The Springfield Cardinals, Double-A affiliate of the 11-time World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, are proud to announce that Vice President / General Manager Matt Gifford has been elected as the Texas League Representative for the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees. Gifford was unanimously voted to the prestigious role during the Texas League Meeting at Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The 17-member Board of Trustees is comprised of one representative from each league throughout Minor League Baseball, and is primarily responsible for crafting and guiding the vision and direction of the industry as a whole.
“Matt Gifford is one of the top executives in all of Minor League Baseball and has been a leader in the Texas League for years,” said Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner. “We are pleased to have him join the Board of Trustees and I know he will represent the Texas League well.”
A veteran executive in both Major League and Minor League Baseball, Gifford began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in January of 1996. In 2004, Matt was then relocated to Springfield as the General Manager of the brand-new Springfield Cardinals franchise while also being named a Vice President of the St. Louis Cardinals. A two-time Texas League Executive of the Year, including winning the 2016 honors, Gifford has served on the Texas League Executive Committee in six of his 12 years in the league, while also chairing the special committee that created the Texas League’s new logo prior to the 2016 season.
“It is very humbling to be elected to serve as the Texas League Representative on the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees,” said Gifford. “First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the teams in the Texas League, outgoing Texas League President Tom Kayser, incoming Texas League President Tim Purpura, Pat O’Conner and the St. Louis Cardinals for this selection and opportunity. There are tremendously talented and experienced executives throughout the Texas League and Minor League Baseball, and I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees to help our industry continue to provide the best entertainment for families throughout the country, as well as the best environment for the future of Major League Baseball to develop.”
Under Gifford’s leadership, the Springfield Cardinals have welcomed more than 4.7 million fans to Hammons Field through just their first 12 seasons and look forward to hosting their 5 millionth fan during the 2017 season. Well-recognized throughout the industry, the Cardinals have won 30 Texas League Organizational Awards during Gifford’s tenure, becoming the first team in league history to win three consecutive Texas League Organization of the Year Awards from 2006-08.
Matt succeeds Reid Ryan, President of Business Operations for the Houston Astros, who served on the board throughout the last six seasons.
“Reid has done an amazing job on the board representing the Texas League, and I hope to uphold the high level of professionalism and leadership that he has displayed over his tenure,” said Gifford.
