Valentine named 2014 King of Baseball
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball announced today that Bill Valentine, a current vice president of the Texas League and former Arkansas Travelers executive, has been named the 2014 King of Baseball. The King of Baseball is a long-standing tradition in which Minor League Baseball recognizes a veteran of professional baseball for long-time dedication and service. Valentine will receive the King of Baseball Award at the Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in San Diego, California.
"I attended my first Baseball Winter Meetings in 1977, and since then, I have seen 36 people selected as the King of Baseball," said Valentine. "To be honest, during the early years, I had no thoughts of being in the game long enough to be crowned King. I do appreciate the honor and cannot wait to get to San Diego and my 37th Baseball Winter Meetings."
Bill grew up at Travelers Field in Little Rock, Arkansas, working various jobs, including clubhouse attendant, ball shagger and concession worker. After graduating from North Little Rock High School, he attended umpire school and became the youngest professional umpire in baseball history in 1951 at the age of 18 when he was signed by the Ohio-Indiana League. In 1963, after years of progressing through the umpiring ranks, Valentine landed in the American League, where he remained until 1968.
In 1969, Valentine returned to Little Rock, where he spent the next eight years on the air for Travs broadcasts. He also worked as a television sportscaster and radio disc jockey on KARK (now KARN News Radio) in Little Rock, did some sports writing for the Arkansas Democrat and was executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party.
"After umpiring for 18 years, I began broadcasting Arkansas Travelers games in the Texas League," stated Valentine. "In 1976, after then General Manager Carl Sawatski was elected president of the Texas League, I became the General Manager and Executive Vice President of the team."
The Executive Committee of the fan-owned Travs hired Valentine to replace Sawatski for the 1976 season. In his first five years at the helm, the team's attendance increased by more than 150,000 and by 1980, the Travelers' attendance exceeded 223,000, nearly four times what it had been before Valentine arrived. With increases in both fan numbers and ticket sales, Ray Winder Field was able to be renovated to include new restrooms, clubhouses and playing surfaces, all due to the hard work and commitment of Valentine.
Valentine was a pioneer in the area of promotions, introducing many giveaway nights and special events to Travelers games. He was rewarded for his knack for marketing in 1983 when he and the Arkansas club were named the recipients of the Lee MacPhail Trophy, which is awarded to baseball's top promoter.
The Arkansas Travelers were the top draw in the Texas League during the 1980s. After carrying the team to numerous league championships that decade, Valentine was named the 1989 Double-A Executive of the Year by Sporting News. In 1990, the Arkansas Travelers were recognized by Baseball America with the coveted Freitas Award that acknowledges one organization's long-term stability and success.
Following the 2000 season, Valentine signed an agreement to make the Arkansas Travelers the Texas League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, which ended the 35-year relationship the team shared with the St. Louis Cardinals. During the first year of the new affiliation, the Travs ended an 11-year drought by winning a league championship under the leadership of Valentine.
In August 2005, the voters of North Little Rock approved a two-year, one-cent sales tax to build a new home for the Travelers. Bill was instrumental in the construction of Dickey-Stephens Park, where the team began playing in the 2007 season. Due to his diligence and attention to detail, Bill was one of the driving forces that contributed to the success of the project. After completing its eighth season in the downtown riverfront, the ballpark has been a worthy successor to Ray Winder Field.
In his 33 years of leading the Arkansas Travelers, Valentine has been recognized many times by his peers and the community, including being inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas League Hall of Fame. Valentine has been voted Texas League Executive of the Year six times and was awarded the George Troutman Award in 1994 for long and distinguished service to baseball. Valentine took on the role of the Chief Operating Officer of the team prior to the beginning of the 2007 season and retired from the team in 2009. He also served as the Texas League's representative on Minor League Baseball's Board of Trustees. Valentine's impact on the game changed, and undoubtedly bettered, the face of baseball in Central Arkansas.
"What an extraordinary career Bill has had as an umpire, broadcaster and award-winning club operator," said Texas League President Tom Kayser. "He was at the forefront of the revival of The Minor Leagues and throughout his career, one of the game's leading promoters. Bill also helped operators share their best ideas, organizing the first promotional seminar at the Baseball Winter Meetings in the 1970s."
"Bill Valentine has held practically every job in baseball one could imagine," said Pat O'Conner, Minor League Baseball President & CEO. "His reputation as a fiery Major League umpire may have been well-deserved, but it was Bill's ability as a baseball executive that was really showcased in his years in Little Rock. Bill made the most of an aged Ray Winder Field while working diligently on a new ballpark in North Little Rock. The successful opening of Dickey-Stephens Park in 2007 capped an amazing career for this year's King of Baseball."
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”