I have been fortunate to see some great athletes compete in this state over nearly 10 years at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
When I'm asked who is the best athlete I've covered, it's an easy answer.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporters who covered memorable Arkansas sports events of the past share their insights from today.
Mike Trout.
Yes, Mike Trout did play baseball in the Natural State.
One of the benefits of having minor-league baseball in the state is that tomorrow's stars of Major League Baseball are easy to catch today.
In 2011 alone, Travelers fans got to see future major-leaguers such as Trout, Garrett Richards and Matt Shoemaker on the same team. Other eventual major-leaguers who were in the Texas League in 2011 include former Arkansas Razorback Dallas Keuchel, Jose Altuve, Salvador Perez, Kelvin Hererra, Wil Myers, Matt Adams and Shelby Miller.
Entering the 2011 season, Trout was the No. 1 prospect in the Los Angeles Angels' system and No. 2 overall by Baseball America. (Bryce Harper was Baseball America's top prospect, by the way.)
From April to August, with a major-league stint in-between, Trout was in Arkansas and helped the Travs win the Texas League North Division first-half championship.
He played 91 games with the Travs in 2011, batting .326 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI and 82 runs scored. He also stole 33 bases.
Since Dickey-Stephens Park is a big park, Trout's power that he flashes consistently in the big leagues wasn't as prevalent here. Of his 11 home runs with the Travs, only four came in North Little Rock.
The Angels called up Trout on July 8, 2011, to replace the injured Peter Bourjos. But Trout struggled in his first major-league stint, hitting .163 with 1 home run and 6 RBI in 12 starts before being sent down to Arkansas on Aug. 1.
Trout's second stint with the Travelers didn't last long, with the Angels bringing him back up Aug. 19 for the team's pennant race. He played 40 games with the Angels in 2011, batting .220 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI.
Watching Trout play at Dickey-Stephens Park was a joy.
You knew early on that he was special, but Trout never stopped working hard. His goal was to get to the big leagues quickly.
Fans attend Travs games for various reasons. Some are die-hard baseball fans. Others just want to have a good time -- check out the beer garden, for instance. Families also gather in the playground just past the outfield fence.
But undoubtedly Trout's presence in 2011 was a draw by itself for fans from across the state.
So what was Trout like when dealing with the media? He's garnered a reputation in the big leagues of not wanting the spotlight to shine to brightly on himself.
With the Travs, he was just fine.
There was an occasion or two when several of his teammates would see me interview Trout, and they all would come up with their baseball bats pretending to be part of the media gaggle. That was amusing. It also showed how much they liked and respected Trout.
One of the first things I learned about Trout was his love for weather. In fact, he called into The Weather Channel with Jim Cantore when there was a blizzard in his home state of New Jersey.
During his time in Arkansas, Trout certainly got to experience a healthy dose of heat and humidity.
Ever since he became a big-leaguer for good in 2012, Trout has brought the heat to Major League Baseball.
Trout, the 25th pick overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, is a three-time American League MVP (2014, 2016 and 2019), has made the All-Star team eight times (2012-19) and was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2012.
With the Angels, Trout has batted .305 with 285 home runs and 752 RBI. He has 1,324 hits. Oh, and he's only 28.
The Angels gave Trout the richest contract in the history of North American sports before the 2019 season. He signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with the Angels.
Let's face it, if there's one player in baseball that deserves that amount of money, it's Trout. His numbers prove it.
There will be future major-leaguers who pass through Arkansas over the years. That's part of the charm of watching minor-league baseball.
But for the spring and summer of 2011, Arkansas got to see a young man who is already considered a shoo-in Hall of Famer.
Mike Trout isn't done yet. Let's hope for an end to this coronavirus pandemic soon and we can see the games being played again, especially with Trout performing as the best player in baseball.
From The Files
As the coronavirus pandemic keeps sports sidelined, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette takes a look at some of the memorable events of the past.
TODAY: Mike Trout being called up to the major leagues in 2011
Sports on 04/03/2020