LAKE ELSINORE - Dave Oster knows baseball is never just baseball in the minor leagues.

That's proved especially true with the Lake Elsinore Storm, and now he'll have more free reign beyond the game than ever before.

The Storm on Tuesday promoted Chris Jones to general manager and designated Oster as the franchise's new president, a move that affords the front-office veteran opportunities to foster new business developments in baseball and various entrepreneurial ventures in a market with room to grow.

"Usually, you look to move to another franchise every three or four years, because you get a team to a spot and that's as far as it can go," said Oster, who has been in charge of day-to-day operations as the Storm's general manager for the last seven years. "Being where we are in Lake Elsinore, there's a tremendous future ahead. I really enjoy the area in the community and I see the potential. … We're developing a unique place. I think the ceiling here is very high if we continue moving forward."

Jones - a Lake Elsinore resident and a member of the board of directors for the city's Chamber of Commerce - will now oversee day-to-day operations of the franchise. And while Oster won't remove himself completely from that aspect of the business, his new post will allow him to expand on the job he's done in making the Storm a known quantity outside the California League, as well as the relationships he's developed while working with the city to expand both the roles of the franchise and the city-owned stadium, The Diamond, in the community.

Under Oster's watch, the Storm logo - with 300 Little League teams across the country donning those piercing eyes - has been the top-selling brand in minor league baseball the last two years. He facilitated the arrival of the Padres as the franchise's major league affiliate in 2001 - which has helped the Storm reach into the North San Diego County market - and had recently been a key player in the city's negotiations to sell The Diamond to Storm owner Gary Jacobs.

City officials, for the time being, have opted not to sell the stadium to Jacobs and his partners, one of which includes a developer that owns 30 acres around the stadium. They have, however, indicated a desire to have the Storm assume more control of The Diamond's operations - such as bringing in off-day concerts, swap meets and other events - and Oster will continue to focus efforts in those areas.

"He's been the face of the Storm in Lake Elsinore," Jacobs said. "Lake Elsinore is certainly an up-and-coming community. People are starting to recognize Lake Elsinore for its ability to move forward and grow and … he's going to be working closely on our behalf to keep us in the loop."

Debt on the ballpark - built by the city's redevelopment agency in 1994 at a cost of $22 million - has ballooned to $38 million, with the city paying more than $2 million toward that debt every year, along with $500,000 to operate the facility. Selling the ballpark would certainly ease that burden, and Jacobs and his partners had been negotiating with the city for nearly a year when a self-imposed deadline expired at the end of September without a deal in place.

Developing the land around The Diamond into an entertainment-based "ballpark district" was a talking point in negotiations and continues to be a goal that both the Storm and city officials want to see realized. With the city's desire to have the Storm take on even more control of The Diamond's operations, Oster said he expects to continue to move in that direction.

"I don't believe either side has said (a deal is) dead in the water," said Oster, who had been tabbed to assume the role as president regardless of the completion of a deal with the city. "Our relationship with the city is outstanding. They've said, 'This is what you do, and it makes proper sense for you to do what you do and drum up more business.' We're already out there promoting and selling, so it seems to be a fit."

Oster is entering his 19th year working in professional baseball. He spent time with the Geneva (N.Y.) Cubs, the Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks and the Salem (Va.) Avalanche before joining the Storm in 2000. The following year, he was recognized as the California League's General Manager of the Year.