Naturals general manager visits Bella Vista
Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008
BELLA VISTA — Eric Edelstein grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he rooted for the Cleveland Indians baseball team. That support led to his working for the team in his senior year of high school and on into college.
After he received his college degree, Edelstein left Cleveland, but not baseball. Today, he is the general manager of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, a AA Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, based in Springdale.
While the team’s roster has not yet been decided, and won’t be until late March, the stadium is taking shape and will be ready for the home opener April 10, Edelstein told members of the Bella Vista Kiwanis Club at their weekly gathering.
Edelstein has been with Rich Products, owners of the Naturals and two other teams, for several years now. His last position was with the Wichita, Kan., Wranglers. It was announced in 2006 that they planned to relocate to Springdale.
Edelstein gave an update on the stadium, Arvest Ballpark, which will seat 6, 500 fans. The stadium is located off Interstate 540 at exit 72.
“ If you haven’t seen it in a while, I invite you to go by, ” he said. “ The seats have been installed and the glass is in the skyboxes. It is really taking shape. ”
He told the Kiwanians his duties are not to recruit, hire, fire or evaluate players.
“ My job is to put on firstclass entertainment every time we have a game, ” he said.
Minor league teams play six to seven days per week, and it is the responsibility of Edelstein and his staff to ensure that there is plenty for the fans to do during every one of those games.
One way to accomplish that is through promotions.
Monday nights will be sponsored by Ozark Electric, which means anybody with proof of being an OEC customer will get a reduced ticket price.
The same is true for Tuesdays, only the evening’s sponsor is Arvest Bank.
He said they are looking to have a “ Feed Your Face” event on Wednesdays, where for a little more than the ticket price, fans can have all the concessions they can eat.
Next up will be “ Thirsty Thursdays, ” with special prices on soft drinks and beer.
There will be fireworks on Fridays, thanks to a deal worked out between the team and Springdale officials.
On Saturdays, fans passing through the gates will receive a gift — perhaps a hat, miniature bat or other item.
And on Sundays, designated “ Family Fun Days, ” Nickelodeon has signed on as the sponsor, which means there will be plenty to do.
There will also be visits by some special guests, including the San Diego Chicken in July.
Edelstein emphasized the “ family” aspect of minor league baseball, telling his audience that it isn’t just on Sundays but every day of the week.
“ We want parents to know this is a safe place for their kids to be, ” he said, “ that they can bring their children and there will be nothing objectionable. ”
He said the field is not just a ballpark, but also an outdoor convention center. There are plans to host non-baseball activities, including charitable events and concerts.
There is a concert stage built into the outfield wall, and with seats on the field, Edelstein said it could accommodate up to 12, 000 concertgoers.
The scoreboard is state-ofthe-art, he said, and includes full television and video capabilities. There are as many as eight cameras around the field, both fixed and handheld, which means every part of an event can be captured.
“ We can produce a game with TV quality, ” he said, adding there are even plans to have some games broadcast locally.
Edelstein said he looks forward to the coming weeks as the players — pros and minors — gather for spring training. The Royals train in Arizona.
In late March, he expects to receive a tentative roster of players, but that is no guarantee of who will be on the team, he said.
Being on a minor league roster is tenuous at best, he said.
“ They are only guaranteed the day they are living, ” he said of the players.
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