Celebrating Opening Day with a Big Purchase

The second best holiday of the year is finally here.  After Christmas, I consider MLB Opening Day to be the best holiday.  Nothing sums up the offseason better for a baseball fan than this quote from Rogers Hornsby "People ask what I do in winter when there's no baseball.  I'll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring."  No more waiting now.  

If the rain holds off in St. Louis, it should be a historic opening day.  Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina will start their 306th game together.  They need 20 starts to break the all time battery mark.  Molina has already said this will be his final season.  I will believe that when he does not report for spring training next year.  Wainwright has not decided yet, but how many more season does a 40 year old starting pitcher have left/

This will also be the first time since 2011 that Albert Pujols will be in a Cardinals uniform.  Thanks to the universal DH rule he gets to play his final year in St. Louis.  This will be his 22nd straight opening day start, tying him for second all time with Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski and 1 behind Pete Rose.  Pujols is also chasing history this season, needing 21 home runs to reach 700.  I have my doubts whether he will make it, but it should be fun watching him try.

One of the major cards that I have been missing in my Cardinals collection is a Pujols autograph.  Once the Cardinals Winter Warm Up was cancelled this year, I told myself that I would take the money saved and buy a nice Pujols.  I searched EBAY off and on the last few months, but did not find anything I liked or at the price I wanted to spend.  Last week a large autograph collector on The Bench decided to sell most of his collection.  Luck was with me as I was the first to claim this card.

This 2004 Fleer Showcase Sweet Sigs autograph numbered to 150 met 2 of the 3 requirements for a Pujols autograph.  It is blue and is on card.  I would have preferred a Topps card, but this one will do.  It is in perfect shape and looks awesome.  The $165 delivered price I paid for it is by far the most I have ever spent on a single card.  Here is to a great baseball season, and go Cardinals!