Arkansas Baseball

On an eerie night in Little Rock sixty-eight years ago today, the Roy Campanella All-Stars played a "fogged-up" exhibition game in front of 3,500 at Travelers Field, featuring a triple-play by 20-year old Willie Mays in center field. Read the wacky reports of the game below.

Roberson, inducted into the @arkshof in 1962, pitched more innings of pro baseball than any other Arkansan. He won approximately 330 pro games during his career from 1908-1929, including a franchise record of 190 for the @ARTravs. He is pictured here with Jonesboro in 1909.

Be sure and check out @jimyeager 's wonderful new book "Backroads and Ballplayers" featuring stories about baseball players from rural Arkansas, such as the state's all-time winningest pitcher, Rube Roberson of Floyd, Arkansas. BackroadsBallplayers.com

Professional baseball used to be commonplace in small towns across Arkansas. Below is the 1908 Newport Pearl Diggers from the Arkansas State League, a short-lived minor league that developed numerous big leaguers and dominated @ArkansasOnline sports pages.

Connie Rector was an Arkadelphia native who pitched 26 seasons in the Negro Leagues. He briefly rose to the top of black baseball in 1929 when he posted a reported win-loss record of 20-3 with the New York Lincoln Giants. Read our new bio on Rector here: arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.p…

Clyde Spearman, the youngest of Arkadelphia's remarkable Spearman family, played seventeen years in Negro League baseball and was born 106 years ago today. Read his short bio: arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.p…

Eighty- eight years ago tonight, the @ARTravs played their first ever night game under lights at old Kavanaugh Field in Little Rock (below).

Warrior Field in Conway, home of the @HendrixWarriors, is a small and basic ballpark, but offers seating that is super close to the action on the field.

Clyde Berry Field at @HendersonStateU is a low-key ballpark, but has lots of space to spread out and a nice new turf field.

Tech Field at Arkansas Tech, which was given a much-needed face lift a few years ago, offers a comfortable place to watch @ATUBaseball in action.