Obituaries

Jim Bailey

Photo of Jim Bailey
Longtime sportswriter Jim Bailey, one of the first media members inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, died Wednesday after a long and brave battle with Alzheimer's. Bailey, voted Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 18 times by his peers, was 86. Born Oct. 13, 1932, Bailey went through the Emerson School system, graduated from Southern Arkansas University in 1953, served in the U.S. Army 1953-55, and went to work for The Arkansas Gazette in May 1956. Until the paper closed in October 1991, he covered the Arkansas Travelers, boxing, the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference, the Arkansas Razorbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals. He worked more than a year at The Arkansas Times before writing fulltime for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from early 1994 until January 1998 and then doing free-lance work for the publication. Outside of newspaper work, he wrote a book on the Travelers in 1980 and updated the book for publication in 2007 when it was: "The Arkansas Travelers: 100 Years in Baseball." He was such an integral part of the Travelers' history that the press box at Ray Winder Field was named the "Jim Box" to honor Bailey and broadcaster Jim Elder, and the moniker was retained when the Travelers moved to Dickey-Stephens Park. Bailey also co-wrote "The Razorbacks, a story of the University of Arkansas football program," with Gazette sports editor Orville Henry in 1973 and was co-author of "Hog Wild, The Autobiography of Frank Broyles," in 1979. Bailey is survived by his wife of more than 58 years, Peggy Trexler Bailey, and a son, Bobby. Inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2008, and named to the Sports Media Legends Wall of Honor at War Memorial Stadium in 2010, Bailey won a national award in 1997 for his story about Ritchie Allen, the Travelers' first black player. He also earned a lifetime achievement award from the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, a 50-year service award from the Arkansas Press Association and a distinguished alumnus award from SAU. Despite the numerous and well-deserved honors in a business where egos flourish, Bailey was humble and helpful with a dry sense of humor and an impeccable memory. Virtually every one of his co-workers has memories of incidents that exemplify those qualities. Bailey's response to the Sports Hall of Fame request for his bio says something about his wit. "I've had the same wife for 42 years, the same house for 37 years, the same job (or at least the same kind of job) 46 years. Come to think of it, I don't trade cars very often, either." Visitation will be 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home in Little Rock. The funeral service is 10 a.m. Saturday, also at Roller-Chenal, with burial at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery near Prescott.

Published January 4, 2019

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