Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
WATCH: Obi Toppin Throws 'First' Pitch at Knicks Night in Queens
Toppin and trumpets took over Citi Field's clash of National League titans on Tuesday night.
New York Knicks third-year man Obi Toppin has never been one for assists (averaging 0.8 over his first two seasons) but came through with a clutch pass while partaking in the pregame ceremonies before Queens' New York Mets battled the Los Angeles Dodgers. Toppin's toss came followed that of Timmy Trumpet, a musician who has gained fame amongst Mets fans for his song "Narco," which serves as the entrance music for All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
Toppin's prescience was part of "Knicks Night" at Citi Field, whose stands featured team legends like John Starks and MSG Network play-by-play man Mike Breen. The Knicks' participation set the stage for a battle between the Dodgers and Mets, who own the best and third-best records in Major League Baseball.
Alas for the Queens faithful, Toppin's outside pitch, despite his some documented preparation, set the stage for a heartbreaking evening: Mets pitchers wound up walking eight Dodger batters en route to a 4-3 defeat. Mets outfielder Tyler Naquin was the recipient of Toppin's pitch and posed for pictures with the Knicks' interior threat afterward.
Knicks fans certainly hope they'll be able to their own version of "Mets Night" on at least 41 occasions this season: trade target Donovan Mitchell has never hidden his love of the team, as his father Donovan Sr. works in the team's front office. Toppin, as has almost everyone on the Knicks' roster not named Jalen Brunson, has reportedly been namedropped in the team's discussions with the Utah Jazz.
The younger Mitchell has been in attendance for several games this season as the team seeks its first NL East division title since 2015, which also served as their last run to the World Series. The Mets and Dodgers are set to do battle again on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m. ET, SNY/MLB Network).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
