| 5 |
Hammons Field |
| Springfield, MO |
When fans in Springfield started making noises about a pro baseball team coming to town, few outside of Missouri took them seriously. After all, the city didn’t have a ballpark that could come close to accommodating a Minor League franchise.
That’s where John Q. Hammons stepped in (See: “If You Build It, Will They Come?”). The wealthy Springfield resident decided to spend his own money to build the greatest ballpark below the Majors. He just might have accomplished exactly that, as the facility bearing his name earned the honor of being named BASEBALLPARKS.COM’s Ballpark of the Year for 2005.
Winning the award “was awesome,” said Brad Parke of Pellham Phillips, the architects who designed the stadium. “We knew we’d done a good job, but it was great to get the national recognition.”
More amazing, Hammons built the ballpark without a clear commitment that he would get a minor league franchise to fill it!
Hammons was able to acquire a Texas League team, following a 33-year run in El Paso. In 2005, they played to packed houses in Springfield on the way to totaling 526,630 in attendance. This easily topped the franchise’s total for the two previous years combined. The team continues its winning ways in 2006, with one of the hottest clubs in the Texas League adding to the allure of the creature features of the stadium.
The stadium is a quality found at the AAA level. Perhaps, like Round Rock, some day, with a few more seats, it might snare a Triple-A club looking for a better home.
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden
While it’s difficult to improve upon a ballpark that is nearly perfect, the Cardinals have been intent of making things even better for their fans.
“During the offseason, we called every one of our season ticket holders to thank them for their business, and to ask what we can do to make their experience even better,” Brittany Bremer, Media Relations Assistant explained.
Based on fan feedback, rows directly behind home plate were shortened so customers could get in and out easier. Landscaping beyond the outfield fences was also upgraded. A basketball court, as well as a pitch-speed board were added. To pay homage to the rose bushes that beautified Springfield’s White City Park, where pro baseball was played from 1931 through 1942, a rose garden is being planted under Hammons Field’s scoreboard.
Experts Take
“I think the Redbird Roost area in the upper deck on the third-base side is one of the most pleasant places to watch a game I’ve ever seen,” said Texas League President Tom Kayser. “With the food that is served in that section, you really get a lot for your money. It’s also a great vantage point from which to watch the game, plus you get a nice breeze.
“When you look at Hammons Field in Springfield, the new parks in Midland, Corpus Christi and Frisco, and the one under construction in (North Little Rock) Arkansas, I dare say that no other minor league in the country has as many nice, new parks as the Texas League.”
While Papa Tom can be proud of what are easily the best collection of parks in Class-AA baseball, buddy Branch Rickey, president of the Pacific Coast League holds those bragging rights: The PCL dominates all leagues, minor and independent, with the biggest, most beautiful, and highest attendance operations in spanking-modern parks in Sacramento, Memphis, Albuquerque, and Oklahoma City.
