1982 To 1987
The Springfield Cardinals arrived in the Midwest League in 1982 as one of four expansion teams, as the league increased from eight teams to 12. The Springfield team was owned by the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was their second Class A affiliate; they retained an affiliation with the Gastonia Cardinals of the South Atlantic League.
The first season of the Springfield Cardinals began auspiciously as they won the Midwest League's Central Division with a 83–53 record, 13½ games ahead of the second place Beloit Brewers. The league championship was determined by a two-round, four-team playoff among the winners of the three divisions plus a wild-card team. In the first round of the post-season playoffs, the Cardinals fell to the Appleton Foxes two games to none. Their playing manager was Dave Bialas, and outfielder Alan Hunsinger led the league with 102 runs batted in. Future major leaguer Danny Cox pitched in 15 games, going 5–3 with a 2.56 earned run average (ERA) and 68 strikeouts in 84⅓ innings.
In 1983, Springfield won the Southern Division with a 80–59 record, nine games ahead of the Burlington Rangers. In the playoffs, they defeated the Cedar Rapids Reds two games to none, but then fell to the Appleton Foxes in the championship round three games to one. The Cardinals' roster featured catcher Bob Geren, who hit .265 with 24 home runs, and pitcher Pat Perry, who appeared in six games with a 1–1 record and a 2.22 ERA. Outfielder Curt Ford won the league's Most Valuable Player Award, hitting .290 with 20 home runs and a league leading 91 runs batted in.
In 1984, Springfield again won the Southern Division, posting a 70–69 record that placed them four games ahead of the second place Peoria Chiefs. In post-season play they beat the Beloit Brewers two games to none, but again fell to the Appleton Foxes in the championship three games to two. Joseph Rigoli replaced Bialas as manager. The roster included catcher Tom Pagnozzi, who hit .283 with 10 home runs, and third baseman Jim Lindeman, who hit .271 with 18 home runs. On August 8, John Martin pitched the team's first no hitter against the Wausau Timbers, winning 2–0.
The next season, the Cardinals had their first losing record, finishing 66–74 and tied for second place in the Southern Division, nine games behind the Peoria Chiefs. Lloyd Merritt took over as manager, and their roster included pitchers Jeff Fassero, who went 4–8 with a 4.01 ERA, and Mike Hartley (2–7, 5.12). Harry McCulla led the league in hitting with a .317 batting average.
In 1986 they returned to first place in the Southern Division and posted the best record in league, 87–53. Gaylen Pitts took over as manager and was named Manager of the Year. In the playoffs, Springfield fell to the Peoria Chiefs in the first round, two games to none. Craig Wilson played second base and hit .274 with one home run. Pitcher Jeff Oyster led the league in wins with a 17–7 record.
In 1987, the Cardinals had their best season, posting a 94–46 record that was 23 games ahead of the Peoria Chiefs, who finished second in the Southern Division, and 12 games ahead of the second best team in the league, the Kenosha Twins. In the first round of the playoffs, they beat the Clinton Giants two games to one, but they again fell short in the championship, losing to Kenosha three games to one. Pitts was again at the helm, and Todd Zeile (then a Springfield catcher) won the Most Valuable Player Award (which he shared with Greg Vaughn of the Beloit Brewers), hitting .292 with 25 home runs and a league leading 106 runs batted in. Pitcher Bob Faron led the league in wins with a 19–2 record while recording a 2.14 ERA, and Mike Pérez posted a 6–2 record and 0.85 ERA in 84⅓ innings as a relief pitcher.
Read more about this topic: Springfield (IL) Cardinals, Team History