Editing Springfield Cardinals (section)

== The original Springfield Cardinals ==
[[Springfield, Missouri]], has hosted professional baseball teams since as early as 1905, when the Springfield Highlanders began play. For nearly 30 years, the team was variously called the Highlanders, Jobbers, Midgets, and Merchants. There were several years when no team existed at all.

In 1931, the St. Louis Cardinals purchased a minor league team, renamed it the Cardinals, and relocated it in Springfield. That year, the team won the first of several [[Western Association]] titles. With a front office led by future [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Branch Rickey]], Springfield also went to the playoffs in 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1941, and won league titles in 1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, and 1939.

Following the 1946 season, St. Louis moved the team to [[St. Joseph, Missouri]], where it remained until 1953. The city of Springfield saw a brief re-emergence of minor league baseball when the rival [[Chicago Cubs]] moved its affiliate to Springfield for one season taking the name Springfield Cubs.

Though there was a gap of 63 years, most in the Springfield and St. Louis organizations consider the current Cardinals the same group which existed in 1932. Many pieces of fan apparel actually say "Springfield Cardinals circa 1932." The deck on top of the Cardinals dugout also has the championship banners from the 1930s and 1940s.