The one thing Dan Reiter is looking forward to the most when the Springfield Cardinals finally take the field is how alive Hammons Field will feel.
Since the Cardinals last played at the downtown diamond in early Sept. 2019, it's been empty with the exception of some Missouri State games. COVID-19 canceled the Cardinals' entire 2020 season and the stadium just sat there.
No peanuts. No Cracker Jacks.
"I told a lot of people last year that ballparks are meant to be exciting and fun and have the smells," Reiter, the Springfield Cardinals' general manager, said.