No. 8 Hammons Field and Springfield Cardinals

Developer John Q. Hammons broke ground on the $32 million Hammons Field in 2002, without a Double-A team in place. The 7,986-seat stadium was finished in 2004, the same year it hosted a visit from George W. Bush, but it wasn’t until 2005 that Hammons fulfilled his pledge to bring a baseball team to Springfield.

The Springfield Cardinals, a Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, is one of eight teams in the Texas League.

On April 2, 2005, the Springfield and St. Louis Cardinals came together to christen Hammons Field in an exhibition game, followed by the inaugural home opener April 12.

Today, the Redbirds continue to bring millions of fans to center city to enjoy a favorite national pastime – according to the team’s Web site, during the first five seasons more than 2 million fans have visited Hammons Field – and give fans a chance to see future big-leaguers.

At the end of the 2009 season, 24 “Baby Birds” had moved up to play for the St. Louis club.

See the full list of pivotal points chosen by the Springfield Business Journal here.
[[In-content Ad]]