Springfield Cardinals
Encyclopedia
The Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball
team based in Springfield, Missouri
. The team, which plays in the Texas League
, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals
major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field
.
The Springfield Cardinals began play in the 2005 season. Prior to the 2005 season, the St. Louis Cardinals Class AA affiliate was the Tennessee Smokies
located near Sevierville, Tennessee
.
Attendance at Hammons Field for Springfield Cardinals games has been impressive, as the club has averaged nearly 7,000 fans per game for all four years of franchise history. They ranked second in average attendance for all of Double-A baseball for each of the first three seasons, trailing only the Frisco RoughRiders
, who are located in a much bigger market, just outside of Dallas, Texas. In 2008, Springfield was third in attendance, trailing Frisco and the Corpus Christi Hooks
. The city of Springfield itself has also experienced a tourism bump because of the team, actively encouraging St. Louis-area fans to drive down Interstate 44
to Springfield and see local attractions or the Lake of the Ozarks
as well as a "Baby Birds" game.
Through the 2008 season, a total of 15 former Springfield Cardinals have gone on to make their major league debuts with the St. Louis Cardinals, among them Josh Kinney
, Troy Cate
, Andy Cavazos
, Brendan Ryan
, and Chris Perez
.
originally had professional baseball teams back to 1905, when the Springfield Highlanders began play. For nearly 30 years the team was variously called the Highlanders, the Jobbers, the Midgets and the Merchants. There were several years where no team existed at all.
In 1932, the St. Louis Cardinals purchased a minor league team, renamed it the Cardinals, and relocated it in Springfield. That year, the team won the first of several Western Association
titles. With a front office led by Hall of Famer Branch Rickey
, Springfield also went to the playoffs in 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939 and 1941, and won league titles in 1932, 1934, 1937, and 1941.
Following the 1946 season, St. Louis moved the team to St. Joseph, Missouri, where it remained until 1953. The city of Springfield saw a brief reemergence of minor league baseball when the rival Chicago Cubs
moved its affiliate to Springfield for one season taking the name Springfield Cubs.
Though there was a gap of 63 years, most in the Springfield and St. Louis organization consider the current Cardinals the same group which existed in 1932. Many pieces of fan apparel actually say "Springfield Cardinals circa 1932." The deck on top of the Cardinals dugout also has the championship banners from the 1930s and 1940s.
and Senior Circuit scene. The greatest of these was Stanley Frank Musial, also known as Stan "The Man." Stan played 87 games for Springfield during the 1941 season, batting .379 and quickly becoming a fan favorite. In April 2005, Musial played his harmonica to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
" to a crowd of near 12,000 during the inaugural St. Louis vs. Springfield Cardinals game. After throwing out the inaugural ceremonial first pitch that same day, Musial stumbled and almost fell to the ground. However, Springfield General Manager Matt Gifford was quick on the scene to catch Stan and avert embarrassment.
Among other stars who played in Springfield are Dizzy Dean
and his brother Paul
, Pepper Martin
, and Joe Medwick
. Babe Ruth
also spent some time playing ball in Springfield, but not as a member of the Cardinals.
. That team's owners sold the franchise due to poor attendance and the potential to make more money in a fast-growing metropolitan area. Also making the move from El Paso was the original radio voice of the "new" Springfield Cardinals, Mike Lindskog, though Lindskog's hiring was not a part of the sale of the team... Merely a conincidence.
The previous Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals was the Tennessee Smokies
in 2003 and 2004.
3-0 in the best-of-five divisional playoff series, advancing to the 2007 Texas League Championship Series, their first in franchise history. The San Antonio Missions
brought an end to Springfield's season, as they defeated the Cards three games to one in the best-of-five Championship Series.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team based in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. The team, which plays in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field
Hammons Field
Hammons Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Springfield, Missouri, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development...
.
The Springfield Cardinals began play in the 2005 season. Prior to the 2005 season, the St. Louis Cardinals Class AA affiliate was the Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
located near Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
.
Attendance at Hammons Field for Springfield Cardinals games has been impressive, as the club has averaged nearly 7,000 fans per game for all four years of franchise history. They ranked second in average attendance for all of Double-A baseball for each of the first three seasons, trailing only the Frisco RoughRiders
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
, who are located in a much bigger market, just outside of Dallas, Texas. In 2008, Springfield was third in attendance, trailing Frisco and the Corpus Christi Hooks
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
. The city of Springfield itself has also experienced a tourism bump because of the team, actively encouraging St. Louis-area fans to drive down Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
to Springfield and see local attractions or the Lake of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks
The Lake of the Ozarks is a large reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Extents of three smaller tributaries to the Osage, the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek, are included in the impoundment...
as well as a "Baby Birds" game.
Josh Kinney
Joshua Thomas Kinney is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He throws a slider, 4-seam fastball, curveball, and a 2-seam fastball.-Early and personal life:...
, Troy Cate
Troy Cate
Troy Patrick Cate is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is retired.He went to school and played baseball at Ricks College. After finishing school there, he served as a Mormon missionary in England....
, Andy Cavazos
Andy Cavazos
Andres "Andy" Cavazos is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He made his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on June 7, 2007, against the Cincinnati Reds....
, Brendan Ryan
Brendan Ryan (baseball)
Brendan Wood Ryan is an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Seattle Mariners. While he has typically fielded at shortstop in his professional career, Ryan has been known to play at second and third base and has dabbled with pitching.-Early and personal life:Ryan was born in Los...
, and Chris Perez
Chris Perez (baseball)
Christopher Ralph Perez is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. His pitches have been clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun. He is 6' 4", 225 lbs. In 2010, fans began referring to him by the nickname "Pure Rage."Perez grew up on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Perez...
.
The original Springfield Cardinals
Springfield, MissouriSpringfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
originally had professional baseball teams back to 1905, when the Springfield Highlanders began play. For nearly 30 years the team was variously called the Highlanders, the Jobbers, the Midgets and the Merchants. There were several years where no team existed at all.
In 1932, the St. Louis Cardinals purchased a minor league team, renamed it the Cardinals, and relocated it in Springfield. That year, the team won the first of several Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
titles. With a front office led by Hall of Famer Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, Springfield also went to the playoffs in 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939 and 1941, and won league titles in 1932, 1934, 1937, and 1941.
Following the 1946 season, St. Louis moved the team to St. Joseph, Missouri, where it remained until 1953. The city of Springfield saw a brief reemergence of minor league baseball when the rival Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
moved its affiliate to Springfield for one season taking the name Springfield Cubs.
Though there was a gap of 63 years, most in the Springfield and St. Louis organization consider the current Cardinals the same group which existed in 1932. Many pieces of fan apparel actually say "Springfield Cardinals circa 1932." The deck on top of the Cardinals dugout also has the championship banners from the 1930s and 1940s.
Major-minor league heroes
Springfield played host to several players that would go on to the Major LeagueMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and Senior Circuit scene. The greatest of these was Stanley Frank Musial, also known as Stan "The Man." Stan played 87 games for Springfield during the 1941 season, batting .379 and quickly becoming a fan favorite. In April 2005, Musial played his harmonica to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
" to a crowd of near 12,000 during the inaugural St. Louis vs. Springfield Cardinals game. After throwing out the inaugural ceremonial first pitch that same day, Musial stumbled and almost fell to the ground. However, Springfield General Manager Matt Gifford was quick on the scene to catch Stan and avert embarrassment.
Among other stars who played in Springfield are Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
and his brother Paul
Paul Dean (baseball)
Paul Dee "Daffy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals , the New York Giants , and the St. Louis Browns ....
, Pepper Martin
Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the Wild Horse of the Osage because of his daring, aggressive baserunning abilities. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St...
, and Joe Medwick
Joe Medwick
Joseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
. Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
also spent some time playing ball in Springfield, but not as a member of the Cardinals.
Previous franchise history
The current Cardinals are a relatively new team, dating back to just 2005. Previous to this, they were known as the El Paso DiablosEl Paso Diablos
The El Paso Diablos are a professional baseball team based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The Diablos are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2005 season to the...
. That team's owners sold the franchise due to poor attendance and the potential to make more money in a fast-growing metropolitan area. Also making the move from El Paso was the original radio voice of the "new" Springfield Cardinals, Mike Lindskog, though Lindskog's hiring was not a part of the sale of the team... Merely a conincidence.
The previous Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals was the Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
in 2003 and 2004.
2007 season
The Cardinals’ most successful season has been the 2007 campaign, during which they finished first in the North Division in both halves of the season. They went on to defeat the Tulsa DrillersTulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...
3-0 in the best-of-five divisional playoff series, advancing to the 2007 Texas League Championship Series, their first in franchise history. The San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
brought an end to Springfield's season, as they defeated the Cards three games to one in the best-of-five Championship Series.