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Budweiser, Ozzie Smith Petition To Make Opening Day A National Holiday

(CBS) Budweiser and Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith have partnered in an effort to make MLB's Opening Day a national holiday, launching a petition Tuesday through  WhiteHouse.gov.

The petition needs 100,000 signatures in 30 days for the White House to formally respond. As of mid-day Tuesday, it had 5,230. Smith will campaign for it over the next 30 days.

"The No. 1 reason given for Opening Day being so special to fans is that it means a fresh start for their team, followed closely by the opportunity to spend time with family and friends watching a baseball game," the press release from Budweiser reads.

A recent survey estimated that 22.2 million Americans who are 21 and older have skipped work or other commitments to attend or watch an Opening Day game.

If you're interested in signing the petition, here's the link to the Budweiser page with more information.

We could all use another holiday, couldn't we?

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