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Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith is determined to give Opening Day the gravitas it deserves, launching a petition on Tuesday to turn baseball's annual commencement into a national holiday, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports.
Smith announced the initiative on Tuesday and has partnered with St. Louis-based company Budweiser to get a petition to the White House before the 2014 season opens in full on Monday, March 31.
The petition requires 100,000 signatures within 30 days "in order to advance to an administration review and response," Langosch notes. Smith, arguably history's greatest defensive shortstop, intends to hit the campaign trail in support of his cause, and will release a series of online videos to reinforce the significance of Opening Day.
