Ah, April at last! And while a year ago today, we already had an opening day win to savor, we now have 4 more days to wait for this year’s first regular season game. The current No. 4, however, certainly provides us with much to talk about, doesn’t he?

Then again, what is there to say about Yadier Molina that hasn’t been written here before? There’s been a love letter, there have been not just one, but two “Molina Monday” posts, he was our BAMF for the 2012 season (and, though unwritten, for 2013 and 2014 — and probably 2015 too), click the link in the first paragraph to read about his heroics last March 31 against the Reds … he’s likely the most written about Cardinal in AMF’s four-plus year history.

And why not? Yadi is the heart and soul of the Cardinals team, taking charge when he’s on the field and, just as likely, when he’s at the plate. What Cardinal fan doesn’t love him?

He’s also rather svelte this spring too. (You can probably get a smaller size uniform pants now, Yadi …)

We’ve watched him in action many times during games, taking that walk to the mound to calm and console a pitcher. It certainly appears to be a role he takes seriously — even during spring training, as the photo from this spring with now-fifth-starter Carlos Martinez shows.

Maybe now that he’s shed a few pounds, Yadi can even turn into a base-stealing threat. Right? He’s certainly on the verge of passing Tony Cruz here — look at that stride! Well, OK, probably won’t be a real threat. Because Yadi doesn’t really like anyone stealing bases …

Or at least not Dee Gordon — even going back to 2012, where you can hear a better call from the man Dan McLaughlin was trying to tell a story about in that clip.

Yesterday, I mentioned the big homers Albert hit during October. As you may remember, Yadi had one of those too.

Chances are you haven’t forgotten that homer, though. And neither have Mets fans, since they still boo him. Which I find funny. (The fact Reds fans boo him, though, seems pretty dumb. They seem to forget their loudmouth second baseman is the one who started everything back in 2010. Ah, well. It’s equally as dumb to me that Brandon Phillips still gets booed at Busch Stadium.)

With the calendar on April and true spring weather here, we’re all getting anxious for baseball. Soon, very soon … and Wrigley Field, the Cubs assured us again, will be ready on Sunday night with the new gigantic video board and all. Oh, and it’ll be safe, as the Cubs assured us in today’s Chicago Tribune:

Before a renovation update was presented to the media on a conference call, Cubs’ spokesman Julian Green launched an offensive against unnamed individuals spreading rumors that the ballpark wouldn’t be ready, the grandstand and upper decks wouldn’t be safe and Major League Baseball was going to force the Cubs to move the opener to U.S. Cellular Field.

Green called them “wild and baseless accusations,” adding MLB was not “concerned, mad or disappointed in the team or the pace of construction,” and there were no discussions at all about playing at the Cell.

Then there’s this comment on the article, from what sure sounds like a typical Cubs fan to me:

Who gives two hoots about the Cubs! It all about the beer stupid. It’s that 9.00 dollar beer that’s important. The Cubs are just a distraction!

Play ball … or just drink your beer, Cubs fans.

Regardless, just 4 more days!