Arkansas Travelers

For other uses, see Arkansas Traveler (disambiguation).

Arkansas Travelers
Founded in 1963 Little Rock, Arkansas
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	Double-A (1966–present)
Previous classes	Triple-A (1963–1965)
League	Texas League (1966–present)
Division	North Division
Previous leagues	Pacific Coast League (1964–1965) International League (1963)
Major league affiliations
Team	Seattle Mariners (2017–present)
Previous teams	Los Angeles Angels (2001–2016) St. Louis Cardinals (1966–2000) Philadelphia Phillies (1963–1965)
Minor league titles
League titles (9)	1966 1971 1977 1979 1980 1989 2001 2008 2024
Division titles (14)	1964 1968 1971 1977 1979 1980 1989 2001 2005 2008 2011 2013 2023 2024
First-half titles (12)	1978 1979 1980 1985 1989 1998 2001 2008 2011 2018 2019 2023
Second-half titles (7)	1977 1983 2005 2013 2014 2015 2024
Team data
Name	Arkansas Travelers (1963–present)
Colors	Red, black, gray, white, maroon
Mascots	Ace and Otey
Ballpark	Dickey–Stephens Park (2007–present)
Previous parks	Ray Winder Field (1963–2006)
Owner(s)/ Operator(s)	Diamond Baseball Holdings
General manager	Sophie Ozier
Manager	Mike Fransoso
Website	milb.com/arkansas

The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and are members of the Texas League.

History

The team succeeded the Double-A Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association, which folded after the 1961 season. They returned as the Arkansas Travelers of the International League in 1963. Both versions of the name derive from the old folk song, "The Arkansas Traveler". The Travelers never took another nickname and possess the third-longest running nickname in minor league baseball history behind the Buffalo Bisons and Indianapolis Indians.

Affiliations

After the end of the Southern Association in 1961, the Travelers were given the opportunity to move up becoming the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate for first the International League (1963) and then the Pacific Coast League (1964–1965). However, in 1966 the Travelers moved down to the Texas League as the St. Louis Cardinals' Double-A affiliate through 2000. This marked the most successful period for the Travelers as they won the Texas League championship in 1971, 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1989. After serving 35 years as a Cardinals' affiliate, the Travelers became the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A affiliate in 2001; this ended the second-longest active affiliation at the time. The Travelers remained with the Angels through 2016, winning the Texas League championship in 2001 and 2008. In 2017, the Travelers entered into a new Player Development Contract, becoming the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners; this move marked just the second time in the last half century that the Travelers swapped major league teams. The 2018 season marked the Arkansas Travelers' 53rd season as a part of the Texas League, making them the longest tenured active member of the league.

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Travelers were organized into the Double-A Central. In 2022, the Double-A Central became known as the Texas League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Ballparks

Ray Winder Field

Main article: Ray Winder Field

Ray Winder Field

From 1932 to 2006, the Travelers played at Ray Winder Field. Bill Valentine, a former American League umpire and chosen as general manager for the Travelers from 1976 to 2007, began to promote the historic nature of Ray Winder Field. The ballpark gained recognition as one of the oldest still active parks in minor league baseball, and fans traveled to Little Rock to experience the nostalgia and sample the baseball history represented by Ray Winder Field. However, after nearly three-quarters of a century, the field was showing signs of age and after a successful special election in 2005, the team moved to a new stadium at the start of the 2007 season and the field was demolished in 2012. In 1991, the field saw the largest crowd to watch a baseball game in Arkansas history as Ray Winder played host to about 12,000 people; the crowd had come from all over to see Fernando Valenzuela's rehabilitation start.

Dickey–Stephens Park

Main article: Dickey–Stephens Park

Dickey–Stephens Park

Dickey–Stephens Park, the new stadium in North Little Rock, Arkansas, hosted the first Travelers game against the Frisco RoughRiders on April 12, 2007. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team. It holds at least 7,000 people. It was built through a partnership between the Travs, Little Rock financier Warren Stephens and the city of North Little Rock. After donating an 11-acre (45,000 m²) plot of land east of the Broadway Bridge, Mr. Stephens named the ballpark in honor of two pairs of baseball-loving brothers; Stephens Inc. Founders Jack and Witt Stephens, and Hall of Fame Catcher Bill Dickey and his brother Skeeter, also a former Major League ballplayer. Both Dickey brothers worked for Stephens Inc. following their baseball careers. Bill, who caught for the 1925 Little Rock Travelers, also managed the club for one season following a 17-year Hall-of-Fame career with the New York Yankees that included seven World Series titles.

Uniforms

In 2004, the team introduced new road jerseys and alternate caps that paid homage to the Travs' home city. The jerseys had "Little Rock" written across the chest. Travelers’ jerseys have either featured "Arkansas" or "Travelers" ever since the 1950s.

Nostalgia is in these days and the retro look has become stylish, We were the Little Rock Travelers for years and after all this time we thought we lost the identification with Little Rock. Some people actually didn’t know we’re from Little Rock. The LR logo has had success on our replica caps and we thought that the time to make this change was right now."

— Bill Valentine

Roster

Arkansas Travelers roster

Players				Coaches/Other
Pitchers  9 Raúl Alcantara 29 Peyton Alford 21 Luis Curvelo 19 Garrett Davila 23 Logan Evans 32 Brandyn Garcia 22 Logan Gragg 34 Jake Haberer 16 Kyle Hill ~ 43 Jimmy Joyce 90 Jimmy Kingsbury ~ 27 Travis Kuhn 28 Juan Mercedes 26 Michael Morales 17 Reid Morgan 10 Jason Ruffcorn 82 Reid VanScoter 20 Danny Wirchansky		Catchers 15 Jake Anchia  7 Harry Ford Infielders  3 Kaden Polcovich 30 Blake Rambusch 13 Ben Ramirez  4 Brock Rodden 14 Ben Williamson 18 Hogan Windish  1 Cole Young Outfielders  6 Victor Labrada  5 Jared Oliva 25 Alberto Rodríguez 12 Jared Sundstrom		Manager 39 Michael Fransoso Coaches  2 Luis Caballero (bench) 41 Josh Morgan (first base) 40 Michael Peoples (pitching) 37 Jose Umbria (bench) 7-day injured list * On Seattle Mariners 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated September 24, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Texas League → Seattle Mariners minor league players

General managers

Ray Winder

In Ray Winder, was the general manager for Little Rock Travelers when it became defunct in 1961, but continued as general manager for the Arkansas Travelers until 1976. Winder had worked as a ticket taker in 1915 before rising to general manager. More than once, he almost single-handedly kept baseball in Little Rock. In 1960, at the last minute, he used his relationships with major league teams to sign enough players for the Travelers to field a team—it had looked as if the team would not make or would have to move to another town. During his 50-plus years with the team, he saw the Travelers sink to the bottom of the league only to rise three times to the league championship.

Bill Valentine

Main article: Bill Valentine

Bill Valentine

In 1976, Bill Valentine, a former American League umpire, was chosen as general manager for the Travelers. Valentine would remain general manager until in 2007 after 31 years and would remain executive vice president for two more seasons, before retiring in March 2009. Valentine worked as an announcer for the Arkansas Travelers for eight years. In his first season as general manager, the team saw a 34% increase in attendance, due in part to Valentine's stunts including giving away tens of thousands of tickets to kids, hoping they would bring their parents to the game with them, and holding midget wrestling and amateur boxing at the stadium. The Travelers' attendance continued to increase over the years, and also saw on-field success, winning five league titles while Valentine was GM. Valentine has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Officials Association Hall of Fame, the Texas League Hall of Fame, and the North Little Rock Boys Club Hall of Fame.

External links

• Official website