With the Knicks stinking up the basketball court, what better time could there be to make baseball the “official sport” of New York?

State Sen. James Seward, who represents upstate Cooperstown, where the Baseball Hall of Fame is located, is sponsoring a bill to honor the state’s longtime association with baseball.

New York has recognized other “official” things in the past: Garnet is the official gemstone, sea scorpion is the official fossil, bay scallop the official shell, lilac the official bush, striped bass the official saltwater fish, and snapping turtle the official reptile.

New York’s local teams help make a strong case for the bill.

The Yankees in the Bronx are one of the sport’s most storied franchises with 27 championships.

The Mets in Queens are, well, Amazin.’

In basketball, the Knicks are an embarrassment, though the promising young Brooklyn Nets are vying to make the playoffs. But the basketball hall of fame is in Springfield, Mass.

And while the Giants and Jets have rabid fan bases, they play in New Jersey. The Bills play in Buffalo but have a history of losing. And the football hall of fame is in Canton, Ohio.

Two other senators signed on to the bill — Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) and Robert Antonacci (R-Syracuse).

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