Good stadium plan, if tickets don't go up

Twenty years ago, when Phil Elfstrom first started making his pitch to bring minor-league baseball into central Kane County so a team could be housed on Kane County Forest Preserve District property, he never expressed a hope that his name would be attached to the team's stadium.

But those who knew the effort that the former forest preserve district president and county board chairman put into making the Kane County Cougars a reality honored him by doing just that.

The county forest preserve commission last week agreed to let the Cougars sell naming rights to the stadium as a way to increase revenue. But we were glad to hear board members insist that Elfstrom will remain part of the stadium name, no matter which corporation or business entity pursues the chance to add their names to the ball park on Geneva's east side.

We also support this plan as a way to offset the higher-than-expected $10.5 million stadium expansion. Most stadiums have corporate names attached, so this move makes economic sense. However, everyone involved with the success story that is the Kane County Cougars knows what the most essential ingredient has been - the low cost of tickets and concessions. We hope the decision to add corporate sponsorships in the stadium name keeps the Cougars brass from falling into the trap of increasing ticket prices.

It has become increasingly difficult for families in the area to even consider the expense of attending a major league game in Chicago, making the Cougars the popular option they have become. Elfstrom often talked about how baseball could add to the "quality of life" in this area, and he was quick to say that fears about traffic, drinking at games, and noise afterward were not so enormous as to be deal breakers. Some folks along Cherry Lane near the stadium may have complaints about post-game fireworks and traffic, but overall, the Cougars have been good neighbors and a have given a boost to the local economy.

Elfstrom had a knack for seeing things that others did not. He envisioned a popular family-oriented entertainment product that would be embraced by residents in the Fox Valley region and beyond.

And we are reminded when watching Major League baseball games that the Cougars' Class A games are not just a fun summer diversion where kids can get giveaways when entering the park, run around the popular grass hills along the foul lines, or watch Ozzie the Cougar's antics between innings. The baseball aficionado can see future stars in this quality Midwest League. Former Cougars like Greg Zaun, Charles Johnson, Edgar Renteria, Scott Podsednik, Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett and Ryan Dempster have been in the professional spotlight.

Also consider that the Kane County Events Center grounds, of which the stadium is part of, can host many other revenue-generating events - and hopefully the high school baseball state finals again in the future. So it is easy to see why the forest preserve would approve of more corporate sponsorships to help nurture an attraction that has become a big hit for baseball fans.