Time to shine

The third season of Springfield Cardinals baseball could be the best yet.

One thing the Springfield Cardinals can learn from television shows is that by season three they should be getting things right. The first season is typically the buzz generator and season two is a sophomore slump. Season three is where any show worth its salt pulls away from the pack. With that in mind, we present the summer-long soap opera known as the Springfield Cardinals 2007 season.

The Cast

The Cardinals fielded a very different starting lineup on opening day than they have in the past two years. That’s due in large part to the maturation of the team’s Single-A prospects.

1. Jon Jay, Left Field—The No. 5 prospect in the St. Louis farm system according to Baseball America.

2. Reid Gorecki, Right Field—Gorecki enters his third season in Springfield after two years of streakiness and occasional injuries.

3. Colby Rasmus, Center Field—Considered by scouts to be the player to watch in the organization.

4. Juan Richardson, Third Base—He was a popular power-hitting player for the team last season.

5. Joe Mather, First Base—Mather is converting to first base after playing outfield since he was drafted in 2001.

6. Rico Washington, Designated Hitter—We saw Washington in Springfield last year, too, before he moved up to Triple A Memphis.

7. Tyler Greene, Shortstop—A solid prospect, but likely to stay in Springfield all season.

8. Bryan Anderson, Catcher—What? No Gabe Johnson?! Springfield’s new catcher comes from the Cards’ 2005 draft class and an uneven season in Single A.

9. Jarrett Hoffpauir, Second Base—Another familiar name to Springfield fans, Hoffpauir continues to improve.

Don’t forget the pitching staff. Big-league hopefuls Chris Lambert, Stu Pomeranz and Jamie Garcia will be taking the mound at Hammons Field, among others.

The Script

The Springfield Cardinals season is a 70-game, summer-long event. But if you don’t have the time to tune in at Hammons Field all season long, the special events schedule can be a good way to catch the highlights. Think of it as TiVo for your season tickets.

April 12: Opening night. First pitch thrown by St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst.

April 23–24: The 2006 World Series trophy comes to Hammons Field for photo opportunities.

May 9, May 25, June 5, August 15: Replica World Series rings, designed to look the same as the ones St. Louis Cardinals players received, will be given out to the first 1,250 people through the gate each of these nights.

June 18: It’s bobblehead night! After Ned Reynolds, Chris Lambert and Bob Gibson nights in the past, this year’s honor goes to Springfield-turned-St. Louis pitcher Josh Kinney.

June 22: GO Magazine’s June GOnection happy hour and networking event will be pregame at Hammons Field. $5 gets you access to our event and the game.

August 29: Allegiant Airlines will give away 18 round-trip tickets to destinations such as Las Vegas and Orlando over the course of the night.

September 3: The home schedule closes with Fan Appreciation Night, where fans could win a balloon ride or a Tracker fishing boat.

The Set

After major overhauls for year two, including fewer seats and more aisles, Hammons Field underwent smaller changes this year. Now there is a jungle gym in the kids’ play area and 32” plasma-screen TVs on the concourse to watch the St. Louis games while you wait for your next bag of peanuts. Double plays in high def!

The Catering

The concessions menu gets an overhaul, adding specialty kiosks for Mexican food, a BBQ stand, a stone ice creamery, sugar-dipped fresh-roasted nuts and more. Who needs peanuts and Cracker Jack?