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Is this good for the Angels? A good rule of thumb in gaging minor league associations is how consistent the park plays and how extreme it measures to ward the rest of its league. Dickey Stephens park in North Little Rock is an extreme pitcher's park. The math on player performance and evaluation is so simple even Mike Scioscia can do it. Any glimmer of Isolate Power in a batter at our AA park indicates good things to come in the majors. Ditto for strikeout rates of pitchers in a park that can teach the bad habit of pitching to contact where flyballs sail through Psalm 23-style valley of certain death.
From the few Travs blogs that have appeared and disappeared over time I get the feeling that the Angels are totally unappreciated by a local fan-base that still misses being the feeder team for the Cardinals. The Travelers have been an Angels farm club since the winter before the 2001 season but it seems that Halo Fever has never caught on. The Arkansas Travelers have a distinguished history as one of the longest-running baseball clubs in all of the United States of America, even if their team cap logo is of General Robert E. Lee, who fought for the secession of a confederacy of states from the US. Ooops.
The team is currently partnered with the Salt Lake Bees (AAA Pacific Coast League), the Texas League Travs, the Inland Empire 66ers (High-A California League), the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low-A Midwest League) and the Orem Owls (Rookie Ball Pioneer League). Trivia: Which TWO of these teams did Mike Trout NOT play for?