Hammons Field is a minor league

baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

located in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development project, Jordan Valley Park, on the corner of Sherman Avenue and Trafficway Boulevard. Completed in April 2004, it is home to the

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...

, the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

affiliate of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

as well as the

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

Bears Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the North ...

. Hammons built the ballpark before he had a minor league team secured to play in the stadium, though he steadfastly assured local residents it would be the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. He was ultimately able to persuade the Cardinals to purchase the

El Paso Diablos "El Paso Diablos" refers to two different professional baseball teams based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The most recent Diablos were a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, whi ...

franchise of the Texas League from the Brett Bros. and relocate it to Springfield. They became the

soon thereafter when the parent club ended its brief two-year affiliation with the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

of the Southern League.

Features

The stadium is unique due to its baseball specific outbuildings. The stadium currently has two large buildings just outside the right-field walls. The larger of the two serves as a fully furnished indoor practice facility complete with

astroturf AstroTurf is an American subsidiary of SportGroup that produces artificial turf for playing surfaces in sports. The original AstroTurf product was a short-pile synthetic turf invented in 1965 by Monsanto. Since the early 2000s, AstroTurf has m ...

, batting cages, and a small diamond for drills. The smaller building serves as administration, including General Manager offices, as well as housing both home teams' clubhouses, a cardio workout facility, and the physical trainer's office. The stadium is also furnished with 28 luxury box suites. Only two of the Press Box level suites are available for use. The largest of the three is a personal suite for Mr. John Q. Hammons, owner of the facility. Hammons Field also boasts one of the largest high-definition video boards in Minor League Baseball.

Events

In 2004, 2007 and 2012, the venue hosted the

Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament The Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament is the conference baseball championship of the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. All eight teams participate in the double-elimination tournament, which in 2014 was played at Bob Warn ...

References

External links

Hammons Field - FAQs"The Jewel of Jordan Valley Park" WebpageJoe Mock names Hammons Field ''BASEBALLPARKS.COM'' 2005 "Ballpark of the Year"
* ttp://springfieldcardinals.com Official Springfield Cardinals Sitebr>Texas League Web SiteMSU Baseball Bears PageTour of Hammons FieldDesigners of Hammons Field
{{Missouri NCAA Division I college baseball venue navbox College baseball venues in the United States Baseball venues in Missouri Sports venues in Springfield, Missouri Missouri State Bears baseball Sports venues in Missouri Texas League ballparks

Features

Events

See also

References

External links