September 2, 2005
Hammons Field, the stunning new home of the Springfield Cardinals, has been named Ballpark of the Year by BASEBALLPARKS.COM.
Each year, the award goes to the new baseball stadium with the best combination of superior design, attractive site selection and fan amenities. Therefore, the honor recognizes not only the governmental entities and team responsible for the new park, it also honors the architectural firm. In this case, Pellham-Phillips-Hagerman of Springfield deserves the credit for the outstanding design of the home of the Texas League’s Cardinals.
In making the announcement, Joe Mock, webmaster of BASEBALLPARKS.COM from its inception in 1998, noted that Hammons Field overcame long odds to win the honor. 'There was definitely a bumper crop of new ballparks in 2005," Mock observed. "If you count RFK Stadium as a 'new' park, pro baseball opened nine new facilities this year. They stretched from Stockton, California to Manchester, New Hampshire, and since I write a detailed review of every new park, I really had to scramble to visit them all.
"I felt strongly that the best of the batch was Hammons Field," Mock continued. "From the moment I pulled up in front of it, I could tell that this was no ordinary baseball facility. It was evident that enormous effort was put into the exterior and design of the park. On the inside, the concourses and amenities are among the best I’ve seen at any level."
The people of Springfield have embraced their new field and team, especially since the club is owned by and affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. "People here obviously love the park," said Brittany Bremer of the team's Media Relations staff. "Springfield residents tell us all the time how happy they are to have a piece of St. Louis so close to home."
The local fans have demonstrated that happiness through strong ticket sales. Heading into the final weekend of the season, Springfield had averaged 7,484 fans a game, good for second place in all of Double-A baseball. In fact, this figure tops all but 11 franchises in Triple-A.
"A competitive team in a baseball-starved market had a lot to do with the team’s success at the turnstiles," said Mock, "but I maintain that the incredible quality of Hammons Field played a very large role, too. That’s why we’ve named it Ballpark of the Year."
The architects behind Hammons Field know that they’ve created a place where the community will be able to enjoy the National Pastime for years to come. "We are very proud of this project and what it means to our firm as well as South west Missouri," said Brad Parke, Pellham Phillips’ Director of Marketing.
By winning BASEBALLPARKS.COM’s annual award, Springfield’s park has joined some impressive company. Last year’s recipient was San Diego’s PETCO Park. Past winners include PNC Park (2001), home of the Pirates, and Dr Pepper/7 Up Ballpark (2003) in Frisco, Texas.
Mock will be in Springfield to present a plaque to the team prior to the Cardinals’ final game of the year, a contest against the Arkansas Travelers on September 4th.
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If you need more information, please call Joe Mock at 512-826-0853. BASEBALLPARKS.COM is a division of Grand Slam Enterprises, Inc. of Round Rock, Texas.