Bill Valentine giving a tour of the Arkansas Travelers Baseball Museum. (Photo by Jeff Reed)

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas sports legend Bill Valentine has resigned after 40 years with the Arkansas Travelers.

Valentine, 77, has spent the last 33 years as the club’s executive vice president. The Travelers’ Executive Committee accepted his resignation, effective as of March 10.

“I’ve been in baseball for almost 60 years. Over the past couple of years, I think the daily grind has gotten to me a bit,” Valentine said in a statement issued by the club. “Most nights I have been the last person to leave the ballpark, and I’m usually here seven days a week. I’ve just gotten tired.”

Valentine grew up at Travelers Field in Little Rock, working various jobs from clubhouse boy to ball shagger to concession worker. He attended umpire school in 1950 after graduating from North Little Rock High School and became the youngest professional umpire in baseball history in 1951 at 18.

In 1963, he became an umpire in the American League but was let go in 1968 after attempting to start a union. He returned to Little Rock in 1969 and joined Jim Elder on the air for Travs’ broadcasts for the next eight years.

Valentine also worked as a television sportscaster and radio disc jockey on KARK (now KARN), did some sports writing for the Arkansas Democrat and was executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party.

The executive committee of the fan-owned Travs hired Valentine to replace Carl Sawatski for the 1976 season.