Near no team gets as much fan support at Ebbets Field than Missouri’s St. Louis Cardinals. The reigning World Series Champs have captured 10 of the coveted prizes, the most of any National League team in the history of baseball. The Cards are but second in total number of titles in the history of Major League play. 2006 also marked another milestone for the Redbirds: They became the first team since 1923 to win the World Series in their first season in a new ballpark. The Central Division’s Cards beat the Detroit Tigers in five games after a topsy-turvy yet amazing year of baseball played from the third incarnation of Busch Stadium. 2006 gives up but a snapshot of the Cardinal saga: The team was founded in 1882 as the St. Louis Browns; they adopted the Redbird name 18 years after; from the 1930s-era “Gashouse Gang†featuring the likes of Dizzy Dean to 1980s “Whiteyball†under manager Whitey Herzog’s direction, the team has gained loyalty from Show Me State residents and fans the country-over. Cardinal greats throughout the last millennium include an incredible roster, Lou Brock, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith and Mark McGwire among them. Currently, Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds are adding their chapters to Cardinal memoirs. Kansas City Royals fans aren’t left out at Ebbets Field but welcome; the team has their own long list of great moments; and Missourians are true to their own. Keep an eye out for Royal blue at Ebbets, but most days during baseball season our eatery is awash in a sea of red; most head’s are turned toward Cardinal action.
No self-respecting pub thrives without history, and Ebbets is no exception. Ebbets Field the restaurant was started by sports enthusiast Nick Russo in 1981 on East Cherry Street in Springfield. Nick named his new venture after the old Ebbets Field baseball stadium in his beloved Brooklyn, New York. The ballpark housed the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 ‘til 1957 when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles.In 1994, Russo, too, made a move, having to relocate his eatery for Missouri State University expansion. No cross-country trip for Russo’s Ebbets Field, though, only blocks, as the eatery settled into a Craftsman-inspired abode on Walnut Street. The home was built in 1912 by a one-time mayor of our town, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many more memories of the home surround the years it housed a college fraternity.In November of 2000, a new proprietor took over at Ebbets: Lance D. “Itchy†Reeves adds his indelible mark to the institution. A longtime fan of the Cards, with Reeves at bat, a local home for the club was born. Reeves expanded Ebbets into the sprawling compound of revelry it is today while continuing the Ebbets tradition of providing good food for good folks in comfortable surroundings. And even as all sports Missouri get the most attention at Ebbets these days, the original Ebbets Field and the Dodgers are not forgotten.In the spirit of Ebbets, take note if stopping by:* This is a restaurant not a ballpark - conduct yourself accordingly. Eat lots and leave outrageous tips. If there are any problems, address them to Letters to the Editor. We probably won’t do anything about it, but it’s important to keep track of these things.* We have always respected attorneys, travelers and freeloaders.* Please don’t feed the employees.* We are not licensed to perform marriages or bar mitzvahs, but a priest or rabbi is within walking distance.* In an attempt to conserve natural resources, water is available upon request or upon obvious signs of dehydration.* No matter how long it takes, our service is fast.* Not responsible for customers left on the premises over 30 days.* By the way, everything is subject to change without notice.* Open 7 days a week - except those days when we’re not.* All menu items are available until the kitchen closes or supplies are exhausted.* We accept Visa, Mastercard, compliments, and of course, cash.
Not more than a page of history has been logged for the Springfield Cardinals, even as the team comes with built-in baseball lineage as a Double-A Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. One of eight teams in the Texas League, the Springfield Cards played their first season in 2005 on the dark-green grass of then-new Hammons Field ballpark; the minor league Redbirds have drawn over a million fans to the $32 million stadium over the past two seasons. Ozarks baseball fans make their way to center city Springfield for Cardinal play, as do out-of-towners who place a game on their list of Queen City entertainment options. Aside from minor league players battling to reach the majors, big city Redbirds make appearances; Josh Kinney, a member of the 2005 Springfield Cardinals, was called to St. Louis in 2006, while this year rehabbing outfielder Juan Encarnacion, a member of the 2006 World Champion club, played Hammons Field as a Springfield Card. At Ebbets, we’re excited no matter who’s crossing home plate.
Hammons Field is home to more than one baseball team: Missouri State University’s Bears play four blocks north of the central Springfield college campus. The Bears christened Hammons in 2004, just a year after the NCAA Division I team played in the College World Series of baseball. Again, history is key: Coach Steve Guttin counts 25 years directing the Bears; but first, he was a college player; then an assistant coach for the team. After placing second in the Missouri Valley Conference last year, in 2007, look for the Bears to turn to big bats and solid pitching in a 56-game schedule with 26 slated at home. On game days for any MSU sport - baseball included -, maroon and white are predominant at Ebbets Field.