Inductees

In the fall of 2004, a month after the St. Louis Cardinals relocated their Double-A club to Springfield, they set the day-to-day operations on the shoulders of a tall, 31-year-old with a quiet hunger.

Nine years earlier, Matt Gifford had joined the big-league club as an entry-level, season-ticket sales rep – a telemarketing job that paid $5 an hour, a 3-month gig.

The result? A grand slam. Dispatched to the Ozarks as General Manager of the Springfield Cardinals, Gifford took the mantle and ran with it for 13 seasons, and just completed his 30^th year in the organization. In fact, his success is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Gifford with the Class of 2026.

“It’s been incredibly fun — and honestly, incredibly meaningful,” Gifford said. “Being the general manager in Springfield was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. We were building something from the ground up, working alongside great people, and becoming part of a community that truly embraced us.”

Gifford was the face of the Double-A club from 2004 to 2017, leading all aspects of the organization. In a city that last had a minor league club in 1950, Gifford’s front office delivered a fun, family summer box-office draw billed as the future of Cardinals baseball.

The club drew 526,630 to Hammons Field in its inaugural season (7,532 a game) and stayed north of 400,000 in attendance over the next four seasons. Overall, roughly 5 million fans visited the ballpark throughout his tenure, and more than 100 players reached the big-leagues.

In 2016, Gifford was unanimously voted as the Texas League representative for Minor League Baseball’s Board of Trustees. He was the 2008 and 2016 Texas League Executive of the Year and also served as the Chairman of the Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission and Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, along with serving on various charity and civic boards.

These days he is the Vice President of Stadium Operations at Busch Stadium III.

It was Chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr., and then-team president Mark Lamping who appointed Gifford to the Springfield GM post in 2004.

By then, he had held several roles – community relations, charitable outreach, corporate sales, managing major partnerships and promotional efforts.

Lamping brought him home after graduation from Indiana University, where Gifford played baseball for three seasons and then worked in the athletic department.

The important transition from athlete to executive stems from a conversation with Lamping, then heading the Continental Basketball Association, stressing the importance of real-world business experience.

Gifford had played baseball at Indiana University for three seasons and then spent his senior year working in the athletic department.

Working for the Cardinals meant everything. His family moved to St. Louis in the mid-1980s, and the 1985 and 1987 World Series teams made him a fan. He went on to be the starting center on Parkway West High School’s 1991 state championship basketball team.

In Springfield, …

“There was no playbook,” Gifford said. “We focused on hiring great people, building trust in the community, and making sure every detail reflected the values of Cardinals baseball. It was intense but incredibly rewarding. The most important and, ultimately, the most successful were the full-time employees we hired and front-office culture we were able to create in such a short time.”

Gifford stayed true to his roots – baseball, not quirky between-inning skits seen across the minor leagues, remained the focus.

At one point, the club installed an old-fashioned scoreboard, continued popular bobblehead giveaways, offered Recession-era discounts and avoided dollar beer nights. More conservative than hijinks.

“That was very intentional. Springfield and the Ozarks value authenticity, and Cardinals baseball has a long tradition built on the game itself. We wanted to respect both,” Gifford said.

In essence, Gifford wasn’t just happy to work in baseball. He was proud to work for the Cardinals.

In rain delays, he helped roll out the tarp. That wasn’t lost on locals who recognized his hard work and appreciated his people skills.

He learned from the best, his parents, Barb and Dave. Along the way, he has had the unwavering support of his wife, Emily, and their children, Maxwell and Megan.

“Spending 30 years with the St. Louis Cardinals has been an absolute privilege,” Gifford said. “The organization stands for tradition, excellence, and doing things the right way, and I’ve been fortunate to grow within that culture. I’ve had the opportunity to work in so many different roles, learn from incredible mentors, and be part of something bigger than myself.”