NYC stickball league keeps 9/11 hero’s legacy alive

THE BRONX (PIX11) -- A legacy is kept alive and carried proudly through the Mercado family. On Stickball Blvd., the game lives on, played by children and families across ages and generations.

The street variation of baseball known nationwide as stickball, on this one block in the Bronx, is known to the Mercado family as "our game."

It's also on that same strip of pavement where the New York Emperors Stickball League was founded 40 years ago, continuing a family tradition.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Steve Mercado, an FDNY 9/11 hero and former president of the NYESL, had a vision for the future. He wanted to bring stickball into city schools as a way to give children a safe outlet, especially those who couldn't afford to play baseball, a goal that now lives on through both of his sons.

Mercado was one of 11 firefighters from Engine 40, Ladder 35 in Manhattan who tragically lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.

His oldest son, Skylar Mercado, was just six years old when he learned his world would change forever.

"I've learned to appreciate the thought process he had to go through, to do his duty and sacrifice his life trying to save as many people as he possibly could."

A brave act that shaped Skylar's own path.

Understanding the full weight of his father's sacrifice, he is now working to follow in his father's footsteps, hoping to join the FDNY while also helping carry the stickball league forward.

"I'm just trying to be half the man he was," Skylar said.

His father also hoped and dreamed stickball would become an Olympic sport, a dream Skylar now carries like a torch, the same passion alive since the league began in 1985.

In 2024, Skylar traveled to France to demonstrate stickball in front of Olympic officials.

"It was surreal, knowing what he wanted this to become and being able to do so in a European country. It was absolutely incredible."

Skylar says there are still many steps ahead, growing sponsorships, expanding outreach and helping the game reach a wider audience.

But the mission remains the same, keeping his father's and grandfather's legacy alive, and continuing to grow the game.

The NYESL will be running a Columbus Day Tournament on October 10 and 11 on Stickball Blvd. Entry fee is free for new teams, with eight players minimum.

To learn more about how to get involved, click here and here.

Nicole Alarcon is an award-winning digital content producer. She has covered local news for the tri-state area since 2021. She joined PIX11 News in 2026. See more of her work here .