As one of the oldest and most storied franchises in Minor League Baseball, the Arkansas Travelers are proud to put their history on display with the opening of the Travelers Baseball Museum. This collection of memorabilia located in the main concourse at Dickey-Stephens Park contains artifacts ranging from the Travs' original 1901 charter into the Southern Association to all team photos from the years as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals (1966-2000) and Los Angeles Angels (2001-present). The museum is sponsored by Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics and St. Vincent Orthopedic Center and was built by Southwest Display and Design of North Little Rock. Travelers Executive Vice President/COO Bill Valentine with the aid of park superintendent Greg Johnston headed the effort from the Travs' front office.Inside the museum fans can learn about great moments in Travs history and the men who led the proud franchise since its inception like Judge William Kavanaugh, Ray Winder and Jim Elder. Some of the more colorful players and fans like R.C. Otey, "Hookslide" Bradshaw and Willie Bunch are also profiled. Photos of ex-Travs turned Hall of Famers Travis Jackson, Jim Bunning and Ferguson Jenkins are displayed. There are baseballs used in historic games, authentic uniforms and game equipment plus Travs team photos from 1901, 1903, 1904 and 1905. Also on display are photos of the Travs' two previous home ballparks; Kavanaugh Field and Ray Winder Field.
"Much of this stuff was hanging on the walls at our offices at Ray Winder Field before we moved," said Valentine. "People used to like to stand around in the office and look at all the history. So we thought that a museum would allow people to continue to view our history. There aren't many franchises that own a history as old as ours and I don't think there are many minor league ballparks that have anything like this museum."
The Travs collection of baseball artifacts grew over the past few years as fans from across the state brought boxes of their own memorabilia. Old baseball Reach guides, Western Union correspondences, player contracts, baseball cards, game tickets and scorecards were donated.
"St. Vincent has been a member of this community for more than a hundred years, and the Travelers have also passed the century mark, so we're very proud to be associated with this museum and the team," said Gina Seabaugh, Vice President of Orthopedic Services for St. Vincent. "As the state's first hospital St. Vincent is concerned about the wellbeing of all. Having the St. Vincent name at Dickey-Stephens gives us the opportunity to remind people about the sports injury services and overall medical care available at St. Vincent," Seabaugh added.
Fans will be charged $1 during Travs games for admission to the Travelers Baseball Museum. Group tours can be arranged during the offseason or when the Travs are on the road by calling the Dickey-Stephens Park office at 664-1555.
Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics (ASO), located in Little Rock, AR is a comprehensive musculoskeletal orthopaedic practice that currently consists of 18 fellowship trained surgeons sub-specialized in Hip and Knee Replacement, Foot and Ankle, Adult Reconstruction and Shoulder, Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy - Knee and Shoulder, Orthopaedic Trauma - Fracture Care, Hand and Upper Extremity and Orthopaedic Spine. ASO also has physicians in Neurology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic First Care. In addition, ASO offers Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and has a joint venture surgery center with St. Vincent's Health System that includes a Pain Management Center. For more information on Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics visit the ASO website at www.arspecialty.com or contact Heather Caracio at 501-663-3647.
St. Vincent Health System, founded in 1888, is one of Arkansas' leading health systems. It is comprised of four hospitals, a network of primary care clinics, a home health agency and numerous other ventures and entities.
St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center , an acute care facility, licensed for 619 beds, located in Little Rock , serves as the hub of the health system and home to the award-winning orthopedic program. According to Health Grades, St. Vincent ranks number one in orthopedic services, joint replacement surgery and spine surgery.
Other St. Vincent hospitals include St. Vincent Doctors Hospital, licensed for 310 beds, in Little Rock; St. Vincent Medical Center/North, licensed for 69 beds, in Sherwood; and St. Anthony's Medical Center , licensed for 49 beds, in Morrilton.
St. Vincent Health System, with more than 2,800 employees and affiliations with more than 650 physicians, is sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives. Catholic Health Initiatives is a national not-for-profit health care network.
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