Springfield Cardinals - Major-minor League Heroes

Major-minor League Heroes

Springfield played host to several players that would go on to the Major League and Senior Circuit scene. The greatest of these was Stan Musial, also known as Stan "The Man." Stan played 87 games for Springfield during the 1941 season, batting .379 and quickly becoming a fan favorite. In April 2005, Musial played his harmonica to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to a crowd of near 12,000 during the inaugural St. Louis vs. Springfield Cardinals game. After throwing out the inaugural ceremonial first pitch that same day, Musial stumbled and almost fell to the ground. However, Springfield General Manager Matt Gifford was quick on the scene to catch Stan and avert embarrassment.

Among other stars who played in Springfield are Dizzy Dean and his brother Paul, Pepper Martin, Joe Medwick. Babe Ruth also spent some time playing baseball in Springfield, but not as a member of the Cardinals.