The national pastime is now New York's official sport. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Friday designating baseball the state's official sport after the measure was proposed by a fourth-grade class at Cooperstown Elementary School near the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

"Growing up a Queens boy, a love of baseball was instilled at an early age," Cuomo said. "From the '69 and '86 Amazin' Mets to 27 world championships by the Yankees and even having been the home of the Dodgers with Jackie Robinson and the Giants, New York is steeped in an expansive and diverse past with our great national past time. The fervor of the sport is as reflective of our great state as a sport can be, bringing together diverse crowds for the love of the game. New York is the birthplace of baseball and I'm proud to finally make it our official state sport."

New York has long-standing ties to baseball. In addition to the New York Yankees and Mets, the state hosts multiple minor league teams and was home to Negro League clubs in Buffalo and New York City during the segregation area. The first documented grand slam was hit in Troy. 

Abner Doubleday, a Civil War officer born in Ballston Spa, is the mythological founder of baseball, though it is unlikely he invented the sport. 

"Baseball is known as our national pastime, but the game has deep roots and a rich history here in New York State. Fans from around the globe flock to Cooperstown, in my senate district, to celebrate the game at the storied National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and we have teams of all levels - the Mets and Yankees, countless college, high school, and Little League teams - proving that New York State's connection to baseball is undeniable," said Sen. Peter Oberacker, a Republican who carried the bill in the state Senate. "My special thanks to Anne Reis and her students at Cooperstown Elementary who researched the impact of baseball on our state and developed the idea for this legislation. As a former high school and college player, I learned great life lessons on the baseball diamond and those same messages of teamwork, tradition, and dedication are still being taught today. Formally recognizing baseball as New York's official state sport is a home run."