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46-750: Affectionately known as the "Baby Birds", their chief rival was the Peoria Chiefs , then an affiliate of the Cubs . The declining condition of Lanphier Park, last renovated in 1978, led to the relocation of the franchise to Madison, Wisconsin for the 1994 season, where they were known as the Madison Hatters . The Hatters, in turn, moved to Battle Creek, Michigan to become the Michigan Battle Cats . While playing in Battle Creek,

92-846: A Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins . They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin , and play their home games at ABC Supply Stadium . They previously played at Harry C. Pohlman Field from its opening in 1982 until moving into their current ballpark in August 2021. Originally known as the Beloit Brewers from 1982 to 1994 and the Beloit Snappers from 1995 to 2021,

138-537: A 1–1 record and a 2.22 ERA. Outfielder Curt Ford won the league's Most Valuable Player Award, hitting .290 with 20 home runs and a league leading 91 runs batted in. In 1984, Springfield again won the Southern Division, posting a 70–69 record that placed them four games ahead of the second place Peoria Chiefs . In post-season play they beat the Beloit Brewers two games to none, but again fell to

184-697: A 2.56 earned run average (ERA) and 68 strikeouts in 84 + 1 ⁄ 3 innings. In 1983, Springfield won the Southern Division with an 80–59 record, nine games ahead of the Burlington Rangers . In the playoffs, they defeated the Cedar Rapids Reds two games to none, but then fell to the Appleton Foxes in the championship round three games to one. The Cardinals' roster featured catcher Bob Geren , who hit .265 with 24 home runs, and pitcher Pat Perry , who appeared in six games with

230-595: A 3.78 ERA. On August 13, Mathews pitched the Cardinals' second, and last, no hitter, shutting out the Burlington Bees 4–0. Second baseman Joe Biasucci won the league's Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .289 and leading the league in home runs with 26. Attendance dropped to 110,189 in 1993 (compared to 175,017 in 1991), and the St. Louis organization was unhappy with the aging facility, so they decided to sell

276-752: A 41–84 record. Springfield experienced its highest level of minor league baseball during 1978–1981, when it hosted the Springfield Redbirds of the Class Triple-A American Association . The Redbirds, a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, won the playoff for the league championship in 1980. The Redbirds' move to Louisville in 1982 was the impetus for the Springfield Cardinals entering the Midwest League as an expansion franchise that season. When

322-1024: A concussion but recovered. On August 8, 2009, Castillo was convicted of felonious assault causing serious physical injury and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. In April 2010, a judge released Castillo from probation "on the condition that he leave the United States and not return for a minimum of three years." Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On St. Louis Cardinals 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated September 24, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB  •  Midwest League → St. Louis Cardinals minor league players Baseball Hall of Fame alumni Notable award winning alumni Notable alumni Beloit Snappers The Beloit Sky Carp are

368-408: A league leading 106 runs batted in. Pitcher Bob Faron led the league in wins with a 19–2 record while recording a 2.14 ERA, and Mike Pérez posted a 6–2 record and 0.85 ERA in 84 + 1 ⁄ 3 innings as a relief pitcher. In 1988, the Midwest League expanded to 14 teams and switched a split-season format with two divisions, with the first- and second-half winners appearing in the first round of

414-697: A major league manager : In addition, the following players also played at least one game for Springfield and one game in Major League Baseball: Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals . The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns . They are located in Peoria, Illinois , and are named for

460-688: A new mascot, were postponed until 2022. In November 2021, the team rebranded as the Beloit Sky Carp, taking their new moniker from a nickname for geese . In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. The 2003 team included two sons of former major league players. Prince Fielder , the son of former American League home run champion Cecil Fielder and Tony Gwynn Jr. , son of Tony Gwynn . Future major leaguer Danny Valencia played for

506-634: A new season attendance record of 259,794, an average of 3,800 per game. Sandberg returned to manage the Chiefs in 2008. The team set a Midwest League single-game attendance record on July 29, 2008, when the Chiefs drew a crowd of 32,103 to Wrigley Field in Chicago for a game against the Kane County Cougars . The Chiefs' affiliation with the Cubs ended after the 2012 season, and they entered into

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552-519: A new stadium. On June 15, 2020, construction began on the new ABC Supply Stadium . The Snappers started the 2021 season at Pohlman Field, and played their first game at ABC Supply Stadium on August 3. Prior to the 2021 season, the Snappers were organized into the High-A Central . Plans to rebrand the team for the 2021 season, with a new name selected through a "name the team contest" and

598-433: A player-development contract with the St. Louis Cardinals . Under Major League Baseball 's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Chiefs were organized into the High-A Central . In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name used by the regional circuit before the 2021 reorganization. During a game on July 23, 2008, Dayton Dragons hit three Chiefs batters. The teams played again

644-457: A total of 13 times, through eight wild-card berths, three first-half titles, and two second-half titles. The history of professional baseball in Peoria dates to the late 19th century. The Peoria Reds , Peoria Canaries , and Peoria Blackbirds played in several early leagues during parts of 1878 to 1895. The first ballpark used by these teams was reportedly called Sylvan Park and was located at

690-621: A town of Turtle . All of these are named for a turtle-shaped Indian mound on the campus of Beloit College . After the Brewers and Snappers ended their affiliation, efforts were started to build a new stadium similar to the facilities used by the Rockford RiverHawks or the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers . One possible scenario involved construction on a site near Janesville , which could have included renaming

736-571: The Bradley University campus. The team's name was changed to the Chiefs in 1984. The 1984 team was managed by future Major League Baseball manager Joe Maddon . The 1988 team, managed by future major league manager Jim Tracy , was the subject of Joseph Bosco's book The Boys Who Would Be Cubs . Meinen Field was renovated before the 1992 season and renamed Vonachen Stadium in honor of Chiefs owner Pete Vonachen . The team moved to Dozer Park in downtown Peoria on May 24, 2002. During

782-592: The Hiram Walker plant. From 1891 to 1911, Frank E. Murphy from Green Bay, Wisconsin , became involved with baseball, beginning with the purchase of the Peoria team of the Midwest League, which he later renamed the Peoria Hoosiers . That nickname would stick with the various Peoria clubs for the next couple of decades, including their first stretch with the Three-I League from 1905 to 1917. After

828-468: The Peoria Indian tribe for which the city was named. In 2005, the team replaced the indigenous imagery associated with the Chiefs name and moved to a logo of a dalmatian depicted as a fire chief . The Chiefs play their home games at Dozer Park , which opened in 2002. They previously played at Vonachen Stadium near Bradley University from 1983 through 2001. The Chiefs have made the playoffs

874-566: The 1937 season. The city was then without professional baseball for the next 15 years. The name Peoria Chiefs first appeared with a new franchise in the Three-I League in 1953. This club disbanded after 1957, and Peoria was again without professional ball, for the next 25 years until the current Chiefs set up shop. The Woodruff Field site is now a softball facility called Woodruff Park. The Peoria Suns were established in 1983. They played their home games at Meinen Field , built in 1968, near

920-519: The Appleton Foxes in the championship three games to two. Joseph Rigoli replaced Bialas as manager. The roster included catcher Tom Pagnozzi , who hit .283 with 10 home runs, and third baseman Jim Lindeman , who hit .271 with 18 home runs. On August 8, John Martin pitched the team's first no hitter against the Wausau Timbers , winning 2–0. The next season, the Cardinals had their first losing record, finishing 66–74 and tied for second place in

966-555: The Cardinals won the first half title in the Southern Division with a 41–26 record. In the second half their 37–32 record placed them in second place, seven games behind the Clinton Giants. Facing the Giants in the first round of the playoffs, they fell two games to none in what would be their final Midwest League games. Their roster included T. J. Mathews , who went 12–9 with a 2.72 ERA, and John Frascatore , who went 7–12 with

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1012-525: The Dragons manager, Donnie Scott, and the two argued for a few minutes before the umpires broke it up. During the coaches' argument, pitcher Castillo fired a ball at the Dragons' dugout. The ball struck a fan, who was taken to the hospital. Brandon Menchaca proceeded to tackle Castillo from behind as both benches cleared, delaying the game for 69 minutes. After the game, Castillo was arrested for felonious assault. The injured fan, Chris McCarthy, suffered

1058-491: The Southern Division, nine games behind the Peoria Chiefs. Lloyd Merritt took over as manager, and their roster included pitchers Jeff Fassero , who went 4–8 with a 4.01 ERA, and Mike Hartley (2–7, 5.12). Harry McCulla led the league in hitting with a .317 batting average. In 1986 they returned to first place in the Southern Division and posted the best record in league, 87–53. Gaylen Pitts took over as manager and

1104-759: The Springfield Capitals of the Frontier League , who played from 1996 to 2001. Since 2008, baseball is represented in Springfield by the amateur Springfield Sliders of the wood-bat Prospect League . Until it was sold to Capital City Baseball in 2021 and rebranded as the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes in February 2022. The Springfield Cardinals arrived in the Midwest League in 1982 as one of four expansion teams, as

1150-704: The Springfield Cardinals moved to Madison in 1994, the Midwest League's Waterloo Diamonds moved to Springfield and became the Springfield Sultans . The Sultans were affiliated with the San Diego Padres in 1994 and with the Kansas City Royals in 1995. In 1995 the Sultans moved to Lansing, Michigan , where they became today's Lansing Lugnuts . After the departure of the Sultans, independent league baseball came to Springfield with

1196-889: The Western Association in 1895, the Central League in 1900, and the Mississippi Valley League in 1933. Their longest minor league affiliation was with the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League or "Three-I League"(1903–1914, 1925–1932, 1935, 1938–1942, and 1946–1949). In 1948, Springfield hosted a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League , the Springfield Sallies . They finished the season in last place with

1242-490: The championship round in their other four appearances. The league's records, however, recognize both the winner of the postseason playoffs and the team with the highest overall season record as champions, and the Cardinals led the league in regular season play twice, in 1986 and 1987. Their overall record during their 12 seasons in Springfield was 917–743, for a .552 winning percentage. The team also helped develop more than 50 players who advanced to Major League Baseball. Among

1288-490: The corner of Northeast Glendale Avenue and Spring Street on the location of the present-day St. Augustine Manor. In 1883, the club moved a few blocks toward Peoria Lake , to a facility called Lake View Park , on the southeast corner of Northeast Adams Street and Grant Street, which would remain the home of various Peoria clubs for the next four decades. The 1895 club was dubbed the Peoria Distillers , referencing

1334-482: The division in the first half with a 32–38 record and sixth in the second half with a 31–38 record. The following season was the team's worst performance, as they finished the first half in last place at 28–39 and the second half in fifth place at 30–40. In 1992, the Cardinals returned to winning, finishing the season with an 84–56 overall record that was the second best in the league. However, they were unable to win their division in either half, as their 42–28 record in

1380-417: The first half placed them third, while an identical 42–28 record in the second half was good for second place. Thus, they missed out on the playoffs for the third season in a row. Rick Colbert was manager and their roster included outfielder John Mabry , who hit .268 with 11 home runs, third baseman Dmitri Young , who hit .310 with 14 home runs, and pitcher Doug Creek , who went 4–1 with a 2.61 ERA. In 1993,

1426-411: The following day, and in the first inning, Chiefs pitcher Julio Castillo hit Dragons batter Zack Cozart in the head. Two batters later, Castillo hit Angel Cabrera in the arm, and nearly hit another Dragon player in the head after that. Cabrera then spiked the Chiefs shortstop at second base on a slide. At that point, Chiefs fill-in manager Carmelo Martinez began arguing with the umpire. This brought out

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1472-646: The franchise became the Battle Creek Yankees and the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays before moving to Midland, Michigan where they now play as the Great Lakes Loons . The Cardinals were generally successful, finishing with a winning record in nine of their 12 seasons. In post-season play they were less successful, as they lost four times in the first round of the league's two-round, four-team playoffs and lost in

1518-717: The franchise. Madison, Wisconsin , which had lost the Madison Muskies to Grand Rapids, Michigan , obtained the Springfield franchise, and it became the Madison Hatters . Sources: The following position players appeared in at least 10 games with the Springfield Cardinals and also appeared in at least 500 Major League Baseball games: The following pitchers appeared in at least five games with Springfield and also pitched at least 250 games or 700 innings in Major League Baseball: Another former Springfield Cardinal player has gone on to become

1564-562: The league increased from eight teams to 12. The Springfield team was owned by the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was their second Class A affiliate; they retained an affiliation with the Gastonia Cardinals of the South Atlantic League . The first season of the Springfield Cardinals began auspiciously as they won the Midwest League's Central Division with an 83–53 record, 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 games ahead of

1610-402: The new park's first year, the team set a franchise attendance record of 254,407 and won the Midwest League championship. Former Cubs catcher Jody Davis managed the 2006 team. Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg was hired to manage the 2007 Chiefs, which went 71–68 and finished the second half 40–30 in a tie for the division title, but missed the playoff on a tiebreaker. The team set

1656-517: The playoffs. Springfield placed fifth in the Southern Division in the first half with a 32–37 record, but won the second half with a 49–21 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they fell to the Cedar Rapids Reds, two games to none. Their manager was Mark DeJohn and their roster included outfielders Bernard Gilkey , who hit .244 with six home runs, and Ray Lankford , who hit .284 with 11 home runs. The next season, Dan Radison took

1702-510: The reins as manager. Springfield again won the Southern Division's second half, this time with a 41–27 record, after placing fourth in the first half with a 32–35 record. In the postseason playoffs they defeated Cedar Rapids in the first round, two games to none, before falling to the South Bend White Sox three games to none in the championship round. In 1990 the Cardinals experienced their second losing season, placing fifth in

1748-572: The resumption of following the peak of American involvement in World War I , the Peoria Tractors name gained favor in 1919, with the growth of the nearby branch of the company later called Caterpillar Inc. In 1923, the team opened a new ballpark called Woodruff Field in honor of a long-time mayor of Peoria. The new park was just across Grant Street from Lake View Park. The Tractors continued to play in several leagues before folding after

1794-700: The second best team in the league, the Kenosha Twins. In the first round of the playoffs, they beat the Clinton Giants two games to one, but they again fell short in the championship, losing to Kenosha three games to one. Pitts was again at the helm, and Todd Zeile (then a Springfield catcher) won the Most Valuable Player Award (which he shared with Greg Vaughn of the Beloit Brewers), hitting .292 with 25 home runs and

1840-524: The second place Beloit Brewers . The league championship was determined by a two-round, four-team playoff among the winners of the three divisions plus a wild-card team. In the first round of the postseason playoffs, the Cardinals fell to the Appleton Foxes two games to none. Their playing manager was Dave Bialas, and outfielder Alan Hunsinger led the league with 102 runs batted in. Future major leaguer Danny Cox pitched in 15 games, going 5–3 with

1886-582: The team entered into the process of being sold to a new group of investors who planned to build a new ballpark in downtown Beloit. The sale was cancelled in May 2020 amid uncertainty surrounding the Professional Baseball Agreement between Minor and Major League Baseball set to expire after the 2020 season. The group, led by Quint Studer , retained the right to operate the Snappers in 2020 and continued to move forward with plans to build

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1932-516: The team played in the Class A Midwest League from 1982 to 2020. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, Beloit was shifted to the High-A Central, though this was renamed the Midwest League in 2022. The team rebranded as the Sky Carp prior to the 2022 season. The Beloit Brewers joined the Midwest League as an expansion franchise in 1982. The club

1978-433: The team to reflect a broader Rock County audience. However, no new stadium was built and improvements, including redoing the entire field and repairing the concrete concourse, were made to the existing site. After the 2012 season, the city of Beloit appropriated $ 100,000 in order to completely redo the outfield. The outfield was raised and leveled with the infield and a new sprinkler system was installed. In September 2018,

2024-508: The young Springfield players who went on to successful major league careers were Bernard Gilkey , Ray Lankford , Jeff Fassero , Dmitri Young , and Todd Zeile . Minor league baseball has a long history in Springfield, Illinois. Springfield fielded a team in the 1883 Northwestern League , which has traditionally been considered the first minor league. Springfield also played in the Central Interstate League in 1889,

2070-478: Was a Milwaukee Brewers farm team from its inception through 2004. Beloit switched to the Minnesota Twins ' farm system for the 2005 season. The organization adopted the Snappers nickname in 1995 after using its parent team's nickname for its first 13 seasons. The Snappers' name derived from the snapping turtle , because Beloit was formerly known as Turtle Village, and there is still a Turtle Creek and

2116-492: Was named Manager of the Year. In the playoffs, Springfield fell to the Peoria Chiefs in the first round, two games to none. Craig Wilson played second base and hit .274 with one home run. Pitcher Jeff Oyster led the league in wins with a 17–7 record. In 1987, the Cardinals had their best season, posting a 94–46 record that was 23 games ahead of the Peoria Chiefs, who finished second in the Southern Division, and 12 games ahead of

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