St. Louis Cardinals fans gush as Adam Wainwright sings the National Anthem on his final Opening Day: "Another mean curveball from Waino" "Goosebumps"

While St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright wasn't able to make his traditional opening day start due to injury, he took part in another baseball tradition and brought the house down.

Wainwright, 41, surprised teammates and fans alike when he sang the national anthem in front of a packed house in St. Louis' Busch Stadium before the Cardinals took on the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cardinals ace was unable to make a seventh consecutive opening day start for St. Louis due to a groin strain suffered during the World Baseball Classic. He was lined up with his teammates down the first-base line when the public address announcer called his name to sing the anthem, much to the shock and delight of those around him.

St. Louis Cardinals fans in attendance roared their approval, as did most baseball fans after the video of him singing went viral.

Adam Wainwright, on the 15-day injured list due to the groin strain, is looking to become a country music singer when his playing days are over. He performed a concert for a collection of 500 fans in January. Upon finishing the anthem, he extended both arms and smiled widely as the adulation rained down upon him.

The last of the St. Louis Cardinals old guard to play on one of the team's two World Series titles this century, Adam Wainwright is embarking on a season-long farewell tour. Fans around the league are anticipating a few more surprises out of him before the campaign is over.

Leave it to a New York Mets fan to crash the party with some angst. If Mets fans can't be happy, ain't no one going to be happy.

Adam Wainwright cements his legendary St. Louis Cardinals status with national anthem rendition

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright is forever linked to the St. Louis Cardinals, although he was initially drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round in 2000.

He was traded to the Cardinals in 2003 and debuted with St. Louis in 2005. Since then, he's compiled a 195-117 record, a 3.38 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 2,147 strikeouts. He led the league in wins and games started twice.

While Wainwright played on the 2006 World Series championship squad, he was sidelined after Tommy John surgery when the Cardinals won the title again in 2011.

A beloved presence in St. Louis, he teamed with catcher Yadier Molina as a star battery for the Cardinals for 16 seasons until Molina retired following the 2022 season.