Springfield Daily Citizen 901 S National Ave Springfield, MO 65897, City to buy Hammons Field ballpark and upgrade it, pending Springfield City Council approval, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Looking southwest in December 2022, a bird's eye view of Hammons Field and the adjacent parking lot to the south, plus Hammons Tower, Jordan Valley Park, and both Missouri State University and downtown Springfield in the background. The Cardinals open the 2023 season at home with a three-game series against the Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota Twins) on Thursday, April 6th and will once again play a full 138-game schedule with 69 games at home and 69 games on the road. Published: Apr. The money goes to charity. The proposed deal includes $12 million for a package of properties of interest to Cardinals fans the ballpark, as well as two parking lots that serve Hammons Field. Hammons Field. When the City Council adopted the citys budget for 2023, the projected fund balance by July 1, 2023, was $5.9 million, with $2.19 million set aside as a required reserve fund, and $3.76 million that could be used for projects. The Cardinals open the 2023 season at home with a three-game series against the Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota Twins). Ballpark Digests data showed the Tulsa Drillers led the Texas League in average attendance with 5,495 fans per game, followed closely by the Amarillo Sod Poodles at 5,493. The Cardinals have an incentive to keep their operating costs low. Prior to arriving in Springfield, he worked as a reporter at the Lincoln Journal Star and Casper Star-Tribune. Ultimately, a federal judge ordered the John Q. Hammons Charitable Trust to pay off a $6.1 million bond and exercise a $1 purchase option with the city to buy the stadium and start the lease, and then sell the team. This is the Springfield Cardinals 17th season. Until 2020, games were broadcast over 98.7 FM until "The Jock" was split into three different frequencies while 98.7 FM became "The Dove" which plays 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s music. Hammons Field sits in downtown Springfield at the corner of N. Sherman Parkway and E. Trafficway St. and is just a block away from the Chestnut Expressway. It was just how to get there. A big part of the new lease, Reiter said, was for the stadium to have self-sustaining improvements, something he said the previous lease lacked. The Springfield Cardinals, which are now under the direction of Major League Baseball rather than the Minor League Baseball entity, will await word on when things will be made official. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. But Groves said on Wednesday that he and co-trustee Jacqueline Dowdy wanted the same goal as the team and city leaders he shared a stage with on Wednesday. The KY3 First Alert Weather team predicts Friday at first pitch to be cold. Bally Sports Midwest will televise approximately 150 regular-season games and select spring training games in 2023, the network's 30th year as the Cardinals' television partner and its 13th as the exclusive television home of the team. Content may not be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the Springfield Daily Citizen or the partner organization that produced the content. His four home runs came in consecutive innings from the fifth through the eighth. Atrium Hospitality and JD Holdings raised the price of parking from $15 to $20. The bond is paid off, and the proposed sale agreement with the city would resolve the rest of the ownership uncertainty around the future of Hammons Field. Very pleased that he was here.. Alternately, start south of Missouri with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Arkansas Travelers. All rights reserved. And in left-center, fans can see one of the largest HD video boards in the Minor Leagues. All rights reserved. Twitter: @RanceBurger More by Rance Burger. Scott Alan Bailes (born December 18, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who pitched for three teams during a nine-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career. For a quick commute, there are two hotels just a couple bocks from Hammons Field. The fate of the 8,000-seat facility has been in question since theRevocable Trust of John Q. Hammons filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2016. Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. "Their commitment to strengthening communities in the Ozarks and being a local entertainment destination makes it a perfect partnership for 106.7 The River. On Wednesday, the city announced a proposed deal with the John Q. Hammons Charitable Trust, the current owners of the ballpark built in the early 2000s to lure a minor league . Moodys assigns ratings to government entities based on their ability to borrow money and repay it, assigning an overall rating for creditworthiness. And we all have the same goal. So I think the fact that the city was able to negotiate the parking with the agreement, I think thats a critical piece for our fans.. Welcome to Hammons Field, where future Cardinals get their first taste of the Show-Me State. I will be in a coat and a stocking cap and bundled up tonight and we hope plans will the fans will plan ahead, said Reiter. "Throughout several years of discussions, it became clear that the community would benefit the greatest if the city became the eventual owner of the stadium," Springfield Mayor Ken McClure said. "It's just mind-blowing to think that I'm just the second guy to ever (hit for the home run cycle). They brought a total of 259,044 fans into Hammons Field over 69 home games, an average of about 3,754 fans per game. Here are our Springfield Cardinals events nationwide. The proposed bill on the meetings agenda states the $16 million expenditure will also include initial capital improvements to the baseball stadium. I actually just talked about it with my dad," he told MLB.com. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email atwwheeler@news-leader.comor Twitter at@WyattWheeler_NL. Yes, we want to end up having more festivals at Hammons Field. Below is a list of the current openings with our company. Interested residents can speak on the purchase of Hammonds Field during the Feb. 6 meeting by signing up with the City Clerk any time before the bill is called up before the body. On Friday, June 9, a Yadier Molina bobblehead is on tap. Under the proposed agreement, the city is purchasing the trusts rights to obtain the 50-year ground lease and its right to purchase the stadium and land under the stadium. More than the physical landscape changed. The Cardinals will pay $650,000 per year for 15 years to lease the stadium. He also hit a two-run single in the first as a part of a 5-for-6 day batting out of the seventh hole. In the sixth inning of the Cardinals' home game against Houston at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., the shortstop prospect ranged to his left on a ball hit up the middle by Houston's Grae. In early 2020, the Cardinals sued JD Holdings and three Hammons trustees, claiming a breach of contract due to a lack of stadium improvements. So I do think on the forefront: Yes, we want to get concerts booked. Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 04:08 PM CST. The 2023 home schedule continues the league's popular Tuesday-Sunday six-game series format first implemented by Minor League Baseball in 2021 for the benefit of fans and players, with the exception being opening weekend against Wichita on April 6-8. Hammons Field is now home to both the Cardinals and Missouri State Bears baseball teams. In court filings, attorneys for the charitable trust have said money from the stadium sale will go toward preserving Hammons legacy through charitable endeavors. 14 Mill Market, a food hall, is expected to open in May. UPDATE (2/28/2023): A man has been charged with a felony after crashing into a home in Springfield Feb. 27. See 1,286 traveler reviews, 500 candid photos, and great deals for Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Dusseldorf, ranked #39 of 259 hotels in Dusseldorf and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. In 2020 seven years after the hotelier Hammons' death SpringfieldCardinals LLC filed a lawsuit in Greene Countyalleging the John Q. Hammons Trust breached its contract to keep the stadium among the nicest in the Texas League. -- Opening Day 2022 at Hammons Field is set for Friday, April 8 when the Springfield Cardinals face the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA, Royals) for the first of a three-game opening weekend series. The original ownership agreement is a unique one in the Texas League, where eight out of 10 stadiums are owned by the home cities where they play. So to be able to put on a show like this for him is pretty special. The Bears have won three Missouri Valley Conference titles since moving in and even won two NCAA regionals. And on Sundays, kids get free ice cream and can run the bases. While council members have been briefed on the lengthy negotiations, the deal requires several steps, starting with approval by the citys Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 6, and then introduction of a resolution at the council meeting on Feb. 6. "Springfield has one of the best reputations and fanbases in all of Minor League Baseball, and I can't wait to get to know everyone as we watch the future of the St. Louis Cardinals develop." Accompanied with a spork, this frank sits in a baked potato and is topped with nacho cheese, sour cream and bacon for a delectable crossover. The city of Springfield announced as a news conference Wednesday a plan to purchase Hammons Field, the. Click here to view the full 2023 schedule! Among the speakers on Wednesday was Gregg Groves, a Springfield attorney and a co-trustee with the Hammons Revocable Trust. SummitMedia Springfield announced Thursday morning that it acquired the rights to Springfield Cardinals games heading into the upcoming season. Operating costs are spent on what the stadium needs to run day-to-day. The Council could then give final approval at a special meeting on Feb. 14. Get DIRECTV STREAM 5-Day Free Trial. As the News-Leader reported in the summer of 2021. There were knowing laughs in the audience as Groves emphasized how thrilled he was. At one point Groves sat one seat away from the GM of the Cardinals. The other parcel, which includes parts of right field, some stadium seating, parking areas and entrance gates, is owned by the city. As part of that agreement, the city would be committed to provide an additional $4 million in funds to improve stadium conditions to enhance player safety and fan experience to meet a Major League Baseball facility mandate.