Cardinals Opening Day 2013 Questions

Busch Stadium

So, here we are...CardsMerch blog celebrates its second Opening Day with you...the fans. Can you smell the freshly cut grass of the ballparks across the nation? The team is in Phoenix ready to battle the Diamondbacks tonight, but back in St. Louis and across Cardinals Nation there is a great anticipation along with many questions.


What will the season hold?

Will Yadi be in the run for MVP again?

Can Wainwright gain the wins to return to pre-surgery form?
How long will Shelby Miller be in the rotation? 
Will Chris Carpenter join us on the bench in St. Louis?

How many hours will Matt Holliday put in the gym each day?
Will Matt Carpenter have to play at second base consistently?
Where does Matt Adams find his place in the lineup?
How many players named Matt will be in the lineup during the season?

Will we see Oscar Taveras in the outfield?
Will Kolten Wong join the middle infield?

What other David Freese and Allen Craig type players are going to join us?
After his big spring training, how will Shane Robinson do?

These and many other questions remain to be seen throughout the season.

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Opening Day Confetti (2011 World Series DVD on sale)

Confetti is very nostalgic and creates a fun atmosphere to get the day started. For all Cardinals fans, this is a fun video that MLB.com has put together to celebrate Opening Day 2012.

Also, for those wanting to celebrate opening day with a little 2011 magic purchase the DVDs below. They started out at $79.95 retail and they are down to $28.99 (as of 4/13/12). You cannot beat that deal. 

Silence and Anthems on Cardinals Opening Day 2012

So, the day is almost upon us as I mentioned last week. Opening Day 2012 at Busch Stadium. Long time Cards fans remember both Bob Forsch and Joe Magrane. These men are what Cardinals baseball in the 80s was all about. They were both tall, lanky pitchers defined by good sportsmanship and dedication to the team. That is legacy. 1987 World Series starting pitchers both of which did not pitch in the game 3 which is highlighted by the stub below. Tomorrow both of these men and their families will be honored for that legacy in Silence and Anthems.

Bob Forsch will be honored with a moment of silence. After throwing out the ceremonial First Pitch preceding Game 7 of last year's World Series clencher, Forsch passed away a week later on 11/3/11 after he suffered an aneurysm in his upper chest. Prayers go out to the Forsch family as they remember the man that made a difference in the lives of his teammates and fans. That is legacy.

Magrane's family will also be honored for his role in the '87 Series. But, it will not be a somber memorial, but rather a joyous celebration of optimism and possibility. Joe Magrane's 16 year-old daughter Shannon, a contestant in this year's American Idol season 11, will be privileged to sing the the National Anthem Opening Day 2012 at Busch Stadium to a sold-out crowd of adoring Cardinals fans while two USAF F-16s flyover. If that isn't an American girl's dream, I don't know what is. Maybe not American Idol winner this year, but another dream fulfilled should be satisfying as well. Congrats! The beginning of a legacy...

What do you think about the '87 Series and the legacy that it spawned?

photo provided by http://www.ford-mobley.com/years/1987.htm