Chillicothe Paints
From SoSH
| Location: | Chillicothe, OH |
| Established: | 1993 |
| MLB Affiliation: | None |
| League: | Frontier League |
| Level: | Independent |
| Ballpark: | V.A. Memorial Stadium |
| Championships: | 0 |
| Division Titles: | 5 (2003, 2001, 1998, 1996, 1994) |
| Wild Card: |
The Chillicothe Paints are a minor league baseball team which plays in Chillicothe, Ohio. The team is a member of the Frontier League and is not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team.
The Paints are the oldest franchise currently in the Frontier League, having begun operations in 1993. They have been to the Frontier League Championship Series on six occasions (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006). However, they are yet to lay claim to a Frontier League championship trophy.
In 2005 the franchise set a record by drawing over 85,000 fans.
Contents |
Team History
The Chillicothe Paints Professional Baseball Association, Inc. is a member of the top Single A, Independent League in the country, the Frontier League of Professional Baseball. The Frontier League fields teams in cities throughout Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. The Chillicothe Paints, the charter member of the Frontier League since 1993, make their home at V.A. Memorial Stadium. The Paints are celebrating, as well as the league, their 15th season of professional baseball.
In February of 1993, Dr. Chris Hanners along with the Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center brought professional baseball to Southern Ohio. On a rainy Wednesday night in June of 1993, fans totaling 2,154 saw the first-ever Frontier League game in Chillicothe. The Paints were victorious on that night over the Portsmouth Explorers, and Paints' Baseball began to thrive and prosper throughout Southern Ohio.
Even though the Paints are in a small-market area, they know how to attract the big names of baseball. On Opening Day of 1995, the Paints brought in Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench to catch the first pitch. In 1996, another member of the Big Red Machine, Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hit king, thrilled fans at V.A. Memorial Stadium. In 1999, Hall of Famer and voice of the Cincinnati Reds, Marty Brennaman spoke to a group of over 200 Paints' fans at the first annual Winterfest and the 2000 Winterfest brought 250 baseball fans to see Ken Griffey, Sr. speak. Former Paints’ pitcher, Brian Tollberg, was the 2001 Winterfest guest speaker. Tollberg became the first Frontier League player in history to make it to Major League Baseball. And this past February, Winterfest 2002 showcased the baseball movie, A Little Inside. The motion picture premiered in front of a packed house at the historic Majestic Theatre. The film had many scenes shot at V.A. Memorial Stadium at a local downtown restaurant named, The Dock at Water. In attendance that night was two of the film's stars, Benjamin King and Hallie Eisenberg.
Throughout the history of the Paints, appearances by syndicated talk show host Gary Burbank and 700 WLW personality Andy Furman have enhanced Paints' baseball. Entering their fifteenth season, the Paints will play 48 home games during the 2007 Season.
The Paints drew 20,253 fans in the inaugural season of 1993. In their second year, attendance grew to 32,808. Winning Organization of the Year honors in 1996, the Paints increased attendance by 65% to 51,419 fans. In winning Organization of the Year for the second time in three years, 1998's attendance improved once again, reaching 71,782 fans; an average of over 1,800 per game. For six straight years, the Paints have drawn more than 70,000 fans each season.
In the Spring of 2006, The Ross County Board of Commissioners and the Chillicothe Paints installed a state-of-the-art playing surface called Field Turf. The synthetic playing surface allows VA Memorial Stadium to become a true multi-purpose facility! A venue that will host football, soccer, festivals, concerts and numerous other events without the worry of damaging the playing surface.
The Paints' organization has been named as one of the top ten independent baseball franchises by Baseball America.
Chillicothe Professional Baseball is proud of their team logo and trade name, the Chillicothe Paints featuring the Paint Horse. The logo was chosen to stay within the original theme set by the Frontier League. The Paint horse is documented as being the preferred horse by the American Indians, considered by many authorities to be the greatest horsemen who ever lived. The Paint horse is known for it's combination of versatility, strength and aggressiveness which we display within our logo; a horse with markings and war feathers flowing from the horse's mane. The Paint horse is to symbolize the team spirit and is known as the Sports Model of the Horse World. The official team colors are navy blue and white with accents of scarlet and gold.
Teams and Records
- 2007 47-49 Manager: Mark Mason
- 2006 58-37 Manager: Glenn Wilson
- 2005 53-42 Manager: Glenn Wilson
- 2004 48-48 Manager: Jamie Keefe
- 2003 54-31 Manager: Jamie Keefe
- 2002 35-49 Manager: Jamie Keefe
Attendance
- 2007.....84,383....1,758 per game
Current Roster
Field Management
- Manager - Mark Mason
- Hitting Coach - Bob Bozzuto
Front Office
- Owner - Chris Hanners
- President - Shirley Bandy
- General Manager - Bryan Wickline
- Front Office Staff
Trivia
- former Cy Young winner Doug Drabek once served as interim manager.
V.A. Memorial Stadium
V.A. Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Chillicothe Paints minor league baseball team. It originally opened in 1954. It holds 3,000 people, and is the second oldest Frontier League ballpark currently in use. Only Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana (home to the Evansville Otters) has existed 39 years longer. It is also the oldest ballpark in the Frontier League East Division.
Stadium Capacity - 3,000
Field Dimensions
- Left Field — 327 ft
- Center Field — 395 ft
- Right Field — 325 ft
