SPRINGDALE
Quickly, do you remember where you were on the night of April 10, 2008?
Many of you were among the packed crowd of 7,820 at Arvest Ballpark to watch the inaugural home game for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. A formation of A-10 Thunderbolts flew over the stadium to mark the occasion and Gov. Mike Beebe threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Hardly anyone cared the Naturals lost the game, 7-1, to the San Antonio Missions.
The excitement was back exactly seven years later Thursday when Northwest Arkansas held its home opener against the Frisco RoughRiders. It was a comfortable night for baseball and a welcomed sight following a particularly harsh winter.
"You've got the sunshine, the grass, the game, and a lot of stuff going on in between innings," said Dean Hejl of Fayetteville, who attended Opening Night while wearing a Naturals T-Shirt. "But it's the park itself I like most. I'm a big baseball fan and this is a great place to watch a game."
Much has changed since Opening Night seven years ago, when baseball fans welcomed professional sports to Northwest Arkansas. Kila Ka'ihue, an early fan favorite of the Naturals, is now 30 years old and playing with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan. Former manager Brian Poldberg and former general manager Eric Edelstein are both in AAA and broadcaster Steven Davis, who for six years was the voice of the Naturals, is calling college baseball games for his alma mater, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Even that lovable black lab, Ruby, who was as much a part of the scene as Strike, the Naturals' mascot, grew old and was put to sleep last month.
They will all be missed.
Still, it is those things that haven't change that keeps fans coming back to Arvest Ballpark. The biggest attraction is a beautiful stadium located in a pastoral setting and with easy access from Interstate 540. Cows grazing in the background reminds us of simpler times, when each town had its own team and Sunday afternoons were spent leisurely at the park.
Basketball can have its shot clock and football its hurry-hurry, no-huddle offenses. But baseball is still mostly played the way many grandfathers and fathers played it -- without a time limit and no reason to rush unless dark clouds form overhead.
The concourse at Arvest Ballpark allows adults to roam and kids to play. Want a beer? You can drink it while eating a hot dog at the Bullpen Cafe located in left field. There are games to keep the kids occupied and a small locomotive that carries passengers around the circuit every 20 minutes.
Former Razorback Brett Eibner is now at AAA Omaha after spending last season with the Naturals. But there are new prospects to follow, including outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, and pitcher Andy Ferguson, a former Arkansas State player from Benton.
"That's another thing about the players at this level," Hejl said. "You get to watch their progress and I'll be following Eibner a lot at Omaha this year. It's basically a whole new team for the Naturals this season and it'll be fun to see how they do."
Minor League baseball is all about development, which explains why a manager may lift a pitcher with a shutout going if he's reached a set number of pitches. Winning is secondary, but the Naturals will win often enough to keep the fans coming.
"I've been a Royals fan, and now a Naturals fan, since I was a kid," said Dustin Musteen of Bentonville, who wore a red Ka'ihue jersey on Opening Night. "My kids are 15 and 13 and they love the game as well. A family can come out here and enjoy themselves and this is something that I will always do for my family. It's for the love of the game."
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTSWRITER FOR NWA NEWSPAPERS
Sports on 04/11/2014