| Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks | |
| Founded: | 1998 |
| Disbanded: | 2004 |
| City: | Ozark, Missouri |
| Ballpark: | Price Cutter Park |
| Cap Logo: | Ozark Mountain Ducks Cap.png |
| Former Leagues: |
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| Former Names: | Ozark Mountain Ducks (1999-2000) |
| Colors: | Royal Blue, Yellow |
| League Champs: | None |
| Division Champs: | None |
| Owner: | 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.
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 entryby Craig Cremer of Ozarkwas 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 for one final season in 2004. They disbanded when hotel magnate John Q. Hammons brought the Springfield Cardinals of the Double-A Texas League from El Paso, Texas to downtown Springfield. 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 Mountain Ducks had a combined record of 261-312 over six seasons.
| Season | Wins | Losses | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |