Minor League Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals' Double-A Affiliate Part of Some Unique Minor League History on Wednesday

The Springfield Cardinals, who play in the Texas League, saw the first female umpire in Hammons Field history on Wednesday night. The ballpark has been open for 20 years.
Brady Farkas|
A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 2023.
A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 2023. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

The Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, were part of some unique history on Wednesday night, as noted by the organization on social media:

Tonight, Texas League third base umpire Isabella Robb made Hammons Field history as she became the first female umpire in ballpark history.

Hammons Field, the home of Springfield Cardinals baseball, opened in 2005.

Robb has been umpiring since 2022, according to an article last year from MLB.com. Like any player, she's trying to work her way to the major leagues.

The Cardinals lost the game 7-3 against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals are 24-22 on the season.

At the major-league level, the St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most surprising teams in baseball. After letting go of Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson in the offseason, and after a winter of trade speculation about Ryan Helsley and Nolan Arenado, they are playing extremely well.

They are off on Thursday but will enter play on Friday at 32-24 and in second place in the National League Central. They'll start a new series against the Texas Rangers at 8:05 p.m. ET. At the time of this posting, the Rangers have not announced a starting pitcher yet, while the Cardinals will go with youngster Matthew Liberatore. The former top prospect is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA, pairing with Sonny Gray atop the rotation.

The Cardinals last made the playoffs during the 2022 season, losing in the National League wild card round.

Related MiLB Stories

BACK ON THE CHASE: Chase DeLauter, the No. 2 prospect in the Guardians organization, hit his first Triple-A homer on Monday as he works back from a hernia issue. CLICK HERE:

PUSHING FOR A PROMOTION: Cole Young continues to excel for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, so when will he get a shot with the Seattle Mariners? CLICK HERE:

ON THE MEND: Here's when Giancarlo Stanton could begin a rehab assignment for New York Yankees. He hasn't played all season. CLICK HERE:

Published | Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

Home/NEWS