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The Arkansas Travelers closed their 2006 season on September 3, with a home game against the Springfield Cardinals. The largest crowd of the season that packed the historic old ballpark was not there to see the home team clinch a pennant. In fact, the Travs were in last place in the Texas League, twenty-five games out of first place.
For some of those in attendance, the evening was a cause for celebration. The 2007 season would open in a modern new location just across the river in North Little Rock. The old ballpark located out by the Little Rock Zoo saw its first game in 1932, and after 74 seasons, “The Greatest Show on Dirt” was showing its age.
For most of the 8,307 fans, the event was more like a wake than a retirement party. The message across the outfield in large letters read, “Goodbye Ray Winder, 1932-2006.” Fathers at the game with their sons recalled evenings at Ray Winder Field with their dad. Many fans with reserved seats opted to stand in the outfield to feel more connected to the game, and organist Alfreda Wilson, who retired after 30 years of service, returned to play Take Me Out to the Ballgame one last night at the ballpark she loved.
Governor Mike Huckabee, who threw out the first pitch, later revealed that he had practiced earlier because of the magnitude of his role in the program. The Travelers won the game, but the outcome meant very little compared to the emotional impact of the farewell to Ray Winder Field.
Arkansas Travelers Field 1932- 1966
The namesake of Ray Winder Field arrived in the city about 1905. The teenager and his father soon opened a livery stable in the heart of the city, and young Ray became an active member of a social group that included the younger businessmen in the city. One of his new friends was Robert Allen, owner of the struggling new baseball franchise in Little Rock.
When Allen needed a connection to the business community, he hired his friend Ray Winder as the Travelers liaison to city leadership. Winder loved the game, and he was uniquely suited for leadership roles that would eventually include everything from ticket sales to player evaluation.
In the mid-1950s, when the Travelers struggled financially, Winder was part of a movement to change the team’s name to Arkansas Travelers to reflect the franchise’s goal of representing the entire state. Through success and tough times, miracle pennant-winning seasons, and last-place disappointments, Ray Winder was closely associated with Travelers baseball for six decades.
When the Southern Association folded in the early 1960s, Winder guided the club through brief affiliations with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. Ray Winder retired after the 1965 season, and beginning in 1966, the Travs began a 35-year association with the Cardinals.
Through all the changes, the Little Rock minor league franchise continued to call their home park Travelers Field until August 26, 1966, when Stan Musial came to town to be master of ceremonies at Ray Winder Night at the last game at “Travelers Field.”
At the conclusion of the event, honoring the Travs former general manager with the King of Baseball title from the Minor League Baseball Association, President Max Moses surprised Winder with an unexpected announcement.
“From this date forward, Travelers Field will be known as Ray Winder Field.”
Cardinals, Valentine and Date Night
In St. Louis Cardinals’ territory, the Cardinals and Little Rock were a popular partnership. The Travelers immediately won a league title, one of many they would win while a St. Louis farm club. By the 1970s, Ray Winder Field was the place to be.
“Date Night” at the ballpark meant baseball, special promotions, and a popular night out for couples and families on a budget. The combination created a marketing plan that became more successful with the arrival of former Major League umpire Bill Valentine in 1976. Valentine was a shrewd businessman and tireless promoter.
Free tickets were common. Captain Dynamite would blow himself up at second base between doubleheader games, and despite staggering to his feet, he returned year after year until he was replaced by a swimsuit-clad female known as Princes Dynamite.
On “Klunker Kar Night,” a lucky fan might drive away in a car they won in a ticket drawing, or ride away on a pony on “Pony Night.” Hot Dogs and soft drinks were fifty cents, and cold beer was $1. A superfan, Hook Slide Bradshaw, demonstrated sliding techniques on the warning track between innings.
Fernando Mania, 12,000+
One of the most retold stories about the 70+ seasons the Travelers played at Travelers Field/Ray Winder Field occurred on Saturday, June 1, 1991. On that memorable summer afternoon, California Angels pitcher Fernando Valenzuela made a rehab start with the Midland Angels against the Travelers at Ray Winder Field. An overflow crowd of 12,246 somehow managed to get into a ballpark with an official capacity of 6.083. Fans were allowed to line up in front of the outfield fence from foul pole to foul pole.
Valenzuela held the Travs to two hits in seven innings and came away with one of three victories he earned in his Texas League assignment. “Valenzuela hurls 2-hitter, Angels sweep Travelers,” led the sports page headlines.
September 3, 2006, The Last Game at Ray Winder Field
On the morning of Sunday, September 3, fans began lining up at the gates to Ray Winder Field by 9 a.m., hoping to get one of the limited commemorative tickets. Game time was 2:00 p.m. With no more night games on the schedule, the lights were turned off for the last time two days earlier.
By 1 p.m., most of the general admission seats were full, and ushers were working to create standing room on the field. More than 8,000 had found a place to sit or stand when the dignitaries marched onto the field for the opening ceremony a few minutes before game time.
Introductions included 3-foot-5 Roscoe Stidman, who had been the “leadoff hitter” stunt in Bill Valentine’s first year as general manager. The governor, the mayor, and former Travelers manager Chris Mahoney, the current manager of the opposing team, were also recognized. When it was Valentine’s turn, the general manager gave a short speech that concluded with “Parting is such sweet sorrow. Now for the last time, play ball!”
Governor Mike Huckabee threw out the first pitch, a baseball autographed by the governor and President George W. Bush. Foreman, Arkansas, native and Broadway star Lawrence Hamilton sang the National Anthem, and doves were released from behind home plate. At 2:13, the game began. Springfield leadoff hitter Shaun Boyd was hit by a pitch.
The Travelers won the meaningless game 7-2. A fan recalled that after the game it took more than an hour to coax the reluctant crowd to finally leave Ray Winder Field.
In November 2007, the city held the “Ray Winder Field Yard Sale,” in which anything not nailed down was sold. In May 2011, fans were allowed in on a first-come, first-served basis to claim the stadium seats.
Dickey Stephens Park
On September 6, the Arkansas Travelers will close their 2026 home season at Dickey-Stephens Park with an afternoon game vs. the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Many of the fans attending that final game will recall the Sunday afternoon 20 years ago when the Travelers said goodbye to Ray Winder Field.
Dickey Stephens Park
Photographs courtesy of Arkansas Travelers and Baseball in Little Rock, Terry Turner
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