PeekabooNWA

DV How did the decision to bring a team to the Northwest Arkansas community?

EE That’s a long and complicated question.  It begins in the late 90’s, when David Glass orchestrated some research to see if Northwest Arkansas could support Minor League Baseball.  It was found that it could, at the time, support single-a baseball, but there were no leagues currently in the NWA footprint.

In 2003, a group of Springdale business leaders held a retreat, and it was determined that Springdale ’s number 1 priority was to bring an entertainment venue to the market.  The Springdale Chamber then embarked on the hard work of recruiting a team, and through that process, came to our ownership.  It took a few years to get the deal done, but here we are!

DV When you found out you would be calling Northwest Arkansas your home, what were your initial thoughts?

EE I knew about Northwest Arkansas, so I was excited.  I’m an information junkie, so I knew about the trifecta of Wal-Mart, JB Hunt, and Tyson in this area.  I was initially very excited about the opportunity to help build a team, and a ballpark, from where there was none before.

DV Are you married; do you have kids?

EE No kids, not married.  I do have a girlfriend of a little over a year.  Joy Heuer.  She’s the Executive Officer for the Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association.

DV How have you adjusted to life in Northwest Arkansas?

EE I really enjoy it.  The climate is great, and I really love the mixture of small town life, and big city conveniences.  It’s a remarkable area that has a little something for everyone.

DV What do you (and/or family and friends) do for fun here in NWA to get away from responsibilities of running a minor league baseball team?

EE Honestly, I spend a lot of time at Razorback sporting events.  I enjoy sports above most everything else, and love having the class of sporting venue that we have here in Northwest Arkansas .  We at the Naturals are big Razorback supporters and I enjoy season tickets for football, basketball, and even baseball.

DV What other stops have you made on your professional path that has brought you to Northwest Arkansas ?

EE Cleveland Indians – 1996-2000 – various positions in the Ballpark Operations department

Cleveland Lumberjacks – 1998 – internship with the IHL Hockey team

Doyt Perry Field House- Bowling Green, OH – 1998-2000 – Manager for college facility

Buffalo Bisons – 200-2002 – Sponsorship Coordinator – Triple-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians

Jamestown Jammers – 2002-2003 – General Manager – Single-A Affiliate of the Florida Marlins

Wichita Wranglers – 2003-1006 – General Manager – Double-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals

And that brought me here!

DV Did you have that one big break that propelled you into your current career path?

EE I have one big decision that made a big difference.  After my internship with the Bisons, I was offered a job back home in Cleveland with the hockey team.  I spent a long weekend in my one room studio apartment contemplating my decision.  I decided to stay with Buffalo, which gave me the opportunities to work for Rich Products owned teams.

However, I always believed you make your own breaks.  I have always focused myself on being in the best position possible to be looked at when the opportunity arises.  I’m the beneficiary of great luck, but do believe I put myself in a position to receive the luck.

DV What is a typical game day like for you?

EE There really isn’t a typical game day.  We usually arrive at 8:30.  from there is a morning of business.  We handle tickets, sponsorships, marketing, operations, etc and make sure we’re prepared for the game that night.  After lunch, I usually check in with our manager and make sure that all is OK with him.  We often discuss upcoming events, and make sure we’re all on the same page.  I spend much of my afternoon checking on each of our operating departments, making final plans, and getting ready for the game.  Gates open at 6PM, and I make every effort to be near the front gate to welcome our fans into the ballpark.  During the game, if all is running smoothly, I’m free to visit with fans.  When its not running smoothly, I’m like a fireman, putting out all the fires I can find, and trying to get em before they get too big.

DV How has the off-season been for you?

EE Its been a good ole regular off-season really.  We spend much of our fall meeting with existing clients, and beginning to plan for the next season.  In January, we really get going on preparation for the upcoming season.  Nothing too magical about it, but everyone works very hard to prepare.  The months of January – March are probably the most important of the year for our success.

DV Going into April 2008, did you envision the team, the organization, and the ball park having the record-breaking / division-winning season that the Naturals had in their inaugural season?

EE I think we have all the makings of a perpetual success in Northwest Arkansas.  The Royals are committed to high quality player development, and will always work to keep us competitive on the field.  The people of Northwest Arkansas are the ones to thank for our success off the field.  My job is to be a good steward of the game, and allow for all of the great people in NWA to enjoy themselves at our games.

DV Do you feel you have the opportunity to maintain or even out-perform last year’s magic and avoid the sophomore curse?

EE I’d say that if we weren’t aiming for that goal, we’d be shooting too low.  It will be a challenge, but there are still a lot of people who haven’t been to our games.  I believe our attendance will grow as fans become more familiar with our product and what we do.

DV In these economic times that families are facing, what are the Naturals doing to provide a valuable entertainment option for families?

EE We’re going to continue to do what Minor League baseball has done for decades, and provide the best affordable family entertainment possible.  Ticket prices start at $6 for every game, and the best seat in the house is just $12.  We’ll offer $1 hot dogs on Mondays, half price groups on Tuesdays, and entertainment and giveaways every night of the week, designed around all ages.  We’re less expensive than a movie, and offer quality time with your friends and family in a safe and fun outdoor environment.  We have always believed in putting our experience above all, and making sure that we offer greater value than any other entertainment options in the area.  With less vacations and overnight trips, we believe the Naturals will be a fun way to spend a summer evening, and it won’t break the bank.

DV The Naturals really are somewhat limited in the control you have on the product the team puts on the field with players being called up or traded, how do you make sure the Naturals game day experience is a fun one regardless of the scoreboard after nine innings?

EE We spend every waking minute working to maximize the things we can control.  Fireworks, giveaways, mascot entertainment, freebies, games on the field, good food, good music, discounts, etc.  We never stop looking for ways to make the game day experience as fun as possible.  We know we can’t always control what happens on the field, so we just work hard to make sure that everything else is welcoming, friendly, affordable, and fun!

DV For those that were not able to experience an exciting Naturals home game last year, can you share some of the things available at Arvest park that will be going on this year?

EE I could write a book on it.  I’ll just list some items in bullet form to whet the appetite:

* join the kids club for $20 and kids get tickets to all 9 Sunday games plus a t-shirt and in-game activities for members (parent packs available at a discount as well) * $1 hot dogs on Monday night courtesy of Tyson Foods

*  $2 off tickets for all Ozarks Electric Customers on Monday Nights * $2 off tickets for Arvest Bank Customers on Tuesday Nights *  half price tickets for groups of 20 or more on Tuesdays *  traveling national entertainment acts, or premium giveaways every  Wednesday * $1 Miller High Life’s on Thursday *  pre-game live music and drink specials every Friday *  post-game fireworks on Friday *  premium giveaway items to the first 2500 fans every Saturday *  and that’s just the beginning!!!

DV How have fans taken to Strike the Sasquatch?

EE More so than I could have imagined.  I think he’s more popular and recognizable in a shorter time than just about anyone or anything associated with the team.  He’s been one of our biggest success stories.

DV Can you explain what the “Knot Hole Gang” is and what benefits it provides for the kids that join?

EE Kids 12 and under can now register to be a member of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ EXCLUSIVE kids club presented by J.B. Hunt Transport–Strike’s Knothole Gang! For only $20 each child will receive:

• Knothole Gang membership card
• 10% discount on merchandise
• Exclusive membership t-shirt
• One berm seating ticket to every Sunday home game during the 2009 regular season
• A wristband for the KidsZone for every Sunday game
• A birthday card from Strike
• The chance to lead the running of the bases after every Sunday home game
• Special activities during the game

DV What are some of the things the Naturals do to give back or contribute to the NWA community?

EE We’re believers in being as impactful in the community as we can be.  We offer many programs which allow charities to use the Naturals to raise money for their programs.  Beyond providing literally hundreds of auction items throughout the year, the Naturals offer two flagship programs to raise money.  The first is our launch-a-ball program.  Charities can sell balls for $1 each at Friday home games.  Fans get to try and throw the ball on the field and get it on a target after each Friday game.  The charities keep 100% of the profits.  We are also hosting “pack the park” on Monday’s this year.  Each Monday, a different non-profit can offer discounted tickets for $6 to Naturals games.  The Naturals will then donate $3 per ticket back to the non-profit for each ticket they sell.  We are also hosting pink in the park night on April 17.  our players will wear pink jerseys and the jerseys will be auctioned off, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Komen Foundation.  This is just a sampling, but we try to be as involved as we possibly can at every juncture in the NWA Community.

DV What community events outside of the Naturals has Arvest Park opened its gates to?

EE We’ve hosted the 2008 Race for the Cure, Cancer Challenge, Kendrick Fincher Memorial Run, ALS 5K, Willie Nelson Concert, Joe Nichols Concert, and we’ll be hosting our first high school game on April 24 when Rogers plays Heritage at the ballpark.  We’re expanding our offerings and adding programs all the time.

DV Are you hoping to house even more events this year and into the future?

EE Yes.  We’ve hired a non-baseball events manager to grow our event offerings.  She’s been on the job less than two months and is already doing a terrific job.

DV Are there any possibilities of Arvest Park hosting a Major league exhibition game in the future?

EE We are hoping to make this happen in the future.  There are lots of rules and restrictions on these events, but we are continuing to work with the Royals in the hopes of having them at the ballpark very soon.

I am very appreciative for Eric taking time out of his final preparations for the upcoming season to answer these questions for The Dad’s View. I am very excited for the upcoming season and appreciate all the Naturals have brought to our area. My family enjoyed the amazing season last year and look forward to making even more family memories at the ball park this year. I encourage you to go out and catch a game with your family; you will not be disappointed and will not be able to wait to go back. That is why we are giving away (2) sets of four Naturals tickets to give away to two families that have never been to Arvest Park for the Naturals family experience. Simply visit the PEEKABOO website and comment to this Dad’s View to be entered into the drawing. Also, if you have any questions for Eric, Manager Brian Poldberg, Strike the Sasquatch, or any of the Naturals players, post a comment to this Dad’s View and we will do our best to get it answered and choose one to publish in each of the following articles throughout the season! Thank you again for your reading this column monthly and we will see you at the ball park!