Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Location: Springdale, AR
- League: Texas League 2008-2019; Double-A Central 2021; Texas League 2022-
- Affiliation: Kansas City Royals 2008-present
- Ballpark: Arvest Ballpark 2008-present
Team History[edit]
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals, of the Double-A Texas League and briefly in Double-A Central, adopted a 6-foot-9 Sasquatch named Strike as their mascot upon arriving from Wichita, KS. The Kansas City Royals farmhands play their home games at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR.
The team was named "Naturals" primarily to honor the area's natural beauty. The logo includes a waterfall, as Arkansas is home to more than 100 of the natural beauties. Their nickname also honors the Arkansas state slogan "The Natural State" and the film The Natural (1984) - which was shot mostly at the first home of the Nats' corporate sibling, the Buffalo Bisons, who were once the Wichita Aeros.
Their arch-rival Arkansas Travelers home park is not in the state's capital and largest city, Little Rock but in its much smaller suburb, North Little Rock. The Tavs and most if not everyone else nevertheless used "ARK" as the Travs' abbreviation on pocket schedules, but for many years the Nats were an exception - instead identifying the Travs as "NLR". A staffer confirmed that was a dig at the Travs for "claiming" the whole state as their own.
The Nats defense had a probably unique game on July 19, 2011 - when two of their pitchers combined on a no-hitter during a game in which while their fielders also turned a triple play.
The Nats play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Naturales del Noroeste de Arkansas (a straightforward translation of their name, although "Naturales" can also mean "Natives").
Year-by-Year Record[edit]
Related Sites[edit]
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