Life in the Minors

Dick Allen had monster season with Arkansas Travelers.

With the official restructuring of minor league baseball in 1963 the Phillies started a three-year affiliation with the Arkansas Travelers in Little Rock, AK, a city that had been without baseball the previous two years. The Travelers were in the International League (1963) and the Pacific Coast League the other two years of the working agreement with the Phillies.

The Travelers is the second-longest running nickname in minor league baseball history behind the Buffalo Bisons. Ironically, the Phillies had been in Buffalo for four seasons before moving to Little Rock.

Ballpark
Ray Winder Field. It was constructed in 1931 and was in operation for around 74 years.

Manager
Frank Lucchesi (1963–65)

Climbing the Ladder
A good number of players were on the roster in their climb to the major leagues. Among the younger players who had careers of a minimum five seasons in the show: (1963), OF Dick Allen, RHP John Boozer, INF-OF Danny Cater, OF John Herrnstein, RHP Ferguson Jenkins, RHP Gary Kroll, RHP Jack Hamilton, LHP Marcelino Lopez, RHP Dwight Siebler. (1964) C Pat Corrales, OF Alex Johnson, LHP John Morris, OF Adolfo Phillips, RHP Gary Wagner. (1965) LHP Grant Jackson, RHP Rick Wise.

Notes
Allen, 21, had a monster season, his last in the minors. He led the league in triples (12), home runs (33), RBI (97), total bases (299) while hitting .289. Surprisingly Dick shared the team high with three sacrifice bunts . . . Lee Elia played two seasons as did Dallas Green. Both wound up managing the Phillies . . . Jenkins was enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Compiled by Steve Potter of www.philliesbaseballfan.com and Larry Shenk.

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️