New Zephyrs Trio Ready To Revamp NOLA’s Image

NEW ORLEANS—New Orleans Zephyrs media relations director Dave Sachs senses it. There’s a distinctly different outlook in the team’s offices at Zephyr Stadium in Metairie, La., one that’s been filled with optimism since the new year.

“It is a different atmosphere,” Sachs said. “We just feel a sense of new energy in the office. You can tell that these guys have a plan and are committed to making it work.”

Sachs is referring to the team’s new owner, Lou Schwechheimer; incoming GM and senior vice president, Augusto “Cookie” Rojas; and the franchise’s new manager, Arnie Beyeler.

All three men come from the Pawtucket Red Sox, whom they marshaled to the 2012 International League title while earning a slew of prestigious industry accolades, including Baseball America’s Bob Freitas Award.

After years of swirling rumors positing that the franchise was about to fold or leave town—such as the lingering theory that the Astros were going to purchase and relocate the team—the Zephyrs have had an almost complete turnover in their front office, a freshly extended five-year lease at the stadium with the state of Louisiana, and a new flagship radio station that will broadcast all 144 Zephyrs games in 2016.

Team officials say the new faces and contracts have rejuvenated the entire staff after a lengthy malaise and lethargy.

The city of New Orleans has taken notice, as has its business community. Ben Johnson, president and CEO of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, says the developments with the Zephyrs will only enhance the city’s attractiveness to investors and tourists. He says local leaders are eager to incorporate the team into New Orleans’ overall outreach and entrepreneurial plans.

“My impression of the Zephyrs is that they’re another asset for this city,” Johnson said. “They’re building on previous years, and they have a new ownership, a new staff and a new manager. They want to make the team a family attraction. It’s a another asset to get families to visit here and to live here.”

Johnson notes that since the franchise announced its new front office, the new blood already has launched a comprehensive community-outreach blitz, including encouraging staffers, players and coaches to visit schools and other civic organizations.

The effort has been spearheaded by Rojas, who has already attended several official Chamber events and has impressed city leaders with his energy and enthusiasm.

“Cookie leads the exchange,” Johnson said. “In a very short time, he’s been engaging with us, which speaks to the team’s vision and the trust they have with the community.”

Rojas certainly has his work cut out for him, too—in a football-mad region that had only one year of pro baseball between the folding of the old New Orleans Pelicans and the arrival of the Zephyrs from Denver in 1993, the national pastime can be a hard sell, as shown by the team’s chronically low attendance.

Add into that the often oppressive Gulf Coast heat during the summer, and the challenges are clear. In 2015, the Zephyrs, a Marlins affiliate, averaged just 4,710 fans per game, third-worst in the Pacific Coast League.

Rojas called the opportunity with New Orleans as something that “has been 20 years in the making” for him. He’s also come to the Big Easy armed with confidence and a strategy. For example, he doesn’t necessarily want to compete with the Saints and Louisiana State football, but to make pigskin part of Z’s marketing efforts—like holding football nights and inviting area high school gridiron stars—while at the same time providing local families with a low-cost recreational opportunity in the summer months.

The new face of the Zephyrs, though, is already close-knit, with a distinct New England feel, thanks to the Pawtucket connection. Before purchasing a 50-percent managing stake in the Zephyrs, Schweccheimer for decades was part-owner, GM and COO of the very same Red Sox for whom Rojas excelled.

As for Beyeler, he was the on-field architect behind the PawSox’s 2012 run to the Governor’s Cup. He then jumped to the big team, serving Boston as first-base coach and outfield instructor for the team’s 2013 World Series title.

Because of the camaraderie in Rhode Island, the team that built the PawSox juggernaut hopes to recreate that magic in the Crescent City. During a mid-February press conference introducing Beyeler to the NOLA press and public, Schweccheimer called the new skipper “the hardest working man I’ve ever seen in my 31 years in professional baseball.” The owner said Beyeler is an excellent developer of raw talent who understands a Triple-A manager’s duty to groom prospects for the bigs.

But, Schwechheimer added, Beyeler also believes in cultivating a positive image wherever he goes. Beyeler—who noted that he got his first taste of NOLA as a player at Wichita State when the squad ventured to the city to play UNO—affirmed those thoughts.

“Hopefully we can be part of that also,” Beyeler told the gathering of about 100 people at the Zephyr Field batting cages. “We want to bring people out here to this great stadium. I think this year we’re going to put a lot of good things. That’s what (the new officers) do. It may take some time, but we’re going to make you proud to come out to the ballpark and look forward to it.”

— Ryan Whirty is a freelance writer based in New Orleans