Springfield (MO) Cardinals

• Location: Springfield, MO
• League: Western Association 1931-1932, 1935-1942; Western League 1933; Texas League 2005-2019; Double-A Central 2021; Texas League 2022-
• Affiliation: St. Louis Cardinals 1931-1933, 1935-1942, 2005-present
• Ballpark: Hammons Field 2005-present

Team History

The Springfield Cardinals, of the Texas League and briefly in Double-A Central, are owned by their parent club. The St. Louis Cardinals farmhands play their home games at Hammons Field in Springfield, MO.

They began play in 2005, after the big Cardinals bought and moved the El Paso Diablos to Springfield.

Former Cardinals and Pirates player Bill Virdon, who also managed the Bucs and three other teams, had retired to Springfield when the team came to town. He held season tickets until his 2021 death. Virdon was born in Michigan, but his family moved to Missouri when he was 12.

The Springfield Cardinals of today are not to be confused with the Springfield (OH) Cardinals who competed in the Middle Atlantic League in 1941 and 1942, or the Springfield (IL) Cardinals who played in the Midwest League in 1982 and 1993.

Missouri's Springfield hosted many minor league teams dating back to 1902. The first to be called Cardinals was the 1931 entry in the Class C Western Association. That was also the first Springfield club affiliated with the Cardinals, as Branch Rickey developed his invention that is now known as a farm system. Springfield's 1933 club, still called the Cardinals, played in the Class A Western League. The Western Association returned to Springfield in 1934, but the team - although still affiliated with the Cards - didn't resume its nickname until 1935.

Today's S-Cards play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Cardenales de Springfield - a straightforward Spanish translation of their name.

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1931	87-57	1st	Eddie Dyer	none League Champs
1932	79-51	1st	Eddie Dyer	League Champs
1933	73-50	3rd	Joe Schultz Sr.
1935	87-48	1st	George Payne	Lost League Finals
1936	64-78	4th	Joseph Brown
1937	76-67	4th	Clay Hopper	League Champs
1938	79-56	2nd	Clay Hopper	Lost in 1st round
1939	78-60	3rd	George Silvey	League Champs
1940	56-76	7th	George Silvey / Ollie Vanek
1941	92-43	2nd	Ollie Vanek	Lost in 1st round
1942	62-70	4th	Runt Marr

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs	Hitting coach	Pitching coach	Coach
2005	70-70	5th	Chris Maloney		Dallas Williams	Blaise Ilsley
2006	66-72	8th	Chris Maloney		Joe Cunningham	Blaise Ilsley
2007	73-63	2nd	Ron Warner	Lost League Finals	Derrick May	Blaise Ilsley
2008	76-64	2nd	Ron Warner		Derrick May	Bryan Eversgerd
2009	71-69	5th	Ron Warner	Lost in 1st round	Derrick May	Bryan Eversgerd
2010	76-64	2nd	Ron Warner	Lost in 1st round	Derrick May	Dennis Martinez
2011	62-78	7th	Ron Warner		Phillip Wellman	Bryan Eversgerd
2012	77-61	3rd	Mike Shildt	League Champs	Phillip Wellman	Bryan Eversgerd
2013	64-74	6th	Mike Shildt		Phillip Wellman	Randy Niemann
2014	68-72	5th (t)	Mike Shildt		Erik Pappas	Randy Niemann
2015	64-76	5th	Dann Bilardello		Erik Pappas	Jason Simontacchi	David Compton
2016	75-65	3rd	Dann Bilardello	Lost in 1st round	Ramon Ortiz	Jason Simontacchi
2017	77-63	2nd (t)	Johnny Rodriguez		Jobel Jimenez	Jason Simontacchi	Aaron Klinec
2018	60-79	7th	Johnny Rodriguez		Jobel Jimenez	Darwin Marrero
2019	60-80	7th	Joe Kruzel		Brandon Allen	Darwin Marrero
2020	Season cancelled
2021	45-75	10th	Jose Leger		Tyger Pederson	Darwin Marrero
2022			Jose Leger		Tyger Pederson	Darwin Marrero

External Links

Official site