For three nights during the 2025 baseball season, the Arkansas Travelers, the Seattle Mariners’ Double-A affiliate, will take the field under a new name: The Little Rock Nine. While the name might sound like a natural fit for a baseball team, its significance reaches far beyond the game—it’s a tribute to one of the most pivotal moments in Civil Rights history.
From August 21-23, the Travelers will commemorate the Little Rock Nine, the group of Black high school students who courageously desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their historic stand against racial segregation was met with fierce resistance from state leaders, who deployed the Arkansas National Guard to block their entry. The situation became so volatile that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had to send federal troops to escort them into the school safely. Despite enduring relentless racism and intimidation, the Little Rock Nine stood firm, paving the way for integration in public schools across the country.
The Travelers’ Little Rock Nine identity is part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” initiative, which promotes Black baseball history and culture—fittingly named after Jackie Robinson’s No. 9 jersey from his lone Minor League season in 1946.
“It felt like an amazing opportunity to honor the Little Rock Nine,” said Travelers general manager Sophie Ozier. “From the name of the program to nine players on a baseball field, there were so many different connections.”
Finding members of the Little Rock Nine to collaborate on this project wasn’t easy, as only seven of the original nine are still living, now in their 80s. Eventually, the team connected with Carlotta Walls LaNier, who was just 14 years old when she enrolled at Central High and later graduated in 1960—the same year her family’s home was bombed by segregationist terrorists.
“When I called [Walls] to tell her about this, she was so pumped and excited, telling me that she was a big baseball fan growing up,” Ozier shared. “One of them [Thelma Mothershed-Wair] passed last year, and a couple live out of the country. Since they’re older, we don’t want them to travel if they’re not comfortable with it.”
The Travelers chose to unveil their Little Rock Nine tribute on February 17, coinciding with Daisy Bates Day in Arkansas. Bates, a journalist, activist, and president of the NAACP’s Arkansas chapter, played a crucial role in mentoring and advocating for the Little Rock Nine.
The team’s special edition logos were designed by Little Rock-based firm Eric Rob & Isaac, ensuring that this tribute remains deeply rooted in the city’s history.
By honoring the courage and perseverance of the Little Rock Nine, the Arkansas Travelers are making sure that their legacy of resilience, justice, and equality continues to be remembered—not just in history books, but on the baseball field as well.