Two ballpark rebrandings to note: Route 66 Stadium, home of the Springfield Cardinals (Double-A; Texas League), and Modern Woodmen Field, home of the Modesto Roadsters (independent; Pioneer League).
The former Hammons Field, also home to the Missouri State Bears, has the new Route 66 Stadium name after a unique naming-rights collaboration between the Springfield Cardinals, O’Reilly Auto Parts, the City of Springfield and Mercy. Installation of new signage at the ballpark will feature each partner’s branding placed on one of five pillars beneath the ballpark marquee to create one unified structure.
The ballpark opened on April 2, 2004, and has been known as Hammons Field since 2005. The naming came after funding from the late John Q. Hammons.
The iconic Route 66 is 100 years old this year, and its roots begin in Springfield, known as the Birthplace of Route 66.
“This is a historic moment for our team and our local community,” Springfield Cardinals General Manager Dan Reiter said via press release. “It’s impossible to tell the story of Springfield without talking about Route 66. To cement the legacy of the Mother Road for years to come is something we’re extremely proud of. We know fans will continue to enjoy the baseball that they love, only now with even more community pride. We’re excited to continue John Q. Hammons’ vision for this community and bring forth a new era of baseball for years to come.”
“Missouri State Baseball has a proud history of success that has continued with our move to Conference USA. We are grateful for the outstanding community members who have allowed us to participate in this unique stadium collaboration,” said Missouri State Director of Athletics Patrick Ransdell via press release. “It is an exciting way to increase national exposure for the university, our program and our players. We are excited to join with these iconic community pillars to create a new vision for this stadium.”
In Modesto, the former John Thurman Field will now be Modern Woodmen Field following the sale of naming rights in a 10-year, multimillion dollar deal. Since taking over the ballpark after the departure of the Cal League’s Modesto Nuts, Roadsters owner Dave Heller has embarked on a quest to spiff up the facility. That a deal with Rock Island-based Modern Woodmen came about shouldn’t be too much of a surprise: Heller also owns the Quad Cities River Bandits (High A; Midwest League), who play in Modern Woodmen Park.
The Pioneer League expansion team begins play on May 19.