By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

NORMAL, Ill. — Residents of the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal have waited a long time for a minor league baseball team to come to town – and next spring, when the independent Frontier League Normal CornBelters take the field at their new stadium, dubbed the “Corn Crib,” their wish will finally be fulfilled.

A multiyear naming rights agreement for the stadium was reached in late October between the fledgling team, owned by a consortium of local professionals and experienced baseball executives, and the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB). The organizations determined that a term connoting both agriculture and pop culture would be appropriate in assigning the stadium’s name.

“The opportunity to partner with the Normal CornBelters couldn’t have come at a better time for Illinois farmers,” stated Jim Rapp, ICMB chairman. “The gap in understanding between the farm and the fork, however unfortunate, has rarely been problematic for farmers until recently.

“As special interests, fancy movies and glossy articles hit pop culture and mainstream media ... farmers find themselves suddenly feeling the need to correct a host of misunderstandings.”
CornBelters President Steve Malliet told Farm World the team and the ballpark will strive to serve as a physical and figurative bridge in the gap in understanding between farmers and their non-farming neighbors, through educational features and promotions focusing on agriculture.

“As part of the stadium’s landscape, we’re working with local FFA to grow corn throughout the exterior of the ballpark. We’re going to use it as an educational opportunity not only in growing the corn, but also in educating people on the different types of corn,” Malliet explained.

“A lot of people think all of the corn they see growing is sweet corn; we want to educate people by using (interactive displays) to explain the different types of corn we grow here in central Illinois.”

Visitors to the ballpark will be treated to a “Field of Dreams moment” before each game, Malliet continued. “In our center field berm, where our clubhouses enter onto the field and the scoreboard is located, the players are going to come out of the corn before the game much like in ‘Field of Dreams,’” said Malliet. “They’ll be coming out of the fog and corn every night.”

The CornBelters uniforms are, of course, corn-themed, as well. Home and away jersey and hat sales have already proven lucrative for the team, with fewer than 100 of 1,500 hats (three styles are available) remaining for sale from the team’s original order.
“We thought we would have enough to last until next May (when the short-season Frontier League begins play),” Malliet said.

The team logo features an animated cornhusk with the silks peeled back to reveal a rather intimidating, yet kid-friendly, ear of corn.
The Corn Crib will boast more than 4,000 seats, 12 executive suites and room for 3,000 more on grassy berms. The stadium is owned by the team ownership group (no municipal funding was used in construction), and will be shared with the baseball team from nearby Heartland Community College. The stadium is still under construction.

The CornBelters name was decided through a community-wide nomination and voting process.

“CornBelters won very handily,” said Malliet. “The name really represents what the community is about.”

A team mascot, Corny, has been making the local rounds promoting the team, and will be present to interact with kids at all home games. The “first kernel” will be thrown out at the Corn Crib on June 1, 2010, when the CornBelters take on the Evansville Otters, though the team will begin play on the road in late May.
Excitement for the team was taken to another level when it was announced last month that Hal Lanier, former player with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and other teams and the National League’s Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in the 1980s, was hired as the club’s skipper.

“Everybody is really excited about the team,” said Malliet.
“In the coming weeks we will be announcing our first player signed, and then more player signings will follow.”

The team has established a website at www.normalbaseball.com