2006 List

Ray Winder Field

Originally named “Traveler Field” upon its construction in 1932, Ray Winder Field in Little Rock is a potent reminder of the glory days of minor league baseball in Arkansas and the country. As the fifth oldest minor league ballpark in the United States, Ray Winder Field has experienced all that minor league baseball has offered in the twentieth century. The field was renamed “Ray Winder Field” in 1966 to recognize the efforts of a man who dedicated 52 years to the promotion of professional baseball for the Little Rock and Arkansas Travelers. Although Ray Winder Field has a capacity of 6,083; on June 1, 1991, more than 12,000 turned out to witness the return of famed Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela to professional baseball. Although Ray Winder Field has been completely renovated over the last twenty years, the original park remains intact with the exception of the right-field bleachers. 2006 will mark the final season of Travelers baseball at Ray Winder as the team will move to a new field in North Little Rock in 2007. As with numerous other “purpose-built” structures, particularly sporting arenas, the future of Ray Winder Field is uncertain without the presence of a team to use it. The City of Little Rock through its Mid-town Task Force has assembled a group of citizens to look at potential uses of the park, but the future of Ray Winder Field is still unclear. As such a vivid reminder of the history of minor league baseball in Arkansas and the country and as an important anchor of midtown Little Rock, Ray Winder Field’s importance to the history and the community are significant.

Unfortunately, Ray Winder Field was demolished to make way for extra parking lots for nearby hospitals and the Little Rock Zoo.