Cardinals announce name change

The Springfield Cardinals are changing their name.

To what? That announcement is pending until an Oct. 6 launch party, said Springfield Cardinals General Manager Dan Reiter at a brief news conference this evening.

The announcement was made just prior to the first pitch tonight as the Springfield Cardinals took the field against the San Antonio Missions.

“Today, I want to announce that starting in 2027, our franchise will no longer be known as the Springfield Cardinals,” Reiter said.

Reiter said the rebranding would be “uniquely us” while pointing out the many teams that share the Cardinals name. Among them are the Major League Baseball Cardinals in St. Louis, the Palm Beach Cardinals and even the former Springfield, Illinois, Cardinals.

“We have to continuously explain who we are,” Reiter said.

Reiter encouraged fans to hold off on judging the move, and he said he would be happy to hear opinions after the name is announced.

“I promise you, it’s way more fun to dance at the party than to pout in the corner,” he said.

Reiter said the community deserves a change.

“As a community, as a region and as a sports franchise, we deserve this new chapter,” he said. “It’s time to get out of the shadows and become uniquely us.”

Reiter said the Cardinals’ last two home stands this season are a celebration of the existing name.