The Arkansas Travelers are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. They play in the Texas League and are affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. The team is informally known as The Travs and their team colors are red, black, gray, white and maroon. Borrowed from the classic folk song "The Arkansas Traveler," the team has the third-longest running name in minor league baseball history, only behind the Buffalo Bisons and Indianapolis Indians.
The team's home stadium is Dickey-Stephens Park, located on the riverfront. With 5,800 seats, the stadium can accommodate up to 7,300 fans and was built through a partnership between the Travs, Little Rock financier Warren Stephens, and the city of North Little Rock. The stadium's name pays tribute to two sets of baseball enthusiasts, brothers Jack and Witt Stephens, founders of Stephens Inc., and the renowned catcher Bill Dickey and his brother Skeeter, both of whom were employed by Stephens Group Inc. after their baseball careers. Bill Dickey, who notably played for the 1925 Little Rock Travelers, also served as the club's manager for a season. This role came after his remarkable 17-year career with the New York Yankees, which earned him a well-deserved place in the Hall of Fame and included an impressive seven World Series championships.
The Travelers have won several championships throughout their history. Their most successful period was from 1971 to 1989, during which they won the Texas League championship five times. They also won the championship in 2001 and 2008 as the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A affiliate. In 2017, the Travelers became the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, marking just the second time in the last half-century that the team swapped major league teams. The 2018 season marked the Arkansas Travelers' 53rd season as part of the Texas League, making them the longest tenured active member of the league.
