[5] Springfield also hosted another Central Illinois Collegiate League team with the nickname Rifles from 1983 to 2006.

[2][6] The Redbirds' move to Louisville in 1982 was the impetus for the Springfield Cardinals entering the Midwest League as an expansion franchise during the 1982 season and playing until 1993.

[11] Until it was sold to Capital City Baseball in 2021 and rebranded as the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes in February 2022.

The first season of the Springfield Cardinals began auspiciously as they won the Midwest League's Central Division with an 83–53 record, 13+1⁄2 games ahead of the second place Beloit Brewers.

[13] The league championship was determined by a two-round, four-team playoff among the winners of the three divisions plus a wild-card team.

Their playing manager was Dave Bialas, and outfielder Alan Hunsinger led the league with 102 runs batted in.

Future major leaguer Danny Cox pitched in 15 games, going 5–3 with a 2.56 earned run average (ERA) and 68 strikeouts in 84+1⁄3 innings.

[12][14][15] In 1983, Springfield won the Southern Division with an 80–59 record, nine games ahead of the Burlington Rangers.

The Cardinals' roster featured catcher Bob Geren, who hit .265 with 24 home runs, and pitcher Pat Perry, who appeared in six games with a 1–1 record and a 2.22 ERA.

[21] On August 8, John Martin pitched the team's first no hitter against the Wausau Timbers, winning 2–0.

[22] The next season, the Cardinals had their first losing record, finishing 66–74 and tied for second place in the Southern Division, nine games behind the Peoria Chiefs.

[23] Lloyd Merritt took over as manager, and their roster included pitchers Jeff Fassero, who went 4–8 with a 4.01 ERA, and Mike Hartley (2–7, 5.12).

[30] Pitts was again at the helm, and Todd Zeile (then a Springfield catcher) won the Most Valuable Player Award (which he shared with Greg Vaughn of the Beloit Brewers), hitting .292 with 25 home runs and a league leading 106 runs batted in.

[28][31] In 1988, the Midwest League expanded to 14 teams and switched a split-season format with two divisions, with the first- and second-half winners appearing in the first round of the playoffs.

[38] Rick Colbert was manager and their roster included outfielder John Mabry, who hit .268 with 11 home runs, third baseman Dmitri Young, who hit .310 with 14 home runs, and pitcher Doug Creek, who went 4–1 with a 2.61 ERA.

[42] Attendance dropped to 110,189 in 1993 (compared to 175,017 in 1991), and the St. Louis organization was unhappy with the aging facility, so they decided to sell the franchise.