Travelerocity

Demise of Ray Winder Field disgraces city's historic landmark

Photos taken May 2011 -- click photo for larger image.

If you think what is happening to Ray Winder Field right now as its remaining seats are ripped from the earth and handed to wayward collectors as it is prepared for imminent demolition, what will happen to that storied piece of land that was once graced with the likes of Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams plus a parade of legendary talent on the way to making a name in Major League Baseball is even worse.

It is going to become... a parking lot.

One of the reasons I started this blog is because I felt like the entire community was neglecting what was a real jewel on the south side of Hillcrest -- the Arkansas Travelers franchise and the sparsely attended Ray Winder Field.

That neglect extended to City Hall, where no one seemed to understand the value of such an historic landmark or ever once thought maybe it was worthy of some historic preservation efforts that might include financial assistance.

And though management continually slapped a new paint job here and there and occasionally installed some new rows of uncomfortable seats, I always wondered where exactly all the profits from that operation were going. So the neglect might also apply within, but that's another story.

With a coordinated renovation plan -- mixed with some tax money and concern from the mysterious Travelers board of directors -- we might still have our Wrigley Field.

But like Ray Winder Field, that's history. We have a magnificent replacement, at least.

As Ray Winder Field's funeral procession nears and the last items from its will are dispersed, we must once again reflect on what is happening there now.

Rather than give the land to the Little Rock Zoo, where at least Ray Winder Field's history could have been somewhat preserved with a home-plate marker and possibly many other historic tributes -- in what could have actually been a draw to the zoo for local baseball fans wanting to pay tribute -- it will become yet another parking lot for the ever-increasing UAMS dynasty conquering all around it.

Why even bother with a redevelopment plan for Little Rock's largest urban park when a crucial piece is just going to be handed over to the mammoth hospital campus already supported by taxpayer dollars just to pave over the grass that has played host to the best baseball games the state has ever seen?

RIP, Ray Winder Field. We will always have Fernando Valenzuela night.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Coming home: An on-deck guide and open thread for the second home stand on April 25-May 2

(Dickey-Stephens Park painting by Steve Spencer. Find his work at Spinadelic.com, buy on Etsy, or visit the Facebook page.)

Tulsa Drillers (Colorado Rockies)

Schedule:

Monday, April 25, 7:10 p.m. -- Rained out

Tueday, April 26, 7:10 p.m. -- Rained out

Wednesday, April 27, 5:10 p.m. -- Reddy Ice/AT&T night

Thursday, April 28, 7:10 p.m. -- Bark in the Park night, radio broadcast of game from Hookslide Corner

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Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals)

Friday, April 29, 7:10 p.m. -- The Amazing Christopher

Saturday, April 30, 7:10 p.m. -- Hank Conger replica jersey, Riverside Acura postgame ball toss

Sunday, May 1, 2 p.m. -- Travs kids clinic before game

Monday, May 2, 11 a.m. -- Screaming kids day

 

Best wishes to Brandon Wood as he finally escapes Los Angeles

The above photo is Brandon Wood's first at-bat with the Arkansas Travelers, which took place on April 16, 2006. Other than the news-making shot of the "NLR" on the jerseys as revealed in the preseason workout at Ray Winder Field, this was the first original photo that ran on Travelerocity.

So Wood, who was one of the biggest prospects in Minor League Baseball that year and had the highest ceiling of any player to come through Little Rock since probably J.D. Drew, will always have a special place in the annals of this website.

However... I'm not a scout, but I play one on the Internet, and it was proposed on this website by myself and others that the Angels should trade Wood while his stock was rising to get more value because there were some red flags while he was here that suggested he might not be the next Cal Ripken (as one professional scout dubbed him).

With that said, Travelerocity wishes Wood nothing but the best as he restarts his career in Pittsburgh after having been dumped by Angels manager Mike Sciosia. Looking forward to seeing him play more now that he is in a nearer time zone playing in a division much of Arkansas devotedly follows.

Pittsburgh is going to let Wood roam the infield until they find the spot that fits him best, and they are going to give him time to develop at the plate. Here's hoping this works out big time for Wood and the Pirates' No. 1 fan, Travs radio voice Phil Elson.

We've got your back, B Wood.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Greenberg turns in a preseason gem in annual baseball column

Since opening day at Dickey-Stephens Park, I have been looking for the annual baseball column by Paul Greenberg, the editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Can the season really begin until Greenberg says, "Play ball?"

Turns out I missed it because Greenberg wrote the annual piece at the end of March after attending the Arkansas Razorbacks' appearance at Dickey-Stephens -- and it's a gem, maybe his best in years. My favorite parts deal with the difference between college baseball and the minor league as excerpted below:

College baseball is to the pros as a senior prom is to Baryshnikov, yet it’s still the same game. There are still glimpses of the same balletic moves when a shortstop makes an impossible catch, or almost does. And one quality colors every play, whether or not anything happens: expectation.

And yet something is missing. The stands are full, a sea of red-and-white, the Razorback colors, but it all seems a tamer version of the real game, as college baseball will. It is all — how should I put it? — too wholesome.

The clean-cut young players are still at the outset of their careers and life. There is none of that Texas League mix of weathered old-timers on the way down and promising young rookies on their way up, mixed with players who will always be minor-league.

It is in the minor leagues where the spirit of baseball still lives, not fresh but gritty. But tonight all is washed clean as the fresh uniforms. The creases are yet unformed on the young faces, the malice of time still to come.

The white-bread families in the stands are an advertisement for the good life. The grandma a seat over reaches across the squirming little boy between us and brushes the popcorn crumbs off his seat, keeping things as neat as in her living room. At some point Edward Hopper has given way to Norman Rockwell.

The well-behaved crowd erupts in cheers in the eighth, Arkansas’s big inning, but it’s the kind of cheering you might hear at a college graduation. Loud but appropriate. All is niceness, and I’m not sure I can stand it.

The little stadium is a well-designed, G-rated, deliberate re-creation of an early 20th Century ballpark. In tonight’s crowd, there is a paucity of the hard-faced women and beefy men in unfortunate shorts you might see at a poorly attended minor-league game in the middle of a lackluster season.

It’s enough to make you wonder what’s happened to the American character, and whether it’s still capable of a little saving decadence. All I ask is just a touch of the sordid. But the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League play their first home game here Thursday, April 14th, starting at 7:10, and we live in hope.

Severe weather once again an issue for fans at Dickey-Stephens

The above was posted on Twitter by Travelers radio sidekick R.J. Hawk after severe weather once again hit Dickey-Stephens Park on Tuesday night.

For the safety of everyone at the stadium -- especially the fans who have to walk to their cars because there is nowhere to hide in an open concourse as well as the guys in the broadcast booth -- it is completely ridiculous that the game would continue up to the point that tornado sirens are going off.

Thanks to Arkansas' Weatherman Ed Buckner and the army of weather guys on the local stations, we know well in advance when a storm is on the way and can predict with a fair amount of certainty down to the minute at what point it will hit a certain part of town.

I guess tornado warnings are like steroids used to be to baseball -- the warnings don't apply until the damage is already done and something is then officially written into the rulebook.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Actual attendance figures reveal big difference in reported attendance numbers from Travs

A story in Monday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by Jake Sandlin examines attendance trends in the first four years of Dickey-Stephens Park and development that was expected to occur around the ballpark.

While the Arkansas Travelers don't report actual attendance to the public, the franchise is apparently required to report it to North Little Rock government officials.

Perhaps the greatest revelation in the story is that we actually get to see the difference in the announced crowd, which is the figure the Travs push off as attendance and is reported in the box score, versus the real number of people in the stadium, which the Travs know every night thanks to the ticket scanners everyone must pass through on their way in the gates.

Here's a breakdown of announced attendance versus actual attendance the last two years:

Average 2009 announced attendance -- 5,416
Average 2009 actual attendance -- 3,087

Average 2010 announced attendance -- 4,940
Average 2010 actual attendance -- 2,662

There is a big difference in the numbers when you take away all the season ticket holders and advertisers that get seats who aren't there on a nightly bases.

Sure, everyone does it, will be the front office's excuse, and was from Bill Valentine when the issue was raised on this website a couple of years ago. If the University of Arkansas can drastically exaggerate attendance at a spring football game, why can't everyone else?

Still, it's not an honest figure, and as long as they are keeping track, why not report both? Some people are actually interested in seeing the real attendance.

Another issue Sandlin's article touches on is the development around the ballpark that was apparently expected back when Dickey-Stephens was under construction.

Can you believe someone actually thought it would be a good idea to build some kind of high-rise building in the open space beyond center field and a shopping development along the left-field side?

Man, why bother even putting it next to the river if you are going to turn around and let someone block the view with a multi-story building? Wait, I guess that's what North Little Rock allowed with Verizon Arena so don't be surprised if this eventually happens.

Farewell, Peabody ducks.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Coming home: An on-deck guide and open thread for the first home stand on April 14-19

(Dickey-Stephens Park painting by Steve Spencer. Find his work at Spinadelic.com, buy on Etsy, or visit the Facebook page.)

Finally, the Travelers come home to the place beautifully depicted in the above painting. It will be the Central Arkansas introduction to the No. 2 prospect in Minor League Baseball, Mike Trout, who has already hit three home runs that included one grand slam. Including Arkansas' Trout, this home stand features three of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball with Midland multimillionaire shortstop Grant Green and Frisco's future MLB ace Martin Perez. What follows below is a  brief guide to the promotions and top players to watch in this first home stand of the season.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland A's)

Schedule:

Thursday, April 14, 7:10 p.m. -- Opening night featuring Leonard Hamilton and D.J. Williams

Friday, April 15, 7:10 p.m. -- Magnet schedules to first 5,000

Saturday, April 16, 6 p.m. -- Magnet schedules to next 5,000

Players to watch:

9 Grant Green, shortstop -- No. 63 prospect in Minor League Baseball, A's No. 1 prospect, $2.75-million signing bonus, A's top draft pick in '09 out of USC, '10 Topps all star, '10 Futures Game, '10 California League all star

43 Fautino De Los Santos, relief pitcher -- A's No. 13 prospect, part of trade to White Sox for Nick Swisher

19 Steve Parker, third base -- A's No. 24 prospect, Mountain West co-freshman of the year with Stephen Strasburg in '07, '10 Topps all star, '10 California League all star

18 Michael Spina, first base -- Leads team in batting average

22 Shawn Haviland, starting pitcher -- '10 California League all star

11 Carlos Hernandez, starting pitcher -- '10 Texas League all star

27 Ethan Hollingsworth, starting pitcher -- '10 California League all star

21 Jared Lansford, relief pitcher -- '10 Texas League all star

33 Paul Smyth, relief pitcher -- '10 MLB.com short-season relief pitcher of the year

31 Yusef Carter, catcher -- nephew of former MLB star Joe Carter

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Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers)

Schedule:

Sunday, April 17, 4 p.m. -- Reusable grocery bag to first 2,000

Monday, April 18, 11 a.m. -- Screaming Kids Day

Tuesday, April 19, 7:10 p.m. -- Exxon family night

Players to watch:

45 Martin Perez, starting pitcher -- No. 24 prospect in Minor League Baseball, Rangers' No. 1 prospect, 19 years old, signed for $580,000 out of Venezuela, potential MLB rotation ace

7 Engel Beltre, center field -- Rangers' No. 5 prospect, centerpiece of Eric Gagne trade with Red Sox

41 Miguel De Los Santos, starting pitcher -- Rangers' No. 10 prospect

47 Fabio Castillo, relief pitcher -- Rangers' No. 23 prospect, '10 AFL Rising Stars

18 Jose Felix, catcher -- Rangers' No. 26 prospect, '10 California League all star

49 Jacob Brigham, starting pitcher -- Rangers' No. 30 prospect

50 Jose Ruiz, first base -- Leads team in batting average and on-base percentage

33 Michael Bianuchi, left field -- Leads team in home runs

24 Tommy Mendonca, third base -- '08 College World Series MVP at Fresno State

13 Renny Osuna, shortstop -- '10 Texas League all star

Five demands for Travs fans as Dickey-Stephens opens season

What should Travelers fans expect in order to fully enjoy the next five months of baseball at Dickey-Stephens? Here are five demands suggestions for a successful season.

1) Play to win

If I wanted to watch extended spring training, I would find video on the Internet or go visit Aunt Grace in Arizona. The Travelers should be playing a hard nine every night, not a hard three followed by a soft six to evaluate some new relief pitchers. The manager should not be sending base runners to second and third when it is a certain out just because the guy in Los Angeles said to.

Sorry, but the fans are paying to watch a team try to win, not to have a glorified practice. If the Angels' version of Minor League Baseball wants to be something else, tell us now and we will go watch games at Junior Deputy or Burns Park instead where winning actually matters (sometimes too much thanks to overzealous adults) the entire season.

2) Compete the entire season

The Travelers don't have to finish first every half of the season, but the team should at least be competitive in both halves. And what they should not ever do is finish last in a four-team division. As a bonus, it would be nice if the Travelers could consistently finish ahead of the upstart Naturals so that the arrogant jokers in northwest Arkansas would not have one more thing to brag about. If you want to shut up the contingent that longs for the days of yore with the St. Louis Cardinals as the parent team, beating up on Springfield is also a good idea.

In order to compete, that means a commitment from the Angels to supply the team with enough talent to do the job and leave them there long enough to complete it. Although we'd love to have him stay, it's understandable when someone like Mike Trout gets moved up on the fast track. What is not appreciated is when the average player helping the team win is shifted just to fill a bench spot in Salt Lake City.

3) Green grass

Not knocking the grounds crew at Dickey-Stephens Park because it is a tough job to make the magic that grows grass, but why is it that all these other baseball stadiums can have great-looking green grass yet it is frequently a problem in North Little Rock? Did something leak out of the tugboat and poison the soil?

In the winter, we're told the brown patches are caused because the grass hasn't come in yet, and then later in the summer it's because the heat is stifling the growth. Why do I get the feeling the problem stems back from Bill Valentine doing something on the cheap when the grass was installed by the Major League guy?

4) Weather warnings

The night of the devastating tornado outbreak in Central Arkansas in 2008, there was absolutely no announcement from the Travelers public address system. Many fans were puzzled as they walked to their cars with the tornado sirens blaring and then proceeded to drive into the storm.

Since that day, the Travs front office has done better, sometimes flashing up the weather radar on the video screen (albeit briefly so as not to interrupt the ads), but this can never happen again. Sure, many people have iPhones and can watch the weather radar on their own. Those same people may be numskulls oblivious to the weather who are trying to hook up on Facebook instead.

When bad weather approaches, the public must be alerted sooner than when the umpire twirls his finger in the air.

5) Fun

This is the most important and easiest to fill. All you need: baseball, field, summer nights, lemonade, hot dogs, scorecards, organ music, peanuts, popcorn, and Cracker Jacks, Damgoode Pies, Hookslide's Corner, home runs landing on the berm, kids playing catch in the suite-level concourse, promotions, downtown skyline with Peabody ducks, wild kids in playground, fireworks, "Feelin' Good Again," scoreboard show crackling on KARN on the drive home, Shelly, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with the finish only Phil Elson can put on it, kids teams in uniform, unusual items on the way out (a loaf of bread?), bobbleheads, Travs stuff in the souvenir shop (the only place to buy the Cardinals team set), the Star Wars Cantina AKA Ump's, Cold Beer Johnny, familiar faces of ushers (although a travesty one in particular was slandered and not hired) and autograph hounds, those early moments when no one has shown up yet, screams of SpongeBob SquarePants on "businessman's special" games, and, of course, Bill Valentine complaining about the relievers.

Do your thing, Travs. Play ball.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Trout hits grand slam in Frisco

First grand slam of his professional career. Second home run of the season. Let the Trout show begin at Dickey-Stephens Park.

UPDATE:

Make it two home runs for Tuesday. Three for the season.

ESPN ruined Sunday night baseball by ousting Miller and Morgan from broadcast booth

Nothing against Dan Shulman because he is a fine announcer, but Jon Miller and Joe Morgan were beautiful together on Sunday night baseball for the last 20 years. Why ESPN would ruin what was perhaps the best pairing in the booth for a national broadcast in the history of baseball is beyond me.

The absence of these two Baseball Hall of Fame voices leaves me changing the channel on Sunday nights, which is an important night for the sport because it basically serves as Major League Baseball's grand stage each week.

Shulman, though talented, is just another broadcasting voice who can do any sport. In addition to doing baseball for ESPN, he also calls the NBA and college basketball for the network. He could just as easily be the voice of Mountain West basketball late Monday nights on ESPN2.

And he is a Canadian calling America's game!

Miller and Morgan were part of the poetry of baseball. For 20 years, their voices read the central narrative of the game.

They weren't just announcers. They were baseball.

What a downgrade. It's going to be hard to watch this season. Good to know I can still hear Miller doing San Francisco Giants games through the magic of XM Radio. But his weekly pairing with Morgan will be sorely missed.

Also, WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THE SCREEN SIZE THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER CHANNEL, ESPN AND ESPN2?

-- Travelerocity reporter

Media Watch: None of TV sportscasts mention Travs score on Saturday night

I'm glad I restarted the TV News Scoreboard because there is work to do.

On the Saturday-night sportscasts during the 10 p.m. news, not one of the four local stations showed the score of the Travelers game or mentioned anything about the team.

This is a particular disgrace on a Saturday night when each sportscast is benefitting from more alloted time than is typical on a weekday and don't have to worry about a buzzer going off after only two minutes.

A three-second flash of the score after the Major League Baseball highlights would have been at least something.

But nothing. A disgrace from the local media.

In other news, the Travs are now 0-3 as of Saturday night and are on pace to finish like a typical Los Angeles Angels Double-A team.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Finally, the TV News Scoreboard HAS COME BACK to Travelerocity

Sports departments at Central Arkansas television stations, you are officially on notice -- a popular feature on Travelerocity from the days of yore is returning for the 2011 season.

The television news scoreboard, a season-long competition among the four local newscasts, begins Thursday night as the Arkansas Travelers open the season on the road in Midland.

The scoring is derived primarily from a sampling of the 10 p.m. sportscasts each week. For those still wondering how the mysterious scoring works, here is a breakdown:

Show the score with no video - 1 point

Show video highlights from the game - 3 points

Say "former Traveler" during an MLB highlight - 1 point each

Feature on Travs not about game - point total depends on length and quality of package

Show NWA Naturals video highlight - minus 1 point

Win the best coverage of the night - 1 additional point

So there you have it, KARK, KATV, KTHV, and KLRT, once again it's on.

KTHV is the defending champion, and I fully expect them to repeat.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Some kind of holiday: The sanctity of opening day for Travs at Dickey-Stephens Park

The Arkansas Travelers offer an abundance of great promotions for the fans throughout the summer -- there is certainly no lack in the amount of cool schwag to take home and special guests to see at every home stand.

Promotions are great to attract casual fans and even non-fans at one of the 69 games during the next five months, but there is one game that should be treated with a certain reverence and be the lone night that is tailored specifically to the baseball fan -- opening day.

Opening day is not just another game. It is on the level of being some kind of holiday that needs as much pomp and pageantry as can be fit in one stadium.

It needs VIPs throwing out the first pitch and celebrities singing the national anthem. It needs a nod to history. It needs flyovers. It needs bunting. It needs a contribution from the parent club. Whatever it needs, it needs to be special.

That said, I was disappointed with opening day at Dickey-Stephens Park last season. It felt like just another game.

What the Travs need on April 14 is a megastar singing the national anthem, and the highest-profile person they can come up with to throw out the opening pitch.

All over the country, "American Idol" performers are showing up at baseball games singing the national anthem. Central Arkansas is lucky to have an actual winner in Kris Allen, a natural to draw enough attention to put this game on the pedestal it deserves.

Or what about Amy Lee from Evanescence, R&B superstar Ne-Yo, country music's Tracy Lawrence, soul legend Al Green, Hall of Famer Glen Campbell? Maybe these names sound out of reach, but that is what opening day is about -- dreaming big.

And to throw out the first pitch? If you can't get a legendary former player such as Lou Brock or Brooks Robinson, go for the biggest name available: Mike Anderson, Billy Bob Thornton (he would do it), Mary Steenburgen (also would do it), John Daly, Darren McFadden, the list goes on.

I know, easier said than done. Who or what do you want out of opening day?

-- Travelerocity reporter

Mike Trout era begins for Travs

The Los Angeles Angels have assigned players to its Double-A stepchild, and as predicted, center fielder Mike Trout -- ranked by many as the best player in Minor League Baseball and called by one scout the next Mickey Mantle -- will start the season as a member of the Arkansas Travelers.

So as the Trout era begins, the question is, how long will it last?

Some say this 19-year-old will make the Angels roster this year. Is he on the fast track to Salt Lake City, or will he spend most of the season developing at Dickey-Stephens Park? That's the key question for Travs fans in the 2011 season.

In addition to Trout, looks like the Angels are providing the Travs with a handful of top pitching prospects and a decent third baseman, but beyond that, it's time to find out!

Some select excerpts from the Travs' press release:

The spotlight is unquestionably shining on Trout as MLB.com, MLB Network and ESPN.com all named the 19-year old from Millville, New Jersey native the Top Prospect in Baseball but he is certainly not the only prospect on the roster. The Travs feature three of the Angels top pitching prospects in their starting rotation including right-handers Garrett Richards and Orangel Arenas, and 2009 Texas League All-Star left-hander Trevor Reckling. 

 

Trout is joined in the outfield by Angel Castillo, who's 21 home runs were fourth amongst Angels minor league players. Clay Fuller, who tore up the California League after a mid-season demotion in 2010, returns to the Travelers' outfield while six-year free agent Marvin Lowrance joins the Travs after spending the previous seven seasons in the Washington Nationals organization.

 

The Travelers infield features a host of familiar names including first baseman Jay Brossman, who's 2010 season was cut short due to a back injury after opening the year as the Travs starting third baseman. After initially struggling at Double-A, returning utility infielder Roberto Lopez was the Travs hottest hitting in the last month of the 2010 season. Luis Jimenez, rated 22nd amongst Angels prospects by Baseball America, takes over at third base. Shortstop Darwin Perez is one of the most highly touted fielders in the Angels organization and is joined by second baseman Ryan Mount who attempts to come back from an injury-filled 2010.

 

Richards (7th), Reckling (11th) and Arenas (20th) are all ranked by Baseball America amongst the Angels top prospects. Richards led all Angels farm hands with 149 strikeouts between the Angels' Cedar Rapids and Rancho Cucamonga affiliates last year. His 3.52 ERA was second-lowest while Orenas was third in the organization at 3.64. Reckling finished 2010 in the Travs rotation after suffering through a rough few months at Triple-A last year. Right hander Kyle Hurst also joins the starting rotation while the final spot will be filled by a piggyback combo of right hander Eddie McKiernan and lefty Andrew Taylor. McKiernan was the top closer in the Angels organization with 28 saves, while Taylor ranks 28th amongst Angels prospects according to Baseball America.

A Tribute to MLB Opening Day

It is played everywhere. In parks and playgrounds and prison yards. In back alleys and farmer's fields. By small boys and old men. By raw amateurs and millionaire professionals.

It is a leisurely game that demands blinding speed. The only game in which the defense has the ball.

It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime and ending with the hard facts of autumn.

Americans have played baseball for more than 200 years, while they conquered a continent, warred with one another and with enemies abroad, struggled over labor and civil rights and the meaning of freedom.

At its heart lie mythic contradictions: a pastoral game, born in crowded cities; an exhilarating democratic sport that tolerates cheating and has excluded as many as it has included; a profoundly conservative game that often manages to be years ahead of its time.

It is an American odyssey that links sons and daughters to fathers and grandfathers. And it reflects a host of age-old American tensions: between workers and owners, scandal and reform, the individual and the collective.

It is a haunted game in which each player is measured by the ghosts of all who have gone before.

Most of all, it is about time and timelessness, speed and grace, failure and loss, imperishable hope... and coming home.

-- As narrated by John Chancellor in "Baseball"

Pygspin: Razorback fans don't deserve Mike Anderson after what they did to Richardson

Razorback basketball died on March 2, 2002, and if you were one of the people in favor of firing Nolan Richardson that day, you are guilty of killing it.

Nine years ago, the proverbial "turds and a$$holes" won and pushed out the most successful coach in Razorback athletics history not named John McDonnell. Nolan was out after ushering in a 17-year era of unprecedented heights for the University of Arkansas' basketball program.

And in the seasons since, we have all suffered thanks to this massive blunder made by the UA athletic department, some racist cronies on the Board of Trustees, and the fan mob on the Internet and talk shows that spewed its venom toward Nolan and pushed the fire-Nolan campaign until they claimed victory.

Turns out, nine years later after terrible basketball and two coaches, the anti-Nolan crowd actually lost.

A funny thing happened in the last year as the fans soured on yet another Nolan successor: They started to clamor for Mike Anderson as the next coach.

Mike Anderson? The same guy none of these people wanted anything to do with nine years ago when he was the UA's interim basketball coach and desperately wanted the job in spite of everything that was done to his mentor and great friend? The same guy who was passed over yet again when Stan Heath (the guy heralded for emphasizing rebounding, as if that equaled points) got the boot?

Former LSU coach Dale Brown put it best -- what happened to Nolan Richardson at Arkansas was a crime.

Now the same people responsible for that crime are acting like nothing ever happened, and they want Anderson to come in and restore the program to the glory years of -- and here's the punchline -- the Nolan era.

Arkansas Razorback fans don't deserve Mike Anderson after what they did to Nolan.

The Razorback fans who were anti-Nolan and now pro-Anderson are hypocrites. The new talking point from this crowd is that Anderson needed nine years away to establish his own identity. That's just an easy thing to say to rationalize why they were against this hire twice in the last nine years without admitting how wrong they were -- about everything.

All these people really care about is winning after realizing the last nine years were a monumental mistake (just like Pelphrey disciplining players is great until it results in losses, then Pelphrey is suddenly too hard on his players). An apology and a giving of alms from all involved would be more appropriate.

So what does the Mike Anderson hire prove?

It proves they were wrong about firing Nolan.

The Anderson hiring is a victory for all those who stood by Richardson -- and a bitter defeat for those who reveled in firing a coach who brought them the best years of Razorback basketball in the their lives.

It also proves Razorback basketball is finally back.

Now please return the slobbering Hog to its rightful place at center court.

-- Rey Pygsterio

Outfield at Dickey-Stephens for Razorback baseball game disgraces Central Arkansas

I am a University of Arkansas graduate and a baseball fan, yet I have no interest in Razorback baseball. The college version is an inferior product compared to what is on display courtesy of Double-A talent throughout the summer at Dickey-Stephens Park, and the Razorback coach usually comes off as a Grade A ass.

However, bringing Razorback baseball to Dickey-Stephens Park for a single game each spring has two primary benefits that makes me in favor of this amateur display of baseball prowess.

First, the sold-out crowds remind the University of Arkansas administration once again that Central Arkansas is a vital market to the financial success of its sports money makers. A large percentage of donations sent to the Razorback Foundation comes from this area, and fans from Central Arkansas account for a big portion of ticket sales for the big three sports played on the Hill.

But second, and most importantly, hosting the Razorbacks brings out people to Dickey-Stephens Park who otherwise might not realize that this is the premier baseball facility in Arkansas (one that absolutely should be hosting the high school playoffs, but that's a topic for another day). Let's face it, Arkansas is not really a collective "good sports town" unless you are talking about the Razorbacks, and exposure to Dickey-Stephens will bring people to Travelers games starting next month who otherwise might not be interested.

However... if the University of Arkansas athletic department is going to make the effort to bring its brand (which is basically how the athletic director approaches it these days) to Dickey-Stephens Park for a one-game showcase before a sold-out house, the least the Arkansas Travelers could do is HAVE THE FIELD READY AND PRESENTABLE for a game of this magnitude.

At Tuesday night's game, the outfield was mostly patches of yellow, and the infield wasn't too much better. It seems like this problem with the grass has been going on for two or three seasons now, but this is the worst I remember seeing it.

Yes, it is early spring and maybe the grass hasn't come in yet. But I don't see Baum Stadium or AutoZone Park (the Hogs' next destination) using that excuse. The appearance of the field simply put a stain on the game and brought shame to Central Arkansas as it battles back the arrogant tone continuously coming from NWA.

Is it going to be another bad season for the grass at Dickey-Stephens? Maybe it is time to get a refund from the Major League Baseball guy who planted this turf in the first place.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Caption this photo of Shelly

Let's play 'Fact or Fiction'!

It's time to play Fact or Fiction, the fun game where Travelers fans get to decide what is true and what is crazy rumor! In the spirit of Captain Bully S. Whizbang, the truth-to-BS ratio of the items below could sway more toward BS, and no truth is herewith claimed among these items floating in the rumor mill.

This edition of Fact or Fiction focuses on recent rumors about former Travs general manager Chief Operating Office Bill Valentine, who abruptly resigned prior to the start of the 2009 season. Post your answers for a chance to win dinner for two with Shelly, the pro-slavery horse mascot who sold out to big oil.

Fact or Fiction: Valentine, serving in his role as one of two vice presidents for the Texas League Board of Directors, took a trip to Major League Baseball's winter meetings in Orlando and billed the Travs for the trip.

Fact or Fiction: The Travelers front office paid this bill for Valentine's trip, even though he is not supposed to be on the payroll anymore.

Fact or Fiction: Some members or the Travelers' Board of Directors and stockholders are really upset with Valentine for charging this trip to the Travs and for other past simmering issues.

Fact or Fiction: Other members of the Travs' board suggested Travs general manager Pete Laven pay the bill and just keep quiet about it.

Fact or Fiction: Bill Valentine is considering suing the Travelers in order to get his wife's job back as a bookkeeper in the organization.

Fact or Fiction: The Travs tried to hold a secret hot-stove meeting with Torii Hunter in attendance exclusively for people of their choosing. Then when it was canceled because snow in Dallas kept Hunter from making it, they scheduled another hot-stove meeting for all fans and acted like the other one was never planned. And they got away with it!

-- Travelerocity reporter

Canada's greatest baseball player remembers his time with the Travs -- and not fondly thanks to racist idiots

Ferguson Jenkins, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, former Cy Young Award winner, and a bobblehead night giveaway at Ray Winder Field thanks to the parts of three seasons he spent with the Arkansas Travelers from 1963 to 1965, was honored with a Canadian postage stamp in February to commemorate Black History Month.

His time with the Travs was recounted recently in a piece in the Toronto Globe and Mail, and his introduction to the Jim Crow South sounded pretty nasty thanks to the racist element that forever scarred Little Rock.

He was aged 20 when assigned to the Arkansas Travelers, a minor-league team based in Little Rock. Only six years earlier, an angry mob of violent whites confronted nine black students seeking to attend Central High School.

Those same elements did not welcome black athletes. On Opening Day in 1963, white supremacists picketed the ballpark with signs reading, “Don’t Negro-ize baseball.” Other signs included foul epithets.

“At the airport,” Mr. Jenkins remembered, “there were a couple of banners that said, ‘We don’t want black players.’ ”

Only those banners did not use the word black.

“It was a shock at the beginning. But I’d read about it in the paper, so I was used to it. We knew it was going to happen. They told four of us in spring training that we were going to Little Rock and could we handle the pressure.”

He was joined in integrating Arkansas baseball by the slugging Dick Allen, of Wampum, Pa., and fellow pitchers Marcelino Lopez, a Cuban, and Richard Quiroz, a Panamanian.

“The pressure was not on the field,” he said. “It was off the field.”

The 'idiots' responsible for the banners became less obvious once the team began winning. “They embraced us after a while,” he said.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Travs season tickets a bargain compared to new price levels on Razorback football games

The March 1 deadline is looming.

Are you going to "Answer the Call" to empty your wallet out to the Razorback Foundation for the privilege to then empty it out some more to buy season tickets to Arkansas Razorbacks football games?

The University or Arkansas athletic department has priced most of the state out of the market by issuing a drastic increase in required donation levels required to buy season tickets, and ironically the most likely effect will be to eventually reduce the number of season tickets sold.

Why would you double and in some cases triple the amount you spend on season tickets when the games are never sold out and you can easily find tickets for only the games you want to see without having to sit through Louisiana-Monroe? Even if you want to buy season tickets at a higher price, the economics of this will force many fans to take this route, and eventually they will realize it is a better option and never be interested in season tickets again.

Maybe the accounting wizard in the AD's office has it figured out that they can make more money off the nouveau riche of northwest Arkansas as the average fans have to give up desired seating, but other than as a misguided attempt to grab more of the almighty dollar, which has become much more important in college athletics than winning or doing the right thing, I don't see how this plan ever came to fruition.

There are other things out there that provide a better value for the entertainment dollar. In Central Arkansas, take, for instance, the Arkansas Travelers. (The NWA Naturals do not apply because they are not supported as well and have competition with Razorback baseball.)

If purchased as part of a three-year plan, season box seats for the Travs are $400, and season reserved seats, which are just as good as the box seats, are $300.

Meanwhile, for just the two Razorback games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, it costs $115 in required donation for a seat on the 5-yard line that then costs another $120 for the two-game season ticket. That's $235 for one seat at two games, and one of those games will be a lame rent-a-win.

Compared to five months of baseball, I have to question the value of spending $235 for two football games versus $300 for 70 baseball games throughout the summer.

And that's not even taking the Fayetteville games into consideration. At Reynolds Stadium (they have sold out so much I'm not sure you can even call it Razorback Stadium any more), the required donation ranges from $300 for midfield privileges to $50 for upper deck.

So let's take $200 as the donation for our example because that is a level for lower-level seats around the 10-yard line as well as some of the best upper deck seats. Add to that about a $60 per ticket, and you are spending a total of $500 for one season ticket to five Fayetteville games. Since you aren't going alone, add another ticket and that's $1,000.

Then when you consider gas and hotel costs since most people going to those games are driving a considerable distance from across the state, I have to ask -- exactly who does the UA think can afford this plan???

Even as a University of Arkansas graduate, I think I'll take a summer of baseball instead.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Future Traveler Trout called next Mickey Mantle by scout

Former Traveler Brandon Wood was labeled as the next Cal Ripken at one point during his Minor League career. Four years later, he is struggling to stay in the Majors, making the league minimum, and hoping 2011 is finally his breakthrough year.

So you never know.

But...

Mike Trout, a 19-year-old center fielder who is expected to start the season with the Travelers and is the No. 1 prospect in Minor League Baseball, could be different. And in a story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times, many in baseball are making the case that he will be.

Here are a few excerpts of the glowing praise lavished on this future Dickey-Stephens Park resident:

No, one scout had to take it a step further, telling Baseball America last summer that comparisons between Trout, a 19-year-old center fielder in the Angels' minor league system, and Mickey Mantle "are actually pretty good."

Should Angels fans be a little skeptical about Trout too? Not if reviews of the 6-foot-2, 217-pounder with blazing speed, excellent outfield instincts, advanced plate discipline, power potential and solid mental makeup are to be believed.

"I haven't talked to anyone who's seen Trout who hasn't raved about him," said Jim Callis, an editor at Baseball America, one of the sport's authorities on minor league prospects. "One scout I talked to said Trout was the favorite prospect he's ever scouted.

"Another told me he saw him hit a 400-foot home run, and in his next at-bat, he dropped a bunt and got to first in 3.65 seconds. Four seconds is top speed for a major leaguer."

Flores said Trout has a "very unique skill set," headed by explosive speed. Trout is graded an 80 runner on the 20-to-80 scale used by scouts.

"I think Mike is faster than Peter Bourjos," Flores said, referring to the Angels center fielder. "I'd really love to see that footrace, but if someone got hurt I'd die."

Cheap Miser DeWitt opens door for Pujols to head to the Angels -- and maybe then the Travs?

In 2004 I went to see "Fahrenheit 9/11," and when the name Bill DeWitt Jr. was mentioned in the movie, I knew from that point on that this Cincinnati oil man -- who rescued George W. Bush's failing oil company and merged it with Harken Energy, suspected of being involved in insider trading when Bush sold his stock, and then helped Bush buy the Texas Rangers, which went on to introduce Major League Baseball to the steroids era -- could not be trusted to do what was in the best interest of one of the golden franchises in all of sports, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Instead, he's done what's in the best interest of his wallet, constantly coming up with ways to lower payroll by signing players off the scrap heap to play second base or turn the focus to player development in a way so drastic it ran off one of the most successful general managers in the game, Walt Jocketty, who immediately turned around the Cincinnati Reds.

DeWitt has already proved to be one of the great misers in sports ownership, rivaling even the ways of our own Bill Valentine, famous for shutting off the stadium lights before the fans could even get out of their seats after the last out and never replacing a centuries-old urine trough.

Now DeWitt has pulled the ultimate Mr. Cheap Miser move in offering Albert Pujols, the best player in the game who has provided the Cardinals with a decade of premium services at a discount, a lowball contract that would make him the third-highest paid player in baseball -- at his position.

Short of an Egyptian protest situation developing in the Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium, the Cardinals ownership has basically said no thanks to Pujols' services beyond 2011.

Some people in Little Rock are still smarting from what might have been in 2000 when Pujols was coming up in the Cardinals farm system. He started the year in low-A Potomac, played most of the season in high-A Peoria, and then skipped the Double-A Arkansas Travelers to finish the year at Triple-A Memphis.

What might have been? Pujols could have been perhaps the greatest "former Traveler" of all time. The Travs could still be handing out Pujols bobbleheads and whatever else to pack the house.

No matter how the Los Angeles Angels screw Central Arkansas on rehab assignments, they will never be able to top Jocketty's passing over the Travs on Pujols. Was it Ray Winder Field? Was it his relationship with Valentine? We will never know.

Now the irony: If St. Louis ownership pulls the worst sports blunder of the year and doesn't sign Pujols, the odds-on favorite to land him is -- the Los Angeles Angels.

Arte Moreno, if you pull this one off, you can right this decade-old wrong by sending us Pujols for a one-game rehab assignment. He doesn't even have to be injured.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Reagins: Mike Trout WILL start season with Arkansas Travelers

The debate is over before he has even reported to spring training: Mike Trout, the most electrifying player in Minor League Baseball and rated by most as the No. 1 overall prospect destined for superstardom in the Majors, will start the season with the Arkansas Travelers.

That's according to Tony Reagins, the Los Angeles Angels general manager who used to grace us with his appearance (and put up with Bill Valentine's roast-style introduction) at the Travs hot stove meeting back when he was the Angels' farm director.

Reagins was quoted by Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Shaikin as saying 19-year-old phenom Trout was slated for the Travs and would probably not make it to the Angels in 2011.

But Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who will have new Travs manager Bill Mosiello sending players to steal every base just as Bobby Magallanes was forced to, says Trout will be on the Angels depth chart late in the year and would not be surprised if he gets called up.

Will Trout be the next Brandon Wood? Odds are he is going to be on a much faster track to Los Angeles. Buy your baseball cards now, autograph hounds.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Angels have No. 8 farm talent, Cards at No. 17, says Fanhouse

The highly prestigious Fanhouse farm-system rankings are out from National MLB Analyst Frankie Piliere, and Travelers fans anxious to see some of the top talent in baseball come through will be happy to see that the Los Angeles Angels are ranked eighth out of all Major League Baseball teams.

Here's what renowned analyst Frankie Piliere had to say:

8. Los Angeles Angels | '10 Rank: 20 | Players in Top 100: 5
Some might say this is a little high for the Angels, but if you buy into their low-level talent like I do, it's just about right. It sure doesn't hurt to have baseball's No. 1 prospect, Mike Trout, in your system either. They racked up talent in the 2010 draft and have sleeper arms like Garrett Richards and Fabio Martinez who could break out in a big way in 2011.

Meanwhile, you fans of the St. Louis Cardinals will be happy to see that the Cards' farm system ranked a little lower. Here's what the insightful Frankie Piliere had to say about the team the vast majority of Arkansas baseball fans have followed throughout the annals of history:

17. St. Louis Cardinals | '10 Rank: 27 | Players in Top 100: 2
The Cardinals aren't known for taking high school pitchers, but it sure looks like they picked the right time to grab one in selecting Shelby Miller in the first round of the 2009 draft. St. Louis is building a solid amount of depth behind Miller and overall appears to have a system on the rise.

So the Angels are ranked No. 8 and are apparently sending the top Minor League player to Dickey-Stephens for at least part of this season. Sounds awesome. But which team of prospects would you really rather watch?

-- Travelerocity reporter

What do you think about the Travs' new pinstriped jerseys?

 

I was undecided about the new look or the need to change the jersey. What was wrong with the old one? Is this being done just to increase sales in the souvenir shop?

Then I read this quote from Travelers GM Pete Laven:

"We were thinking about red or blue when considering pinstripes so I walked down the ballpark concourse to the museum and was immediately drawn to the 1937 Travs team composite photo. That team wore navy-blue pinstripes, which I thought looked great. There's something about pinstripes that impart this classic old-time look. I consider the Travelers a classic baseball franchise and the pinstripes help add that feel to the uniforms."

Hard to argue with that.

What is not hard to argue with is throwing on a shoulder patch of "the famous Halo logo" of the Los Angeles Angels. Not classic or necessary.

A new road uniform will be debut next year. Will it dump "North" above "Little Rock" or return it to "Arkansas"?

-- Travelerocity reporter

Are you going to the Travelers' hot stove meeting on Tuesday?

Travelerocity is looking for reports from fans who attended Tuesday's night hot stove meeting. What was said? What did you think about it? Post your thoughts in the comments below or send them in an e-mail to travelerocity@gmail.com.

On a quick other note, congratulations to Travs radio voice Phil Elson, who will be calling eight University of Arkansas baseball games on the Razorback Sports Network in February and March until Razorback basketball season is mercifully over and Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer can return to Hog baseball full time. Maybe now more people throughout the state can hear what a talent this guy is.

Bottoms up, food out! Travs may dump food at Ump's and turn it into bar-only service

Can't wait to order the Pooh Bear Challenge deep-fried hamburger, Triple Crown fried-bologna sandwich, or Reuben Sierra when the season starts?

It may be no soup for you!

The Ump's Pub & Grill restaurant at Dickey-Stephens Park, which closed during the offseason this year for the first time since the new stadium opened, may turn into a bar and serve only alcoholic beverages to the assortment of characters hanging out there when the ballpark reopens in April.

This info comes courtesy of Billy Stinnette, the Travs' director of food and beverage, who for some odd reason is quoted in a story about the Indianapolis Indians to make the case that their new ballpark restaurant will be a hit, while at the same time explaining that the Travs not only had to close their restaurant during the offseason but are now considering closing it altogether.

Stinnette says the restaurant didn't succeed in the offseason because diners had to park a "daunting 50 yards away," according to the story.

Has Ump's been doomed since it changed from Valentine's and no longer had the old GM running the place? I actually thought a sports bar made a lot more sense and probably had a lot less drama in the kitchen.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Breaking News: Hunter out, public in for hot stove meeting on Feb. 8

After trying to pull off a secret hot stove meeting on Feb. 1 for VIPs featuring an appearance by MLB star Torii Hunter only to be thwarted by the winter weather in Dallas -- and at the urging of Travelerocity -- the Arkansas Travelers have scrapped the closed-to-the-public hot stove meeting and are letting all fans in for the rescheduled event.

The annual hot stove meeting, a winter tradition for many long-time Travs fans (even those who don't have season tickets), is moving back to Little Rock for the first time since the team's exodus across the river. It will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the old spot in the Holy Souls church in Hillcrest.

New Travs manager Bill Mosiello, former assistant coach at Hog-fan favorites Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Auburn, will be in attendance to discuss how he will be forced to send runners at all costs by Angels manager Mike Scioscia just as former manager Bobby Magallanes (now with the Birmingham Barons) was for the last four years to the frustration of many Travs fans.

Not in attendance will be Los Angeles Angels farm director Abe Flores, who last year told the crowd he would keep it short because he knew everyone had better things to do. What did he think we were there for?

Well, free Pig N'Chick, "ballpark beverages," door prizes, stories about interns, and the feeling that spring training is right around the corner are also good reasons to go.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Travs erase Facebook comments from fans asking about hot stove

Here's a sampling of the comments that have suddenly been wiped off the Arkansas Travelers' Facebook page. Who knows how many were deleted, but I saw at least one other inquiry not included here.

The top comment from the Travs is the only official word the organization ever gave about the hot stove meeting. There was never any announcement it was being held, so it is no wonder many were confused to see a cryptic announcement about its cancellation.

I guess those holding a golden ticket have been notified of the rescheduled date, but the average fan remains excluded unless you want to file a Freedom of Information request since the facility the Travs operate from was built on the back of North Little Rock taxpayers (who are not invited to the hot stove).

-- Travelerocity reporter

Travs' annual hot stove meeting lands star but shuts out fans

The annual winter warm-up known as the Arkansas Travelers hot stove meeting was canceled on a chilly Tuesday night because the star attraction -- Los Angeles Angels right fielder and Central Arkansas homeboy Torii Hunter -- was presumably stuck in Dallas thanks to the winter storm all the media people in town for the Super Bowl are constantly whining about.

Wait, what's that? You had no idea the anticipated hot stove meeting was scheduled for Tuesday? And you didn't know we were finally getting an appearance by an Angels player after all these years of nothing at the annual event???

Unless you were one of the special people included on a list of about 180 VIPs invited to this year's hot stove meeting, you are not alone in having no idea this was taking place.

That's right, the Travs finally land an actual MLB star and in-state favorite, and what do they do? Exclude the fans! 

Call me crazy, but ever since I started hearing Jim Elder talk up the annual hot stove meetings during his morning and afternoon sportscasts on KARN Newsradio 920, I got the impression that the idea was to generate interest among the fans as baseball nears its return to spring training and maybe sell a few season tickets as a result.

Why have they been giving away free hot dogs and beer to entice people to come otherwise?!?!

This blog began in January 2006 because this franchise was mostly in a state of neglect by the community, and I wanted Central Arkansas to wake the hell up to this overlooked gem in the city as if it has the Boston Red Sox in the backyard.

Several times since it has been suggested that the Angels, also neglecting this gem in its own way, give us some respect and bring a player once in a while like so many other Minor League teams across the country seem to get when the parent club hauls some kind of caravan into town, and when the Angels signed Hunter it was said here that this was the perfect marriage for a hot stove appearance.

So an Angel finally shows up, and on top of that it's Torii Hunter rather than some jobber Bill Valentine complained about on his way to the bigs, and what do the Travs do? They close the hot stove meeting to the public.

Other than their selected VIPs, none of the Travs' long-time fans were deemed worthy enough. Heck, I bet Arkansas Al Janssen didn't even get an invite!

Even the media seemed to be in the dark from the people I talked to. This was a golden moment to put the Travs in the media spotlight like no other time this year.

A tremendously missed opportunity -- unless they right this wrong when the hot stove meeting is rescheduled. If not, they will be hearing about this for years to come from resentful fans. If you thought the complaints about cold popcorn were virulent, you ain't heard nothing.

So if you aren't one of the exclusive people invited this year, in addition to missing Torii Hunter, I guess you will just have to miss Angels farm director Abe Flores's BS about winning being the first priority and Bill Valentine standing in the back making snide remarks while other people are talking -- which were the highlights last year.

Once again it's on.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Travelerocity is on hiatus

If you are looking for news on the Arkansas Travelers, visit the Travs and Such blog.

The Washington Nationals of the Texas League

If the best the Los Angeles Angels can do is send us the Washington Nationals of the Texas League, is it really worth any of our efforts to follow the team? Pete and the Travs organization do a great job with all they do, so it's unfortunate they have to deal with this product on the field. And that record against NWA? A disgrace. For every runner Scioscia orders to run into an easy out, that's one less game fans should attend from now on. We are through watching the practice games of a team the parent club isn't serious about.

First-half summary

Travelers lead the Texas League in stolen bases.

Travelers are last in the Texas League in wins.

It's the Angels way, and you can see where the priority is.

-- Travelerocity reporter

Corvette show coming to Dickey-Stephens Saturday night

When you enter Dickey-Stephens for the ballgame Saturday night you will see something never before promoted by the Travelers.

Lots and lots of America's Sports Car will be parked in the entrance plaza for you to see and drool over. The event is being co-sponsored by the Central Arkansas Corvette Club and the Travelers and more than fifty Corvettes are expected to be on hand. 

 The Corvette Club is one of the biggest in the southwest and member cars from vintage to '09 will be parked in the plaza, like this '03 Torch Red 50th Anniversary model.

Enjoy, and pray for no foul balls.

-- Lonesome Traveler

O'Sullivan back down, Francisco Rodriguez and Stu Cole go up

It was a night at the "Show" to remember. But after a one-night-stand in the big leagues, RHP and former '09 Traveler Sean O'Sullivan was optioned back to Salt Lake today and another former Traveler, Rafael Rodriguez was recalled to the Angels.

 

But what a night for the 21-year-old O'Sullivan, who started the season in the Travelers' rotation. O'Sullivan kept the Angels' victory streak alive with a win over the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night in his Major League debut. (Complete coverage prior Travelerocity post.)

There was another promotion late last week involving the Texas League, but this time it was a manager.

 

Former Tulsa Driller Manager Stu Cole (above) Is now calling the shots for the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The recent firing of Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle got Cole the promotion and caused a string of managerial changes for the Colorado system.

Stepping in for Cole at Tulsa as the new Drillers manager for the remainder of the '09 season will be 44-year-old Ron Gideon.(above) Gideon had been the Roving Field Coordinator for Colorado since 2006 and has been involved in the Rockies' system for 14 years. He has ten years experience managing in the minors and was also a player in the Texas League.

Cole replaces former Sky Sox manager Tom Runnels, who was promoted to the big leagues as bench coach for the Rockies replacing Jim Tracy, who was named manager of Colorado after Hurdle was fired.

At the time of his promotion Cole, seen above at Dickey-Stephens, had the Drillers in second place in the Texas League North Division. He spent more than three season seasons as manager of the Drillers, but his new job will be a homecoming of sorts. He played for the Sky Sox from 1993-95 and helped the club win a PCL Championship.

--Lonesome Traveler

Two former '09 Trav pitchers have great nights in debuts

Talk about coming through. Wow! 22-year-old Trevor Bell did just that Tuesday night in his Triple-A debut for the Salt Lake Bees.

  

Bell was called-up from Arkansas to Salt Lake Sunday night and in a masterful  performance against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Rockies), the right-hander pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. Trevor struck out four and had no walks while facing the minimum 27 batters. Only three Sky Sox hitters reached base. Two were wiped out in double plays and the other was caught stealing. Bell was quoted as saying he was nervous before the start, but battery-mate and former Traveler Bobby Wilson helped settle him in.

 

The likeable Bell had a Texas League leading ERA of 2.23 when he was promoted with a 4-3 record at Arkansas and a team high 51 K's. He was also named along with five other Travelers to the Texas League All-Star squad, which was released Tuesday. 

 

Another former Traveler pitcher who was promoted from this year's team also has a smile on his face this Wednesday morning. Burly Sean O'Sullivan (above) got the call to the Angels to fill in for Ervin Santana and won his debut Tuesday night in an interleague game at San Francisco against the Giants.

 

O'Sullivan, who was 5-2 in ten starts with the Bees, earned the victory over the Giants with seven strong innings while giving up one run on five hits, with one walk. He had five strikeouts along the way. The Angel hitters gave him plenty of run support in the 8-1 victory for the club's fifth win in a row. Sean had to know there was some magic in the air because of all things, it was Irish Heritage Night at AT&T Park.

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Back from the DL---

I'm not sure if it was my scanner or my back/shoulder that broke down first. Then as if taking a cue, my computer slowly sank in to oblivion right before my eyes one night as I was trying to post for this blog. It really didn't matter because the pain just sitting at the keyboard was so severe I couldn't do it anyway. And so with that I, along with my computer, went on the DL.

Although not completely recovered and still not able to sit very long, (and yes I've missed attending games because of it) I am better and thanks to the guru Tommy Apple at Northwest Arkansas Techs in Fayetteville, my computer obviously is much better. (Yes, Tommy Apple is his real name.)

So it's good to be back posting, and I have a stack of stuff to share, like congrats to G.M. Pete Laven for putting together the best looking set of Traveler Team Cards I can remember, and a month earlier than normal. I'd feature one, but still don't have a scanner as the old one is in a trash can in Fayetteville. But no matter....it's good to be off the DL.

--Lonesome Traveler

Five questions with #4 prospect, LHP Trevor Reckling

When 18-year-old Trevor Reckling took the hill and fanned the first two batters he faced in his '07 pro debut with the Rookie League Arizona Angels, heads probably turned. And they have been turning ever since.

 

Reckling (3-1), who just turned twenty, is currently leading the Texas League with a 2.12 ERA and has 26 strikeouts. The Angels #4 prospect was called-up to the Travelers on April 23 from High-A Rancho Cucamonga after dominating the California League in three starts. In 19 innings for the Quakes the opposition was just hitting .138 against him and he had only given up three walks, with a 0.90 ERA. The Newark, New Jersey native was the youngest player in the Texas League went he was sent-up and sparkled in his debut win for the Travs a few days later.

 

Trevor was taken in the eighth round of the '07 draft by the Angels out of St. Benedict's Prep School in Newark and was the second New Jersey high schooler taken. After his rookie campaign he spent '08 at Low-A Cedar Rapids and was the Midwest League's youngest starting pitcher.

  

Reckling led the Kernels with 10 wins and during one stretch had a 29-inning scoreless streak using his smooth delivery and three-plus pitches. The 6' 2" 205 pound left-hander didn't turn twenty until May 22 and possesses possibly the best changeup in the Angels' system along with a low 90's fastball that he keeps down and locates beautifully. If that wasn't enough, he has a fall-off-the-table curveball. So when I recently met with him before the club left on the current road trip I asked the obvious question first.

Q: How did you learn to pitch so well, so young?

A: It's the work I've been doing in the off-season. It's paying-off.

Q: You were the Angels' "Minor League Pitcher of the Month" for April and now you have the lowest ERA in the Texas League with a 3-1 record. Are you surprised at your success so soon?

A: You know it was just both teams I've been playing with. Good chemistry on both teams and good defense behind me and again, hard work that's been paying-off in the off-season.

Q: You have three legitimate pitches. Is your changeup your best?

A: First would have to be my fastball. After that it would have to be my changeup.

Q: You probably had never been to Little Rock or Arkansas before you got here. What's the best thing you've seen about Little Rock so far?

A: Well actually I have. I was in Fayetteville. I tried out for a Perfect Game Showcase for high school kids coming up, and college, and draft status.  Around here I like the scenery with the games being downtown. I really like the scenery.

Q: What's your latest status update on Facebook?

A: Well, I just put put one in. It said, "We just got a win! First one in awhile." (Note: The Travelers had just broken an eight game losing streak with a win in the second game of a doubleheader on Memorial Day .)

 

Reckling is scheduled to take the mound tonight (Sat.) for his seventh Arkansas start against the Missions at San Antonio.

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Just when you think you've seen it all, then this.

 

Long time Traveler fan Tommy Green facing-up former Trav big Corey Smith for a foul ball whack he took off Smith's bat during the final home stand game between the Travelers and the Naturals.

 

I held my breath as Green tossed his bloody towel aside and showed the burly Northwest Arkansas infielder the dirty-deed that had required medical attention.

 

 

But it was all in jest, as Green was yanking the chain of the former Traveler fan-favorite, who had responded with genuine concern. Green said he was yakking instead of paying attention when he got whacked, and being as nimble as he is, normally would have darted out of the way.

 

-- Lonesome Traveler

Coby Smith stops losing streak with Memorial Day walkoff hit

 

With the blossoms from Cottonwood trees and not rain drops pouring over Dickey-Stephens Park, Arkansas finally picked up a win late Monday afternoon.

The Travelers had lost the first game 2-1 and so by taking the second game of the Memorial Day doubleheader against Northwest Arkansas, the team picked up its first win since May 15, and snapped an eight game losing streak when Nate Sutton came streaking home (below)in the first extra inning of the seven inning contest.

 

The Travs' utility player scored the only run of the game on a single by left fielder Coby Smith, who was Arkansas' "Player of the Month" for April.

 

Sutton led the inning off with a walk against Naturals' reliever Greg Holland and then given a second chance because of extra innings, center fielder Peter Bourjos extended his hit streak to 18 games on this swing (above)to advance Sutton to second.

Holland hadn't given up a run in more than eleven innings and was bringing his fast ball at 95-96 mph on the Dickey-Stephen's gun before Smith (seen above #11, from first game of doubleheader) connected for his winning hit with one out to score Sutton.

 

Arkansas' pitching was outstanding in the win over the Naturals, and basically it was an "all-reliever" corps that got it done. Left-handed Barret Browning (above) had made 128 appearances in his Minor League career from the bullpen and had never started, until Monday. He pitched five scoreless innings with just two hits and no walks before giving way to right-handed Robert Mosebach (below).

 

Mosebach allowed only one hit in two innings and David Herndon, who relieved Mosebach, got the win after striking out the side in the eighth.

There was also another stellar relief performance Memorial Day.

    

 

Once again the grounds crew and interns saved the day after a twenty-two minute rain delay in the first game of the doubleheader. Pushed to the wall with the weather conditions over the holiday weekend this crew gets my vote as the "Most Valuable Players."

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As requested by The White House, all Americans were asked to stop what they were doing Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m. CST and to pause and honor our service men and women, who lost their lives fighting for freedom. This is how that moment looked at Dickey-Stephens.

 

 

 

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There was a new record set in Chicago Monday night at Wrigley Field and it was bad. I didn't think it possible anyone could top Mike Ditka for the all-time worst rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" but it happened when Mr. T sang or barked his version during the seventh inning stretch.

A close honorable mention (is honorable the right word to use here) would be Ozzy Osbourne's version but he was so stoned and/or drunk he basically just hummed it and really never sang, so I rank Mr. T's the worst over Ditka's.

Being a Chicago native, at least Mr. T knew he was at Wrigley Field, not Stadium as NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon pathetically called it when he sang his version drowned out by boos before he could finish.

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Coming Soon, "Five Questions" with Angels' #4 prospect and Traveler left-handed starter, twenty-year-old Trevor Reckling.

   

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And finally....here's a family that sticks together and plays together.

 

-- Lonesome Traveler

You win some, you lose some, and the rest are rained out

For the third time this season Mother Nature washed out another game at Dickey-Stephens that was to have been played Sunday night against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

 

This is where the scoreboard stood when play was stopped at 6:00 p.m. You think it may be hard on the players, especially the pitchers, wondering when to warm up again after a delay and how much? That's nothing. It's these guys who have the nightmare to deal with.

 

After a day of soaking rain there was a little window of let-up prior to game-time, and the grounds crew and interns had to scurry around and somehow get the field ready in time for play.

 

The first step is to take all the tarps off that have been covering the infield and start painting lines and cursing.

 

And just observing what was going on you could almost imagine the conversations that might have been occurring between the boss and the slaves.

"But wait, isn't that another huge, big black cloud rolling in?" To which the reply probably was, "Shut up and keep working. Who asked you?  Laven's got hot dogs to sell."

 

 

An by golly they got it done and the Travelers' starter and #2 Angels' prospect, Jordan Walden actually got five batters out in order. And then.....

Remember that really big, black cloud?  Well it had its way, and umbrellas went up, and the players scattered to the dugouts.

And....and guess who has to do this all over again?

  

More cursing.

 

When it rains and blows sideways and you don't think it's going to quit, it's time to vamoose to the club house and maybe hold a session of "Kangaroo Court" or update Facebook, which are all good possibilities as to what the players may have had on their minds as they trudged off the quagmire of a playing surface. Let's just hope they didn't Twitter.

 

And what do the fans do during an almost two hour rain-delay? Well, a lot just move back to drier seats and you know.....watch it rain.

 

Some stand in the concourse and contemplate buying a funnel cake.

 

Or watch these guys again cavort in the outfield while being shown on the big screen as the video director has an animated character dance along with them.

 

 

Anything to beat the boredom of this.

 

But alas all hopes for a Sunday night ball game leading-in to watching a huge fireworks display from Riverfest while in your comfortable seat at Dickey-Stephens was halted when the game was called.

By the way, they almost did start the game again at one point, and guess what came off, and then had to be put back when it was an official rain out?

  

 Right. (Lots more cursing.)

-- Lonesome Traveler

Comeback snuffed out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth

A colleague called it, a "freak-show" kind of game. It was that Saturday. Why? Well the game featured eight pitchers; 15 combined runs on 21 hits and five errors; one side batting-around in the eighth; the other side batting-around in the ninth; a wild bottom of the ninth comeback rally from the Travs when they looked for sure to be out of it; and an equally wild play to end it when a kid, who flew all day to get there, was thrown out at the plate on what would have been the sixth and tying run in the frame. Even a guy in the dizzy-bat-race got knocked cold when he crashed in to his fellow-contestant and lay on the field for some time before being assisted off.

 

  

 

In the end the Travelers lost another one-run game 8-7 to Northwest Arkansas, its  seventhstraight loss and 14th of the past 18. It also marked the first Double-A loss for the Angels' #4 left-handed prospect, Trevor Reckling (3-1), who turned twenty Friday.

 

 

Reckling had only thrown 49 pitches with no runs through the first four innings, but in the fifth alone he threw 30 pitches and allowed three runs on a double, two singles, two walks ,and a balk. He faced the first two batters in the sixth, who reached on an error and a single, before he was removed.

 

His counter-part, #2 Royals' prospect Daniel Cortes although giving up six walks, which the Travs never cashed in, left after five without allowing a hit on 98 pitches with 2 K's.

 

   

Ironically it was Cortes (2-4) and Reckling who matched up back in April during Trevor's Double-A debut at Dickey-Stephens, which Reckling won.

 

Despite the loss center fielder Peter Bourjos stretched his consecutive hit-streak to 16 games.

 

He entered the game hitting a team-leading .322 and was 2-for-6 for the day. One of those hits with two outs in the bottom of the ninth brought home one run run and nearly another.

 

And who is this guy, #17? That's twenty two-year-old, 5' 9" 155 pound switch-hitting Ivan Contreras, who flew all day to get to the park for the game and got a hit his first time up, and then contributed to the ninth inning rally with another single before being tagged out at the plate on the play that ended the game after Bourjos lined his hit to deep right-center.

 

Contreras, a Dominican native, was called-up from extended spring training to replace second baseman Ryan Mount, who sprained his right wrist fouling off a pitch Friday night. Mount has been placed on the 7-day disabled list.

 

In case you've been wondering, and I know I have, the reason Hank Conger (#24 above and below) isn't playing is because he has a hurt right wrist also. He hasn't played since last Monday on the road, and as far as I could tell no other source has reported on his absence, so I asked him. He has not been placed on the DL and wasn't sure when he would see action. He called it minor, so maybe he'll see action tomorrow (Sunday.)

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There was a surprise in the Travelers' lockers Friday when the team arrived at the park for the start of the four-game home stand against Northwest Arkansas. New alternate, red jerseys that look great but didn't help as the team gave up a lead late and lost to the Naturals 4-3 in ten. Left fielder #5 Nate Sutton (above) had a very nice Friday night at the plate going four-for-four with a triple, a double, and two singles.

 

 

General Manager Pete Laven said the team really didn't have an alternate jersey besides the batting practice jerseys and said these were designed to be especially cool during the hot-humid days approaching.

 

Happy Memorial Day everyone and God bless our troops.

-- Lonesome Traveler

New single released by leader of Travelers' Halos dance team

 

The Halos dance team debuted at Dickey-Stephens Park on Saturday night May 9th and will be performing each Saturday night home game throughout the season.

Now the leader of the Halos, Brittany Campbell, has a debut of her own. A brand new single just released called, "If You Only Knew". It's a hot tune and was also written by her.

   

How did all this happen? Well you may recall from a previous post, Campbell won the Arkansas Idol contest last year sponsored by Central Arkansas radio station Alice 107. As the winner, Brittany's prize was a studio session to record her song. She's got a great voice, so maybe in addition to dancing at the Travelers' games, we suggest the club let her sing with the Halos as well. A music track to "If You Only Knew" while she sang it live and the Halos danced, would be very cool. Click on the link to hear it for yourself.

 

This Memorial Day weekend the Halos will be back in action on Saturday night when the Travelers take on Northwest Arkansas.

-- Lonesome Traveler

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Late word has come that the Halos will not be performing as usual on Saturday, but rather at Sunday's game instead, which is scheduled to begin at a special time of 5:30 p.m. All games this weekend are at special times because of Riverfest. Here is the schedule:

Friday night--6:00 p.m.

Saturday--2:00 p.m.

Sunday night--5:30 p.m.

Memorial Day--2:00 p.m.

In this observer's opinion Dickey-Stephens has the best viewing sites in the twin-cities after the game on Sunday night for the huge fireworks show to conclude Riverfest.

L.T.

Wallace zooms up to Memphis from the Springfield Cardinals

Springfield had barely left town last week from its first visit to Dickey-Stephens in '09 when the St Louis Cardinal's #2 prospect Brett Wallace (below) got the call-up to Triple-A Memphis.

 

Signed for $1.84 million, Wallace was the 13th overall draft pick by St. Louis last June and in a fact pointed out in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch blog post , is the first of the '08 top 15 to make it to Triple-A. And in less than a year's time as a pro, Baseball America says he "Already is one of the best pure hitters in the minors." Wallace won the Pac-10 Conference triple crown in '07 and '08 for Arizona Sate so hitting is his gift. It's his defense that will really be scrutinized now that he is with the Red Birds.

 

Wallace came in to Dickey-Stephens playing third and will do so at Memphis for the time being. He's replaced David Freese, who is on the DL with and ankle injury. In his first game for the Red Birds this past weekend, Brett went 3-for-4.

   

To me, Wallace's defense is adequate at best. Since he hasn't even played a full season in Double-A and skipped High-A, his glove will be put to the test at the hot corner in Memphis.

  

But whether the 22-year-old 6' 1" 245 pound prospect, who bats left and throws right, is at third or moved to left you can bet he won't be going back down. Derrick Goold in his above-referenced blog post says, "the club is certain of only the place they don't expect him to go again--back in Class AA."

-- Lonesome Traveler

A tale of two pitching Trevors

Their style is different. They fling their pitches with opposite arms. But the names are the same, and both are starting and excelling for the Travelers.

 

Trevor Bell above, and Trevor Reckling below.

 

Between them they have six of Arkansas' fifteen victories and the pair have struck out 47 batters. When you accomplish that, good stats follow. Reckling has an astonishing 1.05 ERA in four games, while Bell's is superior also at 2.25 (2nd/League officially) in six games.

One throws left.

 

And one throws right.

 

Both Trevors getting it done for the Travelers and the Los Angeles Angels. One from the east coast, and one from the west coast.

  

22-year-old Trevor Bell is from La Crescenta, California and was the #1 draft choice by the Angels (37th pick overall/supplemental) out of high school in '05. He is an all-around athlete and in high school batted .367 as a senior and slugged 26 round-trippers during his prep career. He was rated the top 14-year-old in the country by Baseball America.

Scouting Report:

Trevor's heat hits the gun consistently in the low 90's. He has an excellent hard late-breaking curveball and something in common with the other pitching Trevor. A nice change-up. He attacks the zone and has allowed only one home-run this season with an average of 1.6 walks per game.

 

In his three Angel system stops along the way before reaching Arkansas, his combined won/loss record was 19-14 with 236 strikeouts. Strikeouts are now becoming Bell's trademark. The 6'  2" 190 pound right-hander tied the team season high for strikeouts with nine during six innings last Monday at Dickey-Stephens against Springfield for his third Traveler win. He starts again tonight (Saturday) at Tulsa.

 

19-year-old Trevor Reckling, seen above getting his official team photo taken by photographer Ed Hamilton, is the youngest player in the Texas League. The Newark, New Jersey native's twentieth birthday is next Friday, the 22nd, if you'd like to wish him "Happy Birthday!"

  

Reckling made his winning debut with the Travelers (above) April 26 and has been phenomenal ever since. The Angels' #4 prospect's ERA (1.05) is unofficially the lowest in the League and he has not lost since being promoted from Rancho Cucamonga. (3-0, one no-decision.)

  

At 6' 2" and 205 pounds, Reckling was selected by the Angels in the eighth round of the '07 draft out of St. Benedicts Prep School in Newark. And when taking the hill for the first time in professional baseball, the young Reckling struck out the first two batters he faced in the Arizona Rookie League.

Scouting Report:

Trevor has three-plus pitches and demonstrates them all with superior control and location. He has a huge-bending curveball, a hard slider, and possibly the best change-up in the entire Angels' system. The left-hander's fastball is not over-powering, staying in the high 80's to low 90's, but like with all his pitches he uses it with tremendous command. Reckling keeps his pitches down, targets his locations, and most important has great hill presence. He stays focused and never gets rattled while displaying a beautiful, smooth delivery. He's allowed no home-runs in his four Traveler starts.

 

In his last start Tuesday night against the Springfield Cardinals Trevor struggled more than he has, giving up seven hits and one earned run, but persevered for his third Double-A win. After the team has a day-off on Sunday, Reckling should get his next start against Springfield at Hammons Field on Monday.

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"Whose Back is This?"--(reveal)

This was the back pictured in a previous post.

  

Whose was it? Those who guessed Traveler General Manger Pete Laven were correct.

  

Although some answers to the question, "Why is he wearing #17?", were juuuust a bit outside. Besides being an Angels' fan naturally, Pete is a Cubs' fan and his favorite player is infielder Mike Fontenot, who wears the same number.

-- Lonesome Traveler

Wild Mother's Day comeback wasted as Travelers lose again

In a wacky Mother's Day game that had almost everything, Arkansas was waaaaay down, then came back, then lost Sunday 10-9 to Springfield. It was the fifth loss in a row for the Travelers, who have now lost six of the past seven and are in danger of dropping both series during this current home stand.

 

 

 

To honor mom and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure-Arkansas, pink jerseys and pink bats were the order of the day.

 

To help beat breast cancer, the Foundation held a silent auction throughout the game for bidders to claim the pink Traveler uniforms. After a quick inspection about a third of the way through the game, Traveler catcher/DH, Hank Conger's jersey (below) was getting the hottest action.

 

The game itself was a tale of total opposites.

 

The Cardinals led 8-0 after five thanks in part to four home runs, two by DH Mark Hamilton, who is seen above connecting on this pitch for his first in the third  inning.

 

The oft-injured slugger appears to be healthy now all right. His first home run on the first pitch he saw from starter Amalio Diaz was a rocket high up on the berm in right field. His second, a huge blast also off Diaz, went in the same direction but cleared everything and landed in the picnic area above the berm.

 

It looked like Springfield was going to cruise in a laugher, but the Travelers came roaring back. Well, that's not exactly true. In one of the oddest comebacks ever, the Travelers scored nine in the sixth to take the lead. It's how they did it that was the head scratcher.

 

This mother and grandmother are probably still trying to explain to this child the improbability of what happened Mother's Day afternoon. Let me see if I can summarize.

 

Arkansas didn't have a runner past second through five, then sent 15 men to the plate in the sixth. Remember when I said the team didn't exactly roar back? Well, the nine runs they scored came on seven walks (five consecutive), three base hits,(all singles), one error, and one hit-by-pitch. Most of the walks in the inning came with bases loaded, and the big blow was a two RBI single by Wilberto Ortiz.

 

But then Springfield came back in the eighth after a hit by #2 third base prospect Brett Wallace (above) to start the inning and scored twice to ice the game away, taking the first two of the four game series from the Travs.

The Cardinals rung up 17 hits off four Traveler pitchers in a game that lasted three and one-half hours, by far the longest of the season for Arkansas in more ways than one.

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Whose back is this and why is he wearing #17? The reveal in a future post.

-- Lonesome Traveler

Halos highlight series opener against Springfield Cardinals

As the Travelers' losing streak reached four games and the bats, except for Hank Conger's, were quiet again Saturday night in a 4-1 defeat against Springfield, there was one bright spot!

 

  

Meet the Halos, Arkansas' official new dance team.

 

 

As first reported last month in a Travelerocity exclusive, the Halos will perform each Saturday night home game throughout the season, dancing not only on-top the dug outs but on the field as well.

 

How did this dance team come together for its debut at Dickey-Stephens Saturday night?  According to a source it starts, interestingly enough, with former North Little Mayor and Chamber head Terry Hartwick, who pitched the idea to Traveler General Manager Pete Laven. Pete gave it the green light and then through a family association, Hartwick knew some one who would be perfect to lead and direct the squad. This beautiful young lady, 19-year-old Brittany.

  

Brittany is the Director/Captain for the Halos and put the team together. But besides being a great dancer, she is a gifted singer. Central Arkansas fans may recall she won the Arkansas Idol contest last year sponsored by radio station Alice 107. As the winner the radio station arranged for a studio recording session, and her new single will be released soon exclusively on Alice.

     

The squad will perform several times during the game and then sign autographs.

 

 

One autograph request location Saturday night was well, shall I say...unusual. The picture tells it all.

 

So Saturday nights at Dickey-Stephens will be a lot more livelier now. Sorry Shelly, you are great , but.....

 

-- Lonesome Traveler

Trash can whack crowns new champion at Friday night match

There was a big but small event at Dickey-Stephens Friday night.

 

No, it wasn't kids staring at fish in a tank.

 

It was the Midget New World Order Heavyweight Championship featuring the challenger, 4' 4" Puppet the Psycho Dwarf.........

  

.......and the champion, 4' 5" Little Kato, seen below being checked out by the referee with his "managers" Hank Conger and Hainley Statia standing-by in his corner.

 

It was a best two-out-of-three falls format for the belt and Puppet was the immediate aggressor from the bell, as seen below about to deliver a massive groin shot, while the Psycho Dwarf's manager El' Whoppo watched the beating his little man was dishing out.

 

 

After the groin shot and a body slam that was it for Little Kato as Puppet the Psycho Dwarf took the fall in the first set.

 

As if this thing was scripted...........Kato came back strong in the second bout using a vice-like leg lock to get things going.

 

Only Puppet squirmed away for the ring rope save to the displeasure of Kato's player-managers.

 

But then with a classic body-slam, Kato quickly evened the match one a-piece.

 

So the "Belt" came down to the deciding and third set.....and that's when blood was drawn. (I put the next shot below in a shadow-spot to highlight the gore.) If you are faint-hearted you might not be able to look at Little Kato's forehead (right).

 

And then....not like it was planned...out of nowhere, a trash can appeared and Puppet the Psycho Dwarf proved his name was correct when he dented it in up-side Kato's head.

 

 

And that was it. Set, match to the new Midget New World Heavyweight Champion (or something like that), Puppet the Psycho Dwarf. Puppet and El' Whoppo were last seen exiting the field trying to figure out how that long title can possibly be engraved on such a little belt.

 

Oh yeah, and there was a baseball game too. More than eight thousand fans saw the Travelers lose 4-3 to the Tulsa Drillers. Arkansas dropped the last three games of the four game series to Tulsa and fell to last place in the North Division of the Texas League with its longest losing streak of the season.

-- Lonesome Traveler

The sun does shine at Dickey-Stephens Park for doubleheader

With three games lost to monsoon rain and thunderstorms in the past five days, the sun finally came out for the Travelers Wednesday night. And I have proof. See that odd bright stuff? It was actual, real sunshine that greeted the Tulsa Drillers and the Travs for the start of play of a doubleheader.

 

You wouldn't think showing a picture of sunshine would be such a big deal, but after the dark, dreary days of soaking rain and storms it felt good to post up some sun. Heck, here's another.

 

Since Tuesday night's game was washed out this was the first game of an eight game home stand. And it was a tight, thriller that was scoreless until the Traveler's last at bat.

 

After 92 pitches, Tulsa starter and #7 prospect Esmil Rogers left the hill after the sixth inning of the seven inning contest blanking the Travs with no hits.

 

Rogers was still popping his fastball in at 93 mph as Driller left fielder Daniel Carte made a great catch off a Nate Sutton foul ball, crashing in to the wall to end the sixth and keep the no-hitter alive. But his relief in the bottom of the seventh, Tommy Baumgardner, quickly gave up a single to catcher Hank Conger ending the Travs' drought.

Arkansas right fielder Ben Johnson then sacrificed Conger to second. Big Mark Trumbo up next walked, and then it was second baseman Ryan Mount's turn. And he didn't fool around, lacing the first pitch he saw in to left field sending Conger home (below) to score the winning and only run of the game.

 

Mount was mobbed after his winning hit and greeted by the media after being named "Player of the Game."

 

 

The Travelers lost the nightcap of the doubleheader to Tulsa 5-3 with starter Trevor Bell taking the loss to even the home series 1-1.

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There was an injury of importance to announce, and I'm serious about this, that happened in-between games while the kids were running bases. I happened to be looking right at the moment a small tyke in her haste to take off, clipped Shelly's leg when he wasn't looking and the mascot went down in a heap, hard.

 He lay there for some time and required assistance to be helped up.

 

I know you are laughing, but it's not funny. Well maybe a little. No it's not. Anyway, Shelly was seen gingerly trying to run a little later.

Here's hoping he hasn't galloped his last race, and won't be retired to stud.

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Rock Dad--

     

Tulsa infielder and DH Rex Rundgren has a very famous father. Recognize that last name, Rundgren? Yes, his father is rock legend Todd Rundgren.

   

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In a scheduling quirk, the Travelers won't have another home game on Wednesday night until June 3.

-- Lonesome Traveler

 

Look who is moving on up in '09

Meet Will Smith. No not the actor. The left-handed pitcher and Angels' #12 prospect.

 

The 6' 5" 230-pound starter was drafted in the seventh round last year out of Gulf Coast Community College, the same school current Travelers closer David Herndon (below) attended in '06.

  

The 20-year-old Smith started the season at Low-A for Cedar Rapids and is currently on the DL after two appearances and a 3.00 ERA. Both Herndon and Smith were signed by super scout Tom Kotchman, who is also the manager of the Rookie League Orem Owlz. Kotchman also signed another former Traveler, Angels' infielder Howie Kendrick.

     

Travelers fans may remember the very likable Brent Del Chiaro, a catcher mostly in a reserve roll from '02-'06 at Ray Winder Field.

 

Del Chiaro is now the hitting coach for the Kernels in Cedar Rapids. And as a former catcher he apparently still has to be able to dodge. More than baseballs, that is. While doing a little research on Del Chiaro, I came across this line from an alleged former girlfriend on a site about players and dating.

"I dated him for a while, and just like any baseball player he is a cheater. He may have a girlfriend but you still have a chance if he's in your town! "

Moving on............

Another player to keep an eye on is the #16 prospect, outfielder Clay Fuller, the brother of former Traveler Cody Fuller.

 

Drafted out of high school at Spring Branch, Texas, in '06, Fuller is another burner in an organization built on speed. The switch-hitter ranked fourth in the minors last season with 13 triples and going in to this season had been successful on 78 percent of his steal attempts. Because of that, his natural outfield position is center.

 

Fuller moved up to High-A Rancho Cucamonga this season and is hitting .236 with four home runs and eight RBI. If current Travelers center-fielder Peter Bourjos were to be called up to Salt Lake, Fuller could be his replacement at Dickey-Stephens.

After missing all of last season with an ankle injury, one of the Angels' top power-hitting prospects is ready to make a move in '09.

 

6' 3" 212-pound third baseman Matt Sweeney's power rivals Brandon Wood, Mark Trumbo, and Hank Conger according to Baseball America. The 21-year-old #18 prospect, who began the season at Rancho, was drafted out of high school (Rockville, Maryland) in the eighth round of '06.

In 21 games, Sweeney is hitting .310 with three home runs and 16 RBI.

It's thought he will move to first base, and if Trumbo gets the "call," you can bet Sweeney would take over that position at Arkansas.

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Back during the World Baseball Classic, I heard color analyst (my favorite color man) and unanimous 1984 Chicago Cubs' Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe say the line below about one of the Netherlands' players, Randall Simon.

  

You may recall back in July '03 while with the Pirates, Simon took a whack at a young woman participating in the famous sausage races at Milwaukee's Miller Park. As the participants raced by the visiting dugout, Simon hit the woman dressed as an Italian sausage in the upper body with a bat, knocking her over in to another race contestant. Both were slightly injured with skinned knees.

Simon was arrested for disorderly conduct and fined $432. MLB also suspended him for three games and fined him $2,000.

Sutcliffe wryly said, "If Simon had hit the hot dog in the race instead, he probably wouldn't have been fined as much."

-- Lonesome Traveler

Yellow line has been crossed at Dickey-Stephens Park for good

Have you noticed it? The yellow line on top of the fence in front of the indoor batting cage in deep center field. It just, well, appeared.

 

This is how that same area looked last season, and it was controversial. The lack of a yellow line, that is.

    

It didn't seem like it should have been a big deal. But it was. It all began when then Travs' third baseman, Corey Smith, who is now with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, hit a huge home run to the deepest part of the park in early July. Or was it?

 

Corey, seen taking a cut against his old team last week at Dickey-Stephens, had to stop at second after the umpires ruled his blast hit off the front of the batting-cage gutter facing. Many disagreed including: Corey, of course; Travelers broadcaster, Phil Elson; many people in the stands; and this observer...all who felt the ball had hit on the roof, which would then have been a home run. But it was so hard to tell. Roof, home run. Gutter, no.

The solution, paint a damn yellow line as Travelerocity suggested publicly in a post on July 2, 2008.

Am I saying the club decided to paint the line because of our suggestion? Well, no. I'm just saying Travelerocity was on record back last July as being the first to say publicly it was needed. Let me put it another way. It was ridiculous not to have it. A yellow line like that is used in countless parks as a natural way to help discern the home-run boundary.

Which now brings us to the obvious. Why? Why the controversy over something so simple and necessary. One name. Bill Valentine.

You see, Bill was on record as not wanting his pristine new ballpark painted up. It's fine the way it is and that's that is more-or-less the story I got on Mr. Valentine's stance regarding an important need (yellow line) that could save his team a win. What if Arkansas had lost the playoffs last year over a similar ruling? No championship.

So take another look.

 

Common sense has prevailed. Above the line, gone. Below or on the line, not.

Now, Pete, how about some more paint on top of those dugouts? "Arkansas Travelers" on the home; "Texas League" on the visitors. Just a thought. Couldn't hurt to ask.

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Nice event coming to Dickey-Stephens on Thursday, May 14, as part of the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund.

   

It's called "Home Plate Heroes Night" and painted home plates such as those above will be auctioned off for various charities like PARK, Miracle League, and RBI at Lamar Porter Field.

Tickets are $25 and the event will last from 5-8 p.m. For more information go to www.jimelder.org or call 501-766-6444.

-- Lonesome Traveler