan ışık—
19 September 2015—
I am talking about the annual softball game between the Mayor’s Office and the New York City Council. This was the second game between the teams. They met at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island on 17 September.
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and members of the City Council team posed after the game.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Mayor’s Office team were posing after the game.
It was a nice, warm evening, when I arrived both teams were there, except Mayor de Blasio. I saw City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was already practicing. She looked comfortable, confident and ready for the game.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito practicing as pitcher, catcher, batter before the game. She was ready.
The Mayor’s Office team was already in the field, getting ready for the game.
Mayor de Blasio came later.
He first stretched.
Then ran with a team member. And with another member he practiced pitching, batting and catching.
And he greeted some people.
Everyone looked happy.
I don’t know much about softball. It was my first softball game to watch. I am going to try to report the game or tell you about it just the way I saw and understood it.
Before the game, team leaders Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito gave short speeches in a very enjoyable, humorous way.
“Council, we work with all the time, and a lot of things we agree on, some things we disagree on, but in the end , we know we all have to get things done for people,” De Blasio said.
And then the National Anthem was sung.
The opening pitch was from Lt. James Hayes’, the firefighter injured during a deadly shootout last month in Mariners Harbor.
And the game began.
A scene from the game: Mayor de Blasio after batting the ball, pitched by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, let his bat fall, and ran to reach the base.
At the 7th innings the game was tied. Both sides agreed to continue playing.
At the end of a 2 and a half hour game and after 9 innings, Mayor’s Office team won the game 13 over 12.
After the game Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito shook hands with umpires.
All was done, now it was the time for a brief meeting. The mayor and Speaker Mark-Viverito had a short private chat after the game as they walked the field.
The two hugged each other afterwards.
I don’t know how exciting, how fast, how good the game was, but definitely it was a very enjoyable evening.
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