Josh Bailey Throws Out First Pitch at New York Mets Game

Josh Bailey may have the closest thing to a walk-up song of any player in the NHL, so it was fitting that Hey Josh Bailey played as the New York Islanders forward walked off the mound at Citi Field on Wednesday night.
Bailey tossed out the first pitch ahead of the New York Mets game against the Chicago Cubs, going over the plate in front of an audience that included his six- and four-year-old sons. Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier, Ross Johnston and Scott Mayfield joined Bailey on the field, as did Co-Owners Jon Ledecky and Dewey Shay.

"It was a cool experience, I'm glad I got to go," Bailey said. "I really wasn't that nervous leading up to it. I figured I'd have a little bit [of nerves], but all and all it went well."

A ceremonial first pitch can be a high-risk, low-reward moment, so Bailey was more concerned with getting over the plate rather than bringing the heat or trying his luck on a 12-6 curve. The Islanders veteran played a little baseball growing up and used to do a pre-game long toss with Cal Clutterbuck back in the Brooklyn Nets gym at Barclays Center.
"Clutter and I both played growing up," Bailey said. "Quite a few of the guys really liked baseball and watch a lot and played growing up. So it's fun to be here."
The occasion for Bailey's first pitch was Islanders Night at Citi Field. It's already common to see Islanders gear at Mets games, but the Islanders contingent was well-represented on Wednesday night.

Sparky the Dragon and Mr. and Mrs. Met arranged a pre-game jersey swap, with Sparky outfitted in a Mets jersey, while Mr. and Mrs. Met sported Islanders sweaters. Sparky and Mr. Met - who were on a custom bobblehead giveaway for the game - had a dugout dance-off in the second inning and the three mascots shot t-shirts later in the game. There was Islanders trivia on the big board and the UBS Arena goal horn made an appearance pregame. A glance in the stands saw a Casey Cizikas jersey, a custom Jacob deGrom Islanders jersey, plenty of Isles hats and more.
"I've come to Mets games and it's so great when they pan the crowd out and there's some guy wearing an Islanders shirt or an Islanders hat or uniform," Co-Owner Jon Ledecky said.
New York sports fandom is a bit of mishmash, but between the blue and orange uniforms and being neighbors - UBS Arena is only minutes away - and arriving on the scene after their legacy counterparts, the Islanders and Mets have a similar vibe. Mets radio play-by-play voice Howie Rose called Islanders games on MSG for 21 years (1995-2016).
"It's a great relationship between the Mets and Islanders," Ledecky said. "We have so many fans who love both teams walking around the concourse today."

The Mets reciprocated the feeling. Center fielder Brandon Nimmo,

, embraced Ledecky on the field during Mets batting practice. Mets Manager Buck Showalter had a long chat with Ledecky after his pregame media availability. Ledecky invited the philosophical manager - and Syosset resident - to a game at UBS Arena this season to build on his hockey knowledge, though Showalter was informed enough to know about the good nature of hockey players and the notoriously smelly equipment/locker rooms.
"Buck was really terrific," Ledecky said. "We have a lot of Mets guys who like the Islanders, Brandon Nimmo has come to many games, and he wants to bring his teammates, so hopefully we'll have something for the Mets at the Islanders during the season."
As the night wore on, Sparky made the rounds with the Citi Field crowd, while the Islanders signed baseballs and greeted Isles fans, which included Karate Kid and Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio. The regular walk-up songs returned, but Bailey's soundtrack returned before the end of the night, ringing through the air after Tomas Nido's third inning home run. Soon enough, it'll be ringing around UBS Arena - hockey season is near.