Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks

Baseball team in Ozark, Missouri

Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks

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Team logo | Cap insignia
Information
Location| Ozark, Missouri
Ballpark| Price Cutter Park
Founded| 1998
Disbanded| 2004
League championships| None
Division championships| None
Former name(s)|

* Ozark Mountain Ducks (1999-2000)
* Springfield-Ozark Ducks (2004)

Former league(s)|

* Texas–Louisiana League (1999–2001)
* Central Baseball League (2001-03)
* Frontier League (2004)

Colors| Royal Blue, Yellow

Ownership| Horn Chen
($3 million purchase)[1]

The Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks was an unaffiliated minor league team that previously played in Ozark, Missouri, a suburb of Springfield. The team was a member of the Texas-Louisiana League, later named the Central Baseball League from 1999 to 2003. The team played in Price Cutter Park, now known as Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.

## History

[edit]

In April 1998, Texas-Louisiana League president and co-founder Byron Pierce announced that the league would put a new team in Ozark pending financing for a new ballpark. In August the funding was secured. Construction on the stadium started in late fall and took four months to complete.[2]

The peculiar team name and mascot was picked from a name-the-team contest in 1998. The winning entry—by Craig Cremer of Ozark—was picked out of 65,000 submissions. Cremer says the kid-friendly name was derived from a combination of the Ozark Mountains and the Ride the Ducks boat ride in Branson[3]

The Mountain Ducks played their inaugural game on May 27, 1999 on the road, a 7-4 loss to the Amarillo Dillas. Their first home game came two weeks later on June 10 in front of 4,764 people, a 5-2 loss, also against Amarillo.[4]

Success on the field was hard to come by for the team. The Mountain Ducks only made the postseason one time during its tenure, a first round exit in 2000.

Two players with Major League experience played for Springfield-Ozark: Outfielder Mel Hall (2002) played 13 seasons, mostly with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees and Pitcher Mike Smith (1999-2001). Smith played in 15 games over two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.[5]

The team joined the Frontier League in 2004. The Mountain Ducks rights to the club's spot in the CBL were sold in 2004 to the Pensacola Pelicans[6] of the discontinued Southeastern League.

The franchise's time in Ozark ended for good after only one season in the Frontier League once hotel magnate John Q. Hammons purchased the rights to the Double-A Texas League's El Paso Diablos, renamed them the Cardinals and moved them to downtown Springfield. The Ducks moved to Ohio/Indiana and were renamed the Ohio Valley Redcoats

## Team Record

[edit]

The Mountain Ducks had a combined record of 261-312 over six seasons.[citation needed]

Season | Wins | Losses | Finish | Manager | Playoffs

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1999 | 32 | 50 | 5th | Barry Jones | Missed Playoffs
2000 | 59 | 53 | 4th | Barry Jones | Lost First Round
Amarillo 1–2
2001 | 33 | 58 | 6th | Barry Jones | Missed Playoffs
2002 | 45 | 51 | 6th (3rd, East) | Phil Wilson | Missed Playoffs
2003 | 40 | 56 | 8th (4th, East) | Phil Wilson | Missed Playoffs
2004 | 52 | 44 | 6th (4th, West) | Greg Tagert | Missed Playoffs

## All-Stars

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1999: Brent Bubela, C; Sergio Cairo, OF; Mike Smith, P

2000: Mike Smith, P; Jim Wollscheid, P
2001: Andre Johnson, OF; Mike Smith, P
2002: None
2003: None
2004: None

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Ducks GM wary of Springfield stadium | Springfield Business Journal". Archived from the original on 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
2. ^ Shirley, Traci. "Sight for Ozark Ballpark Announced". Springfield News-Leader.
3. ^ Puryear, Scott. "Mountain Ducks Make Nest in Ozark". Springfield News-Leader.
4. ^ Bailey, Eric. "Ducks Come Up Short". Springfield News-Leader.
5. ^ "Mike Smith Minor, Mexican & Independent Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com". www.baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
6. ^ Schott, Ron. "Horn Chen sells Ducks". Christian County Headliner News.

## External links

[edit]

* 1999 Ozark Mountain Ducks statistics
* 2000 Ozark Mountain Ducks statistics
* 2001 Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks statistics
* 2002 Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks statistics
* 2003 Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks statistics
* 2004 Springfield-Ozark Ducks statistics