Contract signed for Springdale baseball team

Thursday, September 28th 2006, 8:42 am

By: News On 6

SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) _ The Wichita Wranglers Class Double-A baseball team has signed a contract to move to Springdale and play in a stadium that will be built near Interstate 540.

In a ceremony yesterday, Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose and Wranglers owner Bob Rich signed the contract that will have the Wranglers play in Springdale starting in the 2008 season.

The stadium is being paid for by a 50 (m) million-dollar bond package approved by voters in July. The Wranglers are an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, a team owned by former Wal-Mart chief executive David Glass, who still makes his home in Bentonville.

Glass says it is a tribute to the growth in northwest Arkansas that the area can support not only professional baseball but a Class Double-A team. The Wranglers play in the Texas League with the state's other Double-A team, the Arkansas Travelers, which are moving to North Little Rock.

A contest will be held to rename the Springdale team. Construction on the stadium will begin early next year.