How Opening Day symbolized a new era of Springfield Cardinals baseball at Hammons Field

About an hour before the first pitch, Hammons Field's gates opened as fans rushed to get their first glimpses of Springfield's downtown diamond for the first time this season.

A sea of red quickly filled the concourse while staff members welcomed Cardinal fans back. Players in perfect white uniforms warmed up on the field before they were paraded on the back of pickup trucks and re-introduced to the fans.

Everything Springfield Cardinal fans have come to love about opening night since the tradition began in 2005 was alive and well — although this year had a little bit of a different feel.

"I'm gonna quote our city manager (Jason Gage)," Springfield Cardinals General Manager Dan Reiter began. "This is really like the opening day for the next 15 years. I think that sentiment is so true. I don't think there's a price tag you can put on how good that feels."

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After a few years of anxiety over needing upgrades to Hammons Field or potentially losing the team under previous management, the city of Springfield recently saved the team by becoming the official owner of the stadium in a $16 million purchase agreement.

The price for the 8,000-seat stadium and two parking lots was $12 million with the creation of a $4 million fund to make Major League Baseball-mandated improvements. The city said it is using "unrestricted savings from the general fund and monies earmarked for 'economic vitality' from the level property tax fund" for the purchase.

Along with the purchase of the stadium, the city is pursuing a lease agreement that will keep the Double-A Cardinals in Springfield through at least 2038.

Reiter, wearing the Cardinal-red suit that he traditionally wears on opening day, said there were some bad days between the announcement of the Professional Baseball League Agreement and the day the city said the deal was finalized. If nothing happened before 2025, the Cardinals could have been moved out of Springfield.

Previous coverage: Springfield Cardinals staying put as city becomes Hammons Field's official owner

"It got pretty, pretty dark," Reiter said. "It got very dark. I think the uncertainty is what made it so scary to not know the end result. The thought of losing control to Major League Baseball and to where we no longer got to make the decision was scary. I think it got the darkest when the city realized it and that's when I think they realized that it's not just about baseball.

"It's about the vitality of downtown, the vitality of the city and it's about tourism and about tax revenues and providing the city with a premier attraction. The scary thought of having an empty stadium is really what got the discussions going. It wasn't just about baseball, it was about the community."

And the community showed up despite a chilly April night. Fans were treated to seeing the St. Louis organization's No. 8 prospect, Michael McGreevy, get the start on the bump while seeing the big leaguers of tomorrow spread out all over the field.

It might take until July for fans to see the upgrades to the park. Different behind-the-scenes items including a women's locker room and upgrades to clubhouses and weight rooms will happen over the coming months to satisfy MLB guidelines. By July 4, Reiter said the Cardinals hope to install the required LED lights around the ballpark while noting it could happen when the season is over.

Previous coverage: Hammons Field sold: Springfield City Council approves $16 million purchase and renovation

Reiter said the change of management allows the Cardinals to dream of new fan-engaging improvements such as a possible "beer pier" and concerts scheduled at Hammons Field. The team hosted a watch party for the opening day of the St. Louis Cardinals' season at the stadium which he felt symbolized a new day for the team. He laughed when he said the majority of the fans' happiness entering the year was because the Cardinals slashed the parking prices from $20, set by the lots' previous management, Atrium Hospitality and JD Holdings, to a more affordable $10.

"We have all these really grand, fun visions," Reiter said. "A lot of it comes back to people are just excited to park for cheaper and I don't take that way because it's part of the fan experience. If people don't come because it's too expensive to park, then they miss out on all of it."

For Springfield play-by-play voice Andrew Buchbinder, he could feel a new sense of positivity around the ballpark and his co-workers in the Cardinals' front office. Buchbinder took in the atmosphere around him moments before he led a new era of the Springfield Cardinals on the radio with the team's debut on 106.7 The River.

Previous coverage: City Council hears from supporters, opponents of $16 million plan to buy Hammons Field

As he walked along the warning track to get in position to host the onfield pregame ceremonies, he noted why the team was so important to the community he calls home.

"What makes this so special is that it's Cardinals baseball and Cardinals Nation," Buchbinder said. "It's just a match made in Heaven that so many minor league teams and so many minor league communities don't necessarily get that combination where you're affiliated with the Major League team right in the heart of that fanbase. It's just a special atmosphere and we've got incredible fans that are so tuned into the products, to the Cardinals and overall organization."

Reiter and Buchbinder are two of the most recognizable names when it's come to the Springfield organization in recent years. The two had seen their fair share of dark days for the team while having to lock the gates for the entirety of the 2020 season because of the pandemic and then have to go day by day with the fear of the Cardinals being moved elsewhere if no one made a move for the stadium.

Previous coverage: City of Springfield strikes $16M deal to buy Hammons Field, keep Double-A Cardinals

But the City of Springfield did and Thursday marked a day of celebration as the Cardinals opened up a new season and a new era of baseball at Hammons Field.

The Cardinals aren't flying away. The Cardinals are here to stay.

"When we first started in 2005, we kept talking about 'the future of Cardinals baseball' when we started seeing players going to big leagues and we saw that come true," Reiter said. "Right now, it's about the future of Cardinals baseball again but instead, it's about the future of Cardinals baseball in our community.

"When we started, it was about seeing some of those players go on, and now, I think it's about the tradition of being in downtown Springfield, Missouri."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Cardinals hold Opening Day after city purchased stadium