MLB Opening Day Needs to Become a National Holiday

Opening Day: it's more than just a day off for many of us baseball fans from either school or work. It's a long-standing tradition that means so much to us. If you've been playing hooky from school or work for years in order to watch your favorite team play in person or on TV, good for you. Everyone has done it, so no judgement here. The first Opening Day dates back to 1876 between the Boston Red Caps and Philadelphia Athletics, where 3,000 people were in attendance. The Red Caps won that game with a final score of 6-5. 150 years later, the yearly debate of whether the unofficial holiday of baseball should be official continues.

The first attempt of making Opening Day a national holiday was back in 2014. Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith joined forces with Budweiser to do just that. Although the campaign received 100,000 signatures, nothing came into fruition.

Baseball is known as America's pastime and Opening Day has been a tradition for nearly 200 years. Sure, the sport isn't as popular as others. However, we're die-hard fans who are passionate about our favorite players and teams. The United States of America will be commemorating its 250th anniversary on Independence Day and baseball is one of many things that brings us together as a country. Opening Day falls on the last Thursday in March. Whether Opening Day is made a national holiday by Congress or not, we'll still celebrate it annually. I detest a government, let alone, a commander-in-chief, being involved in sports and their personal affairs. They should focus on the issues that affect us Americans. When a team wins a championship, a sitting president invites them to the White House, a tradition that is still happening today. An administration should keep it at that. There wouldn't be an America without baseball, because going to a game and experiencing that memory is a huge deal to us. Some people might find it boring, but we're fully invested in it. Whether it's the players, your favorite team, statistics, or other, baseball is in our blood. Our undying passion of this sport will never waver.

I have yet to attend a Rangers Opening Day game, but I hope to attend my first game in nearly 25 years this summer. I attended my first Rangers game when I was 13 years old in August 2001. At the time, the Rangers were playing at The Ballpark in Arlington. It was a warm August evening, and the opponent was against the New York Yankees. The Rangers won that game and after attending that game, I became a fan. Going to The Ballpark in Arlington for the first time was magical. The exterior of it was amazing, but the inside of it was even better. Unfortunately, it was one of the last great memories I've had with my now estranged father. Now that I've been a die-hard Texas Rangers fan for nearly a quarter century, I'm here today that baseball isn't boring. A person who thinks that way is. The length of games has shortened over the years. If you're one of those fans who enjoy nail-biting, yet exciting extra-inning games, kudos to you. Remember the 2025 Game 5 ALDS matchup between the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers where the Mariners advanced to the ALCS? Or the walk-off home run in extra innings by Adolis García in Game 1 of the 2023 World Series?

In closing, our love for baseball will never die. It'll be around for a veery long time. We can hope for Opening Day to finally become a national holiday in the near future. For now, let's enjoy and cherish the memories of rooting for our favorite teams. Baseball will never be boring or dead. Win or lose, we'll forever stand by our teams.