SPRINGDALE, AR— The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are teaming up with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for a post game screening and celebration of The 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour at Arvest Ballpark Park on April 21st. David Mickey Evans, the writer, director, and narrator of the film The Sandlot will be hosting the event immediately following the Naturals game against the Tulsa Drillers.

“We are ecstatic to host the third stop in the 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour here at Arvest Ballpark,” said General Manager, Eric Edelstein. “It’s a movie that many baseball fans and players grew up watching and to help celebrate the movie’s 20th anniversary will be an honor.”

A film that still captures the hearts of baseball fans young and old, THE SANDLOT debuts on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack March 26 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in celebration of the beloved film’s 20th anniversary.  “A charming and whimsical comedy about boys and baseball and a GREAT BIGDOG” (“Siskel & Ebert”), THE SANDLOT ranked in the Top 40 as one of the best sports movies ever.

Evans will introduce his film, to be shown on the video board in the outfield, recount for the audience where the idea for the story came from, and directly following the screening engage with the audience for signings, photographs and Q&A.

To wrap up the evening, there will be Sandlot merchandise for sale such as the 20th Anniversary Blu-ray+DVD Combo, pictures, scripts, baseballs and more.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the “Sandlot Baseball Field Program”, a program which is coordinating baseball field renovations across the United States.

Arvest Ballpark will be the third stop for the year long Sandlot Tour which will be visiting various major and minor league ballparks across the country.

For information on how to attend The 20th Anniversary Sandlot Tour or any other event at Arvest Ballpark, please call the Naturals Front Office at (479) 927-4900 or visit www.nwanaturals.com.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are proud to announce the creation of the Naturals Hall of Fame. Four former notable Naturals will appear on the first ballot.  Fans, prominent community members and local media members will be voting and collaborating to determine the first member of the Naturals Hall of Fame.

“We want to recognize individuals for their accomplishments and contributions to not only the Naturals but the baseball community,” said General Manager, Eric Edelstein.

The Naturals used the following criteria used to determine eligible candidates for the Hall of Fame:

• Players who have appeared with the club only on rehab assignments are not eligible.
• Player or coach must not be an active member of the team.
• Individuals who have not coached or played for the Naturals are eligible for nomination/inclusion by “veterans selection” committee beginning with the second year inductee class.

After much consideration and various rounds of discussion the Naturals have announced the candidates for the first inductee to the Naturals Hall of Fame. The inaugural ballot for the Naturals Hall of Fame includes: Mike Moustakas, Kila Ka’aihue, Eric Hosmer, and Clint Robinson.

A member of the Naturals during the 2010 championship season, Mike Moustakas batted .347 in 66 games and hit 25 doubles, 21 home runs and drove in 76 runs. Moustakas was named the 2010 Texas League Player of the Year.

Kila Ka’aihue batted .314 with 11 doubles, 26 home runs and 79 RBI in 91 games with the Naturals during their inaugural season in 2008. Ka’aihue was named the 2008 Texas League Player of the Year.

Eric Hosmer joined the Naturals late in the 2010 season and was a key part of the title run. In 50 games with the Naturals, Hosmer batted .313 with 14 doubles and 13 home runs. Hosmer hit six home runs and had 12 RBI for the Naturals during the Texas League Playoffs.

Clint Robinson won the Triple Crown in 2010, leading the Texas League in batting average (.335), home runs (29) and RBI (98). Robinson became the first player since 1999 to win the Triple Crown and only the third player in Texas League history.

The Northwest Arkansas community will get their first chance to vote starting at FanFest on Saturday, March 2 at Arvest Ballpark. Fans will also be able to vote online at nwanaturals.com. The fan votes will be tallied and will be counted as one vote.  The fan vote will be added with the votes of the Naturals Hall of Fame Committee.  The Naturals with the most votes will be declared the winner and will be the first inductee to the Naturals Hall of Fame.

The Natural with the most votes will be announced on Opening Day, Thursday, April 4 and will be inducted into the Naturals Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 17. The first 2,000 fans through the gates at Arvest Ballpark on August 17 will receive a replica plaque of the Naturals player voted into the Naturals Hall of fame. 

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Naturals Named Texas League Organization of the Year
The Texas League Honors the Naturals

SPRINGDALE, AR–The President of the Texas League, Tom Kayser, has announced Northwest Arkansas Naturals as the 2012 Texas League Organization of the Year. This honor comes as the club closes out their fifth year in Springdale, Ark. The Organization of the Year in the Texas League is awarded through a combination of off-field rankings and evaluations as provided by the Texas League managers, umpires, and league executives.

“It is very satisfying to recognize the Naturals as the 2012 Organization of the Year for doing everything expected of a good franchise and doing it well,” said Texas League President, Tom Kayser. “The Naturals also do a wonderful job working within their entire community, successfully partnering with a wide range of groups, helping to produce over $270,000 in cash and in-kind donations for over 100 non-profit organizations.”

Terry Bradshaw Named Coach of the Year
Bradshaw Named Mike CoolBaugh Texas League Coach of the Year

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals hitting Coach Terry Bradshaw has been named the Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year.  The award is named for Mike Coolbaugh, a longtime Minor League player who died at age 35 when he was struck by a batted ball while coaching first base for Tulsa on July 22, 2007.

The Mike Coolbaugh award began being presented in 2008.  The award goes to an individual who has “shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill mentoring young players.”

Terry was selected in recognition of his continuing record of success with hitters in the Kansas City system.  He has consistently helped young hitters adjust to the Double-A level and advance to Triple-A, ready to continue the success they attained in the Texas League.

While, 2012 has been less successful for the Naturals than previous seasons, Bradshaw has continued to patiently prepare his charges for the next level, this past season, most notably Wil Myers, who became a sensation in the Pacific Coast League after he tore through the Texas League during the first five weeks of the 2012 season, hitting .343, with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games.

During his five years in the Texas League, the list of current Major League players Bradshaw has helped fine tune include Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, and Eric Hosmer, the core of future success of the Kansas City Royals.

Prior to coaching in Northwest Arkansas, Bradshaw spent five years as the hitting coach for Triple-A Omaha and spent four other seasons as a hitting coach in the Royals organization: Wilmington (2002-2003), Burlington (2001), and Charleston (2000).

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Naturals Roster Moves
Betancourt to begin rehab assignment

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Naturals’ parent club, the Kansas City Royals announced several transactions on Thursday affecting the Northwest Arkansas roster infielder Yuniesky Betancourt will begin his rehab assignment with the Naturals today.  Left-hander Andrew Dobies was reinstated from the seven-day disabled list and released.  Left-handed reliever Jon Keck was transferred from Class-A Advanced Wilmington to Northwest Arkansas.

Betancourt last appeared in a game for the Royals on May 1 against Detroit.  In 15 games this season, Betancourt has posted a .280 batting average with one home run and three RBI.

Yuniesky was resigned by the Royals as a free agent on December 20, 2011.  He has appeared in the major leagues with the Royals, Seattle Mariners, and Milwaukee Brewers in his eight major league seasons.  Betancourt is a career .269 hitter in the major leagues over 977 career games.

Dobies had appeared in two games for the Naturals this season allowing four hits and three runs over five innings of work.  The left-hander was signed as a free agent last season by the Royals.

Keck was promoted to Double-A for the first time after splitting last season between Class-A Kane County and Wilmington.  The Luray, Tennessee native, has gone 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA in 11 appearances for the Blue Rocks.  He has worked 22.1 innings and surrendered 15 hits and 12 walks, while striking out 15.  Keck was originally selected in the 42nd round of the 2009 draft out of Bethel College.

SPRINGDALE, AR - The Naturals’ parent club, the Kansas City Royals announced a pair transactions on Wednesday morning affecting the Northwest Arkansas roster.  Outfielder Wil Myers has been promoted to Triple-A Omaha, and outfielder Nick Van Stratten has been transferred from Extended Spring Training to Northwest Arkansas.

Myers spent the early part of the 2012 season terrorizing Texas League pitching.  At the time of his promotion he ranked tops in the league in hitting at .343, extra base hits (25), and runs scored with (32) second in home runs (13), third in RBI (30), second in hits (46).

The outfielder leaves Northwest Arkansas with 21 career home runs with the Naturals.  The 21 home runs tie him for the sixth most in Naturals history with Corey Smith, and current Kansas City Royal Mike Moustaksas.  Myers was originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 2009 draft.

Odorizzi, 22, leaves Northwest Arkansas with a 4-2 record and 3.32 ERA in seven starts.  He is second in the Texas League in strikeouts (47) and fourth in WHIP (0.97).  He has been most impressive over his last four starts, going 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, allowing six earned runs in 27.1 innings for a 1.98 ERA while fanning 33.  Odorizzi has limited opposing hitters to a collective .191 batting average through his first seven assignments.  He was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 19, 2010, along with Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress in exchange for Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt.  Odorizzi was the 32^nd overall pick of the Brewers in the 2008 First Year Player Draft and he also had a taste of big league spring training this year as a non-roster invitee.

Nick Van Stratten returns to Northwest Arkansas after starting the season in extended spring training, after suffering a spring injury.  Van Stratten spent parts of the last two seasons in Northwest Arkansas appearing in 68 games in 2011, and 86 games in 2010.  The outfielder’s best year in Double-A came in 2010 when he hit .262 with two home runs and 34 RBI for the Naturals.  Van Stratten was originally selected by the Kansas City Royals in the tenth round of the 2006 draft.

Van Stratten will wear number nine for the Naturals, and there is another number change to report as Ethan Hollingsworth will now wear number 36.  Following the transaction, the Naturals’ roster is at the Texas League limit of 25 active players.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, experienced the joy of participating in one of baseball’s truly rare moments, the no-hitter.  The Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals experienced the agony of being on the receiving end.

The following press releases were sent in to the i70 mailbox from the two teams.

Naturals No-Hit Cardinals
Holland, Dwyer, Lafferty, Volz combine to throw gem

SPRINGDALE, AR- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (17-16) got the second no-hitter in franchise history topping the Springfield Cardinals 2-0 on Thursday night at Arvest Ballpark.  The no-hitter was the first in the history of Arvest Ballpark, and the second for the Naturals, the last coming on July 19, 2011 at North Little Rock.

Greg Holland was brilliant in his second major league rehab start.  He used just 14 pitches to strikeout the side in order.  The Naturals offense wasted not time getting to Cardinals (14-19) starter Trevor Rosenthal (2-4) getting three consecutive singles to start the game.  The last one was an RBI single from Wil Myers to give the Naturals a 1-0 lead.  Rosenthal was able to get Mario Lisson to ground into a force out and strike out Eric Duncan to strand runners on second and third.  The Naturals offense tacked on a second run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Julio Rodriguez smacked an RBI single to right field to score Duncan making it 2-0.

Chris Dwyer (2-4) came in the second inning and picked up right where Holland left off.  Dwyer worked six and two thirds inning without allowing a hit walking two and hitting one batter.  Brendan Lafferty came on and kept the no-hit bid alive getting Kolten Wong to fly out to Paulo Orlando just one step in front of the fence.

Kendal Volz got Jermaine Curtis to line out to Colon at short to get the first out of the ninth inning.  Cardinals top prospect Oscar Taveras grounded out to second base for the second out.  Kyle Conley stepped to the plate as the last chance for the Cardinals and he grounded out to shortstop to complete the no-hitter.

Naturals No-Hit Cardinals in 2-0 Loss
Springfield Suffers First No-Hitter in Franchise History

Springfield, MO – After a tremendous eight-game homestand which saw the Cardinals go 6-2, the Springfield squad embarked on yet another eight-game road trip beginning with four in NW Arkansas against the Naturals.

The last time away from Hammons Field the Cardinals went 0-8 and set a franchise record for most consecutive road losses in a row; they looked to snap that stretch Thursday night with Trevor Rosenthal on the mound. The Naturals countered with Major League Rehabber Greg Holland for an inning then lefty Chris Dwyer, coming off a start in which he allowed 10 runs to Springfield.

After a quick top of the first, Rosenthal battled through to bottom of the inning.  After allowing three straight singles, including an RBI single by Wil Myers, the Naturals had a 1-0 lead.  The righty settled down however to retire the next three batters to limit the damage to just the one run.

The Naturals added another run in the 4^th as former Springfield Cardinal Eric Duncan singled, stole second with two outs and scored on an RBI single by Julio Rodriguez to grab a 2-0 lead.  Rosenthal would leave after just 4.1 innings and gave way to Kevin Thomas with a runner at second and one out.  Thomas would strikeout the next two batters to keep the game 2-0 after five.

Springfield had their first real scoring chance in the 6^th with two outs after a hit by pitch and a walk brought Oscar Taveras to the plate, but the Cardinals’ centerfielder flied out to shallow center field to retire the side.

Chris Dwyer was dominant for the Naturals pitching 6.2 innings of no-hit ball while striking out five and walking just two.  After a two out walk in the 8^th, Dwyer gave way to Brendan Lafferty.  Kolten Wong was able to get good wood on the ball, but flied out to the wall in right field keeping the Cardinals out of the hit column.

In the 9^th, closer Kendal Volz retired the Cardinals in order to complete the second no-hitter in Naturals history.  It was the first time in Springfield’s history that they were no-hit.

The Redbirds will continue their four-game set against the NW Arkansas Naturals Friday night at 7:30pm.  Michael Blazek will start for Springfield against Jake Odorizzi of the Naturals. 

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Kansas City Royals announced a handful of transactions in order to set the Naturals’ 25-man opening day roster as the team opens Thursday evening at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi.

Veteran infielder Eric Duncan has been transferred to the Naturals’ roster from Triple-A Omaha and has been placed on the seven-day Disabled List.  Duncan was a former first round pick of the New York Yankees (27^th overall) in 2003, and appeared in the Texas League last season as a member of the Springfield Cardinals where he batted a career-best .274 with 22 homers and 64 runs batted in.

Catcher Julio Rodriguez has been transferred to the roster of the Idaho Falls Chukars, the Royals’ short-season rookie affiliate in the Pioneer League.  Rodriguez was acquired last season from the Detroit Tigers in the Wilson Betemit trade and finished the season with Class-A Advanced Wilmington.

Left-hander Andrew Dobies, signed as a minor league free agent last July and appeared in 12 games for the Naturals, has been placed on the seven-day DL.  He is joined on the disabled list by Edgar Osuna, who has spent time over the past two seasons in Northwest Arkansas, and left-hander John Lamb, who underwent Tommy John Surgery last June and is continuing to rehab.   Lamb had the procedure in early June of last year and could return to action in July.

The Royals also announced that they had loaned the contract of right-hander Federico Castaneda to the Mexico City Red Devils of the Mexican League.  A member of the Naturals during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, Castaneda pitched in the Mexican League last season and finished the campaign out with Triple-A Omaha.

After the roster moves, the Naturals’ roster stands at the Texas League limit of 25 active players.  Active rosters in both Double-A and Triple-A were expanded from 24 to 25 players starting for the 2012 season.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Spring Training Report #2: Games Just Days Away
Former Naturals Hitting their Stride in spring

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Kansas City Royals wrapped up their first week of workouts last week, and position players have officially reported and begun to work out this week.  Some of the Highlights from the first week of Spring practice included former Natural Greg Holland.  Holland, who will be competing for a spot in the major league bullpen with a host of others has reportedly come to camp in great shape and thrown several solid sessions in the bullpen.

Some baseball observers believe that Holland has the ability and stuff to be a closer in the near future, although he’s most likely to begin 2012 as the set-up man for Joakim Soria.

Ned Yost has also come out with his “ideal” lineup for the 2012 season.  This lineup has former Natural Johnny Giavotella hitting in the number two spot.   This would indicate that as position players get set to begin their first full week of workouts that Giavotella has a leg up in the competition to earn the starting job at second base.  He will be competing for the spot this spring with major league veteran Chris Getz.

Another former Natural Aaron Crow was in the news in the first week of camp and is expected to get a chance to make the starting rotation this season.  Crow was very successful last season in relief for the Royals.  The primary concern with moving him to the rotation would be his workload having only worked 60.2 innings last season.  Yost has reportedly said that he will be going with a six-man rotation early in spring training due to the large number of pitchers that he has at his disposal, before shaving back down to the traditional five-man rotation for the last couple of weeks of Spring.

The Royals will be playing their opening spring training game on Sunday March 4 when they take on the Texas Rangers at 1:05pm.  All games will be webcast on royals.com.

Naturals/Texas League Notes

Naturals in Other Camps: Juan Abreu (2009) is in camp with the Astros and is expected to compete to be the team’s closer.  He will be competing against Brandon Lyon and with former Texas Leaguers David Carpenter and Wilton Lopez.  Abreu made his major league debut with Houston last season.  Angel Sanchez (2008) is in camp with Houston as a non-roster invitee and will look to make the roster as a utility infielder after the Astros traded for Jed Lowrie.  Kila Ka’aihue (2008) is also in camp with the Oakland Athletics and is expected to compete for playing time at first base and designated hitter with Daric Barton and former Texas leaguer Chris Carter (Midland, 2009).  Ka’aihue is out of options, and must make the big league roster or be exposed to waivers prior to being sent to the minor leagues.  Former right-hander Jeff Fulchino (2008) is competing with among others major league veteran Chad Durbin for a bullpen role with the Washington Nationals.  Other former Naturals in spring training this season include Dan Cortes (Nationals), and a trio of players who are in camp with the Atlanta Braves  Dusty Hughes (2008), first baseman Ernesto Mejia (2010), and outfielder Jordan Parraz (2009).

Transactions:  The Royals extended the contract of former Naturals’ catcher Salvador Perez on February 27th.  Perez agreed to a five year deal worth $7 million in guaranteed money and the deal includes three options that could potentially keep Perez in Kansas City until 2019.  The deal makes Perez the first former Natural to sign a multi-year major league deal.

Manny’s Surgery:  One of the early stories in camp this season for the Royals was the injury to Manny Pina.  Pina was expected to compete for the back-up catcher job with the Royals, but suffered a knee injury twisting his knee while trying to catch a foul-tip during batting practice on February 23.  The injury was later revealed to be a torn meniscus, and Pina has undergone surgery, and could miss the rest of spring training.  He is projected to miss 3-4 weeks depending on how quickly he recovers after surgery.

Other Injury Notes: Several former Naturals were also hampered by a flu-bug that was passed around the clubhouse during the first week of spring training.  The players affected included Jake Odorizzi, Everett Teaford.  Paulo Orlando was diagnosed with a sports hernia on February 22, it is not yet known how much time he will miss, or whether surgery will be required.  He flew to Philadelphia late last week to see a specialist.

Check nwanaturals.com for our Spring Training Report, where we’ll continue to follow Royals’ minor leaguers in spring training as well as cover other baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

Royals add ex-Cardinal Eric Duncan
Former first-round pick spent 2011 with Springfield

SPRINGDALE, AR – Baseball Prospectus correspondent Kevin Goldstein reported Wednesday that the Kansas City Royals have signed veteran Eric Duncan to a minor league contract for the 2012 season.

Duncan, a 26-year old resident of Florham Park, NJ, spent 2011 with the Springfield Cardinals after being released by the Colorado Rockies organization following spring training. He joined Springfield in mid-April to serve in a utility role but ended up playing in 103 games for the Cardinals, batting .274 with 22 homers and 62 RBI’s, ranking second on Springfield in homers and third in RBI’s last season. Defensively, Duncan provided a ton of versatility for Springfield skipper Pop Warner, appearing defensively at first base, second base, third base, and left field.

Originally the New York Yankees’ first round selection (27^th overall) in the 2003 draft, Duncan was a highly touted third-base prospect in the Yankees’ organization and prior to the 2005 season ranked as the 36^th-best prospect in all of baseball. However, he struggled to a .226 average in portions of four Triple-A seasons and was released by the Yankees following the 2009 season.

He spent the 2010 season playing for the Mississippi Braves, Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate. Duncan will report to spring training and compete for a job with Triple-A Omaha, but could possibly see time in Northwest Arkansas in 2012.

In nine minor league seasons Duncan owns a .248 batting average with 105 homers and 491 RBI’s in 954 games.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.